Health is the Ultimate Savings Strategy! A 'Body Investment' Strategy to Reduce Expenses and Accelerate FIRE

Introduction | Poor Health is the Greatest Cost

Getting sick leads to medical expenses. If you are unable to work for an extended period, your income also decreases. Medication costs, clinic visits, hospitalizations, recurrences... poor health may be the biggest expense in your life.

On the other hand, by maintaining your daily health, you can keep medical costs down and secure the time and energy needed for side hustles and investment activities.

This article explains how healthy habits contribute to FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early).

Chapter 1 | Health is an Ally to Your Money—The Reality of Medical and Living Expenses

Medical expenses in Japan are increasing year by year, and the costs borne by individuals cannot be ignored. According to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare statistics, the annual medical cost per person in Japan was approximately 340,000 yen in fiscal year 2023. If you develop lifestyle-related diseases, you will face continuous monthly expenses for clinic visits, medication, and testing, amounting to tens of thousands of yen.

Furthermore, when your lifestyle becomes disorganized, food costs increase, which can lead to dependence on convenience stores and eating out, overeating due to lack of sleep, and shopping addiction to relieve stress. If you are healthy, you can suppress these "indirect costs."

Chapter 2 | Save Just by Quitting! The Money and Time Stolen by Bad Habits

• Smoking: 1 pack a day × 500 yen = 15,000 yen per month. 180,000 yen per year. Plus, the potential for future cancer treatment costs reaching the millions of yen range.

• Drinking: Assuming 3,000 yen per outing, 3 times a week, that is 40,000 yen per month. In addition, medical expenses for liver disease, fatty liver treatment, etc., may arise.

• Convenience store food: Over 25,000 yen per month for an 800 yen lunch plus snacks every day. Leads to poor nutrition and risks of obesity and diabetes.

• Lack of exercise: Stiff shoulders and lower back pain → 10,000 yen per month for chiropractic visits and massages. If it worsens, treatment at an orthopedic clinic becomes necessary.

Bad habits are not just health risks; they are clear 'financial losses' that are eroding your future assets.

Chapter 3 | List of Costs You Can Cut Through Healthy Habits and Their Effects

• Cooking at home + meal prep

  • Reduction: Eating out and pre-made meal costs (10,000 to 30,000 yen per month)

  • Effect: Improved nutritional balance, cutting out processed foods and additives

• Strength training twice a week

  • Reduction: Treatment costs for stiff shoulders and back pain, chiropractic fees (50,000 to 100,000 yen per year)

  • Effect: Improved posture, increased basal metabolism, improved work efficiency

• Morning walk (soaking up the morning sun)

  • Savings: Costs for insomnia/depression medication and mental health clinic visits (tens of thousands of yen per year)

  • Effect: Regulates the body clock, stabilizes mental health through serotonin secretion

• Bringing a water bottle

  • Savings: One vending machine drink per day = 3,000 yen per month

  • Effect: Cuts sugar intake, reduces burden on the kidneys

• Quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption

  • Savings: 15,000 to 40,000 yen per month

  • Effect: Significant reduction in health risks, lower insurance premiums

Chapter 4 | Healthy People Keep Up Their Side Hustles! The Difference in Concentration and Productivity

To get closer to FIRE, increasing your income is also important. For that, 'action capital'—a healthy body—is indispensable.

There is a 60-hour difference per month between someone who can only work on a side hustle for 2 hours a day due to sleep deprivation or chronic fatigue, and someone who can work for 4 hours with maximum concentration. This leads to a huge difference in results after six months to a year.

If you are healthy, your performance in both your side hustle and your main job will improve, and your income will be more likely to grow. You must not overlook the fact that 'health is the source of revenue.'

Chapter 5 | Ideas for Applying Frugal Thinking to Health

• Strength training = Free health insurance

• Walking = A substitute for mental health medication to regulate the autonomic nervous system

• Cooking at home = An 'eating investment' that keeps the doctor away

• Water bottle = A 3,000 yen-per-month cash machine

• Quitting smoking = Buying one unit of an index fund every month

Small daily actions lead to significant savings in the future. 'Health x Savings' is a combination with strong synergy.

Chapter 6 | Put all your saved money into index investments!

It is a waste to 'just save' the surplus funds generated by cutting expenses. The most efficient approach is to channel them into low-cost, diversified index funds (such as eMAXIS Slim or S&P 500).

If you save 30,000 yen per month and invest it at a 5% annual return for 20 years, it will grow to approximately 12.3 million yen. Savings through health contribute directly to future asset building.

Chapter 7 | Middle-aged and older adults should invest in 'muscle' and 'gut health'

After your 40s, muscle mass decreases and organ function declines. Leaving this unaddressed leads directly to a future of ballooning expenses for doctor visits, medication, and hospitalization.

• Muscle: 'Active insurance' to reduce the risk of falls, fractures, and becoming bedridden

• Gut health: The foundation of immunity, mental health, and metabolism. Fermented foods, dietary fiber, and hydration are key

'Health investment = the front line of protecting retirement funds.'

Chapter 8 | Health risks after FIRE and the concept of 'Health FIRE'

Even if you achieve FIRE, if you are unhealthy, medical expenses will increase, your range of activities will narrow, and you will not be able to enjoy life.

Conversely, if you are healthy, diverse lifestyles such as 'Side FIRE' or 'Life-work FIRE' become possible.

Health is the key to maximizing freedom and happiness after FIRE.

Chapter 9 | Health x FIRE Habit Checklist

• Walking for at least 30 minutes every day

• Cooking at home at least 3 times a week

• Consciously consuming protein, dietary fiber, and water

• Working on quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption

• Ensuring at least 7 hours of sleep

• Investing the money saved each month

As these habits accumulate, both your 'health assets' and 'financial assets' will grow.

Summary | Health is an Accelerator for FIRE

If you are healthy, medical expenses decrease, your working hours increase, you can continue side hustles, your investment principal grows, and your life choices expand.

In short, health is the 'saving power' that reduces expenses, the 'earning power' that increases income, and the 'insurance' that protects your future.

'If you want to save money, start strength training.'
'If you want to accelerate your investments, start cooking for yourself.'

That is the new common sense for those of us aiming for FIRE.