You Can Design Your Family's Freedom: An Introduction from a Mom of 4 Who 'Creates' Education and Retirement Funds Through Investing

🎯 Do you have these worries? I started from the same place

Education expenses, retirement, home loans.
There were nights when I opened my bankbook in the kitchen late at night and felt a sense of unease.
In that moment, I made up my mind.

The turning point was the day I found out I was pregnant with my third son in 2019.
"I can't go on like this. Even with zero knowledge, I will do it."
First, I created an "entry point for money" through point-earning activities, then I grasped the "feeling of growing money" through point investing, and eventually moved on to automatic cash savings.
Climbing small steps one by one was my start.

This introduction is not just a profile.
It is a plan to seize 'family freedom'.

🌟 Starting from zero assets in 5 years

I started investing in 2019.
As of August 2020, when records began, my net investment assets were almost zero (excluding savings).
For the 5 years since then, I continued to save in between childcare, housework, and work.
From a "life controlled by money" to a "life that grows money."

The starting point was 2019, the pregnancy of my third son.

1. Point-earning activities to organize cash flow →

2. Point investing to get a feel for investing →

3. Automatic cash savings to transition and grow the "main objective."
   These 3 steps were my initial roadmap.

*I also utilize the Rakuten economic zone.I will also share information on that from time to time.

👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 About me (Values and Motto)

• Living in Kyoto, late 30s, mother of 4 (11yo boy, 8yo boy, 6yo boy, 3yo girl)

• Part-time worker + boss of the household budget (effectively the "head of the house")

• Goal: Free my husband before he reaches retirement age (the person I can treat the most casually = freedom, which means the whole family is free lol)

• Motto: : Cut living expenses wisely, build the future with 'systems x long-term investing'

💥 The Moment of Resolve: Mom Crushes 'Hesitation' with Systems

'What if someone in the family gets a serious illness?' 'What if my child says they want to study abroad?'
To ensure I 'never stop dreams because of money,' I took back the steering wheel.
Payment rules, household accounts, investment design.Everything simple, everything automated.

💡 The Day I Met the 4% Rule and My Anxiety Lightened

When I started taking our household finances seriously, I learned about the FIRE lifestyle and the 4% rule, and my heart felt instantly lighter.
'So that kind of life exists. Maybe I can design how we work and our family time'—it was the moment my life's options expanded.

What is the 4% rule?

• A guideline to withdraw 4% of your assets in the first year of retirement (or when you start drawing down), and thereafter adjust the withdrawal amount according to inflation.

• If you work backward, Required Assets = Annual Expenses x 25 (the 'Rule of 25').

• The premise is long-term, diversified, low-cost investment. Since sustainability changes based on taxes/fees and market conditions, it is realistic to use it only as a 'starting point for design'.

• Withdrawal rates should be variable based on the situation (e.g., 3.5% in normal times, 3.0% during a recession).

Our Family's Interpretation (Conclusion)

First, build 100 million yen in net financial assets, then consider FIRE (full/side).
Patiently, calmly. Numbers are tools for peace of mind, and rules are tools to avoid hesitation.

🧭 Our Household Strategy: Saving x Investing x Systematization

• Saving (Defense): Start with fixed costs (telecom, insurance, subscriptions). Do not shop just to hit shopping spree bonuses.

• Investing (Offense): Long-term, diversified, low-cost. Don't sell / Don't stop is the principle.

• Systematization (Continuity): Make everything automatic.

📌 Payment Rules

Rakuten Pay (Rakuten Cash payment)

PayPay (When Rakuten Pay is unavailable)

AEON Pay (For AEON only)

→ Credit card only when the above cannot be used

🌍 Investment Philosophy: Creating the Future on a Global Scale

Are you getting caught up in current returns?
When will you use that money? That is the only point that matters!

The core is All-Country Equity (excluding Japan). While preparing for the risk of US-centricity, I also incorporate
Emerging Markets and the Global South, and I am accumulating physical assets like
gold, silver, and platinum as a spice (total 3-5%) in my portfolio.

Is US dominance eternal?——I keep an eye on the direction of hegemony and the rise of emerging powers like BRICS, and I am conscious of a 'design that does not lean too heavily on the US'.

💰 Monthly Accumulation Breakdown (As of September 2025)

• Tsumitate NISA: All-Country (excluding Japan)... 100,000 yen

• Emerging Market Equity... 30,000 yen

• Global South Equity... 20,000 yen

• iDeCo: All-Country (excluding Japan)... 20,000 yen

• Gold:8,000 yen/Silver:1,000 yen/Platinum:1,000 yen

Reference Article

💰 Real Disclosure of Lesson Expenses

The costs (tax included) for each lesson are as follows👇

Eldest son (5th grade)
・Z-kai Tablet Course (Annual payment 107,100 yen → 8,925 yen per month)
・ProgLab Advanced III Course (3 times/month) 15,950 yen
➡️ Total: approx. 24,875 yen/month

Second son (3rd grade)
・Gakken Math/Japanese + Kotoba Park Set Course 13,310 yen
・QUREO (Programming class/4 times/month) 9,900 yen
➡️ Total: approx. 23,210 yen/month

Third son (Senior in kindergarten)
・Gakken Math/Japanese Course 9,680 yen
・ProgLab Beginner Course (3 times/month) 11,770 yen
➡️ Total: approx. 21,450 yen/month

Eldest daughter (3 years old)
・No lessons

🌍 Total Lesson Expenses for the 4 Siblings

• Eldest son: approx. 98,910 yen

• Second son: approx. 23,210 yen

• Third son: approx. 21,450 yen

• Eldest daughter: 0 yen

👉 Total: approx. 143,570 yen/month (approx. 1.72 million yen per year)

Reference Article

✏️ Note Activity Record

✏️ Note Activity Record
Started posting: May 25, 2025
Total 65,101 views
Total 5,111 likes
Consecutive posting record 201 days (Ended to move on to the next step.)
Followers 543 (as of December 22, 2025)

My community is growing little by little. This is a place for reproducible household budget improvement and investing.

👋 Finally: To You (Action Declaration)

Thank you for reading this far.
If your heart has leaned forward even a little, please let me know with aLike💗・Follow📌・Comment💬. Your words will be the 'signal' that determines the direction of my next article.

Today's small step leads to great freedom in a few years.
May there be a tailwind for your household finances and your future. 🌿