He saves 90% of his salary and he has already bought two houses in almost ten years: “They call me stingy”

The case of a woman who decided to change her habits crossed all boundaries. Both he and his wife have adopted a strict lifestyle that over time has deepened to the point of Save up to 90% of your salary from your work. And in almost a decade they have achieved buy two houses. But despite the possibilities, not everyone is willing to make such an effort.

At times the Consumerism is growing rapidly In Western societies, examples of the opposite style also appear, perhaps exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Wang Shenai |native of Nanjing in China, is driven to finish many things that most people are not willing to do. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind that.

Minimalist lifestyle and far from consumerism

Shenai, 32, is a member of an online group 400,000 people called Frugal Women’s Federationspreading Gizmodo.

In recent times, this woman has become a celebrity because of him extreme methods to save moneywhich caused all sorts of public criticism.

In a long interview on the show Talk to Her by TencentShenai discussed his savings strategies as well as his views on consumerism and minimalism.

He said he has become accustomed to saving because his family always does it due to the context of poverty in which he grew up. He revealed that his mother always put the money he had saved in the refrigerator, and when he was given change, he would throw the coins on the floor to teach him that the money was hard to come by. “These first experiences stayed with me until old age,” he said.

Intense sacrifice and extraordinary savings

Once she was able to work, Shenai Wang started saving for her own house. And he offers his particular perspective: he’s always happier saving money than spending it. In fact compare a “feeling of security” in the first case versus “anxiety and vulnerability” in the second.

Over the past nine years, he and his wife have accumulated 90% of their monthly income, despite having two children. So they got two houses in the relatively affluent city of Nanjing, capital of the eastern province of Jiangsu.

The couple makes what for many would be extreme sacrifice, for that reason it made it clear that “it’s not for everyone”. One pointed to the furniture in his house: they are all second hand or collected from centers or streets.

But there’s more: the woman claims not to spend more than that 100 yuan ($ 15) worth of underwear per yearbecause she knew that “it’s not a good idea to have underwear that other people use,” she said. The other clothes were donations from friends who no longer wanted clothes.

Social life is another aspect to consider: it is nothing if not free. No dinner, no vacation, nothing worth the money. Also, to get around you only use public transport if you pay for it using the free coupons you can find online.

Learning and criticism

A key point that causes some mistrust is that during the interview the couple’s job and salary are never counted. Neither, how do you do pay for basic services such as lighting and electricity,

The woman said a previous job at an advertising and marketing company helped her realize how brands create artificial needs to generate consumer habits.

Although this seemed a contradiction in itself, Wang had the satisfaction and security generated by the properties he purchased. “I think it’s important for women to buy property. Everyone should do it, no matter how big or small. When a woman encounters social problems, her home is where she can take refuge. ” he says.

As expected, his interview generated all sorts of comments on social networks, especially criticism for extreme savings. “They call me stingy, and there are those who think I might have some mental illness.”

Far from being angry, Shenai limits herself to explaining that her actions don’t hurt anyone. And that his goal is not to encourage anyone to follow his example. That each person should be free to make decisions. Of course, it’s clear that some are as extreme as they are amazing.