Spring is a season of new encounters, but in Japan, it’s also a time when your wallet starts screaming! Between the new school year, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day, the expenses just keep piling up.

My family was no exception. From Children’s Day to Respect for the Aged Day and Christmas, I felt like I was constantly preoccupied with picking out gifts all year round (haha).

So this year, I proposed a “revolutionary idea” to my relatives. The plan? “Let’s combine a whole year’s worth of celebrations into one single gift!”

I shared the idea with everyone, and this time, it ended up costing me about 20,000 to 30,000 yen per person. Honestly, my wallet was trembling a little! (crying)

But then, something interesting happened.

Because they could choose one high-value item instead of several small, cheaper ones, everyone became incredibly serious and careful about their selection (lol). I saw so much personality in their choices: some gave me a list of candidates, some went for one single luxury item, and one person even wanted to wait for a sold-out item to be restocked before deciding!

There is a Japanese proverb, “Binbo Hima-nashi” (The poor have no leisure), and that describes my busy life perfectly right now.

However, seeing the pure joy on my relatives’ faces when they receive their gifts makes it all worth it. I tell myself this is a “pre-investment” to make my future self’s life easier later in the year! I’ll keep running and working hard today, too (haha).

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