From saving money to saving time, mental energy, and peace of mind.
📖 Read Time: Approx. 12 minutes
💡 Who This Article Is For
- Those who feel tired of the yearly hassle of paying taxes
- Anyone exhausted from chasing tiny cashback points
- People in their 50s who are starting to realize that time matters more than money
■Introduction – Are You Undervaluing Yourself at $1 an Hour?
Have you ever calculated how much your time is really worth when paying bills?
For years, I paid my property tax using a nanaco card, earning a tiny 0.5% cashback — thinking I was being clever.
But one day, I realized something shocking:
👉 My so-called “smart saving” was actually me working for $1 an hour.
And worse — I was the one underpaying myself.
Standing in line at the post office, driving to the bank — that’s all labor.
Unpaid labor.
In fact, it’s negative labor — you’re paying with your own time and energy.
So here’s my conclusion:
Saving money is important. But only if it makes sense for your time, mental capacity, and peace of mind.
For me, it no longer did.
That’s why I finally told myself:
👉 “I’m not free labor.”
This is the story of how I stopped chasing points and started protecting my own life.
The “nanaco Era” — How I Lost More Than I Earned
Every year, the property tax notice arrived.
And every year I thought, “If I have to pay, I might as well get some points back.”
So I recharged my nanaco card, went to the store, and paid — again and again.
Each time, I felt proud: “Nice, I got 50 cents back!”
But behind that small victory was mental exhaustion.
- Recharge limits meant multiple transactions
- Keeping track of balances and deadlines
- Points applied only at recharge, not payment
- Constantly checking new rules and card updates
All for just a few coins.
It wasn’t saving — it was draining.
My brain was always on alert: “Don’t forget to pay,” “Check the balance,” “Find the card.”
That mental clutter was the real cost.
Comparing Payment Methods: Not Just by Numbers, but by Feelings
| Payment Method | Fee | Points | Effort | Emotional Cost | What You Truly Get |
| Credit Card | $5–$6 | ~1% | Low | Looks rewarding, but fees cancel gains | Convenience |
| nanaco Recharge | 0 | ~0.5% | Medium | “I did it!” feeling, but exhausting | Self-satisfaction only |
| Cash (Counter) | 0 | 0 | High | Waiting time, travel | “I went there” feeling |
| Bank Auto Debit | 0 | 0 | Lowest | No thinking, no worry | Peace of mind |
When you look closely, auto-debit wins every time.
It’s not just a “payment method.”
👉 It’s a life simplification strategy — a way to buy back your mental clarity.
The $1-per-Hour Trap
I took out a pen and paper and did the math:
| Item | Detail |
| Cashback Earned | About $0.50 |
| Time Spent | About 30 minutes |
| My Time Value | $20/hour |
| Actual Hourly Return | $1/hour |
When I saw this, I froze.
I was spending 30 minutes of my 50s working for $1.
And worse, I could have spent that same 30 minutes:
- Having coffee with my wife
- Playing with my Shiba dog, Momiji
- Writing a blog paragraph
- Just sitting under the sky doing nothing
👉 The real loss wasn’t money — it was life satisfaction.
And the constant stress of “I have to do it again next month.”
That was the real tax I was paying.
From Protecting Money to Protecting Mind and Time
Emotionally, paying taxes “as is” felt like losing.
Logically, I knew those small savings weren’t worth my mental load.
At 50, I realized:
👉 The hero of saving changes with age.
- 20s: Save because you don’t have enough.
- 30s: Save to grow your wealth.
- 40s: Save to reach your goals.
- 50s: Save your energy — because time is running shorter.
Now my goal isn’t to “protect my money,” but to protect my brain and my time.
Money can be earned again.
Time and focus cannot.
Why I’m Letting Go of nanaco
Three reasons:
1️⃣ Too much to manage – remembering dates, balances, passwords.
2️⃣ Information risk – the more cards, the more stress.
3️⃣ Poor cost-benefit – 30 minutes for 50 cents makes no sense.
So I’m cancelling my nanaco card and trimming unused accounts.
Less to manage = fewer worries = lighter life.
Practical Steps Toward a “De-Consumption” Life
- Cut thinking costs: cancel unused subscriptions.
I cancelled three and gained peace worth far more than the savings. - Cut searching costs: simplify wardrobe and workspace.
Fewer decisions = more calm. - Cut procedure costs: move everything online.
No lines. No forms. No wasted mornings.
👉 This isn’t “saving.” It’s investing in mental space.
At 50, mental fatigue hits faster than physical.
Protecting it is self-care.
Living Light: The Joy of Having Less
From addition to subtraction.
From “waste not” to “feel right.”
From owning to freeing.
Auto-debit isn’t just convenience — it’s peace of mind.
When you stop managing everything, you start living again.
In my 20s, I wanted more.
In my 30s, I wanted success.
In my 40s, I wanted security.
Now, in my 50s, I just want less.
Less clutter. Less stress. More space for life itself.
Letting go of nanaco wasn’t about money.
👉 It was about choosing my life again.
Conclusion – True Saving Isn’t About Money. It’s About Yourself.
Saving money means nothing if you’re spending your life to do it.
By automating payments and simplifying my systems,
I’ve reclaimed peace, clarity, and freedom.
We are not free labor.
We are priceless time.
So, protect yourself — not just your wallet.
If you feel tired of “keeping up,” pause for a second.
Ask yourself:
👉 “Is this really worth it?”
I stopped chasing points and finally earned something real —
my peace of mind.
💡 3 Steps to Escape the $1/hour Life
1️⃣ Write down one annoying task that drains you.
2️⃣ Either automate it or delete it.
3️⃣ Cancel a card, switch to auto-debit, and breathe.
Each small step creates a larger calm.
Let’s graduate together — from saving money, to saving ourselves.
💬 You might also like
- Which Bank Ecosystem Saves You More? — Comparing SBI Net Bank vs. Rakuten
→ From chasing points to designing systems — perfectly aligned with this post’s message.- The 3-in-1 Card! Japan’s “MyNa Driver’s License” Lightens Your Wallet
→ Fewer cards, fewer mental tabs — simplicity brings mental peace.- I Quit All My Insurance — What “Real Preparedness” Means to Me Now
→ A real-life experiment in “subtracting to simplify” — reclaiming mental space in your 50s.
コメント