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In Japan, you can rent a grandma for $23 an hour to make a warm meal and offer life advice

This is the 'insta-gram' the world needs right now.

Photo credit: Canva

This is the brain-child of Client Partners, a women-run company in Japan.

Some days can only be made better with a warm hug and a meal from grandma. In Japan, those creature comforts (and more) are made available for a mere 3,300 yen, or $23 USD an hour.

Here’s how it works: the service, run by a company called Client Partners, is called OK! Obaachan (which translates to OK Grandma). Give them a ring and they’ll send over a woman aged 60 to 94 boasting a range of grandmotherly skills—from housework and childcare, to “personal consultations”…meaning, yes, they can talk you through that brutal breakup.

Honestly, the tasks provided by this roster of 100+ grannies seem rather endless. Just a quick scroll through the website shows that an Obaachan has been hired to help someone come out as gay, attend sports games, think through an apology letter, show up to a wedding, perform ceremonial rituals, and more.

The video below paints a pretty cohesive picture. Paolo, a content creator living in Japan, enjoys a picnic of handmade goodies while his Obaachan shares pictures from her past and compares dating in her time to dating in the modern world. It’s every bit as wholesome as you’d imagine.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

“Well, I didn't plan on crying today but here we are. This video reminded me so much of my time with my Nanna and the great conversations we had and the advice she gave me as a young man. She was my best friend and I miss her so much,” one viewer wrote.

Another added, “It's actually a really good idea tbh. The grandma gets to spend time interacting with others, making her feel less lonely. Seems like a win win to both parties.”

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that this idea stems from a country that already combats loneliness through various “rent-a-person” services, including hired actors who will pretend to be your family.

But even more pertinent, Japan has a deeply ingrained cultural tradition of respecting and valuing the elderly. We see this reflected in practices like a national holiday honoring them (Keirō no Hi), and the fact that many Japanese households remain multi-generational. Older adults are often seen as vessels of wisdom and experience.

В Японии запустили сервис аренды... бабушки — «OK Obaachan».За 3000 йен (1600 ₽) в час милая бабуля научит готовить, присмотрит за детьми, приберёт в доме и даст мудрый совет. А если надо, поможет расстаться с токсичным партнёром.
byu/ElectroAdeptus inKafkaFPS


That said, older women in particular (and even more so, older women who either never married or whose husbands died young) face a sparse job market, and cannot solely rely on pension.

“The merit of age is the ability to remain unfazed by small things,” wrote Client Partners. “Their consideration for those who need it most, and while they may lack the physical strength and agility of their younger counterparts, their housework and child-rearing skills honed over years of being a housewife, their communication skills honed through relationships with neighbors and relatives, their rich life experience having endured the good and the bad, and their friendly, warm presence are all irreplaceable strengths.”

Plus, many Obaachans express gratitude for being able to connect to a sense of purpose through their work. So, in truth, everyone is getting a need met. For these grandma’s, it’s financial opportunities, and for their clients, it’s feeling nurtured, loved, and most importantly, fed.

Another cool thing about Client Partners—it’s run by women, and only employs women. So, beside grandmas for hire, you can also hire interpreters, handywomen, and something called “courage support.” Don’t know what that is…but I want it.

While applications to be OK Obaachan are open, Client Partners does require that candidates be vetted, and have an open enough mind to deal with often frowned upon things in Japan, such as single mothers. According to Client Partners, the “perfect” grandma is “kind, committed, hardworking, and cares about the feelings of others.” Hard to argue with that.

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People 'cooking for one' share their 13 practical tips for saving money and reducing waste

"I batch-cook more, freeze more, and I’m way less anxious about stuff going bad."

Image via Canva/corelens

People who 'cook for one' share their best money-saving tips that minimize food waste.

Cooking for one is a culinary challenge. Not only can cooking for one be difficult financially, but it can lead to food waste.

Thankfully, mastering how to cook for one is something a lot of single people and solo at-home chefs have nailed. They offered their best tips for how to cook for one person while still saving money and minimizing food waste.

These are 13 of the most useful tips to help people who live alone grocery shop, prep, and store food when cooking for one.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Make your freezer your best friend. Cook larger portions (soup, chili, curry, lasagna, etc.) and freeze in single-meal containers. Portion things right away like meat, bread, even pasta sauce cubes in ice trays. Future-you will thank you. A vacuum sealer or silicone freezer molds ('Soupercubes') make it easier." - illeatmyletter

"For freezing 'leftovers'...instead of containers, I use zip lock bags. I freeze them flat(ish) and then once frozen, they can stand up, almost like a filing system. Saves heaps of room in the freezer and you can write what they are above the zippy bits for the full filing system effect." - P2X-555

"Plan meals around one ingredient. If you buy cabbage (or any big veg), plan 2–3 different meals with it that week e.g. gyoza, slaw, stir-fry, soup. Herbs and sauces? Try to use them in multiple recipes so they don’t die in the fridge." - illeatmyletter

@simplysarahhart

Cooking for one certainly takes some getting used to but when you utilize your freezer and batch cooking, it gets easier. Freezer meals aren’t just for large families. You can make them as a single person.

"Another tip is to buy whole if possible - whole heads of lettuce, cabbage, peppers, etc. Lots of fresh veggies last much longer when whole than sliced. You can peel off leaves as you need them or buy when on sale and eat later." - mopasali

"Have a 'use it or lose it' shelf. Keep soon-to-expire food in one visible spot in the fridge so you don’t forget it." - illeatmyletter

@simplysarahhart

Cooking for one certainly takes some getting used to but when you utilize your freezer and batch cooking, it gets easier. Freezer meals aren’t just for large families. You can make them as a single person.


"Shop with purpose. Make the meal plan first, then shop for just those items. Buy smaller quantities when possible (butchers can weigh exact portions, some stores sell single carrots, etc.). Shop more often in smaller amounts rather than giant stock-ups." - illeatmyletter

"Think with framework by Ethan Chloebowski is actually decent, of thinking about ingredient(s) in a framework does saving food and leftover. Personally I'm following this, as it's pretty flexible, can with with eastern/asia and western recipes." - mell1suga

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Flexible recipes are gold. Stir-fries, soups, casseroles, fried rice, stews, all are perfect for tossing in whatever you need to use up." - illeatmyletter

"Don't go grocery shopping or ordering groceries while hungry. You will select far more than planned and appropriate. The same applies to filling your plate and portioning your batch-cooked stuff, do this after you've eaten. Half the plate is reserved for the veggies. And of course every meal starts with a salad (with self-made dressing, usually a vinaigrette variation)." - MaxTheCatigator

"Accept some waste. Several people said: you won’t get it perfect, and that’s fine. Even a little less waste makes a big difference." - illeatmyletter

@fitgreenmind

SINGLE HOUSEHOLD RECIPES 👩‍🍳 Cooking for only one person can be harrrrd, so stay tuned for the next 6 recipes… delicious stuff is coming.😌 - REZEPTE FÜR EINE/N 👩‍🍳 Für nur eine Person zu kochen kann schwer sein, also freu dich auf die nächsten 6 Rezepte … es kommen sehr schmackofatze Sachen.😌 #easyveganmeals #easyrecipes#easyveganrecipes #quickrecipes #vegancooking

"Experiment & preserve. Try homemade kimchi, sauerkraut, or pickling if you’ve got too much cabbage/veg. Blanch and freeze produce for later. Don’t be afraid to freestyle, curry paste + shredded cabbage = surprisingly good meal." - illeatmyletter

"Make sure your fridge is actually cold. Most vegetables can last over a week in a fridge without losing quality. Idk how long we have had the now nub of cabbage in the fridge but it's still fine. Meat will usually last 5-7 days too if it's kept cold enough (ours has a 4th door). You just don't want it so cold it freezes foods. Also there's hot spots and cold spots that can be leveraged. Also how to store food, just about anything that off gasses (potatoes, apples, onions, etc) can most of the time be stored on the counter for a while. Keeping them in the fridge will cause other produce to spoil faster. What you do keep in the fridge, keep the slider vent to closed. Wash lettuce and wrap it in a kitchen towel and it keeps a while." - permalink_save

Keeping food fresh means more flexibility to use it up."Use helpful tools. A few folks mentioned that apps like Oh, a potato! or Cooklist can make it easier to spot recipes that use up what you’ve already got.. Even just keeping a notes app list of what’s in your fridge can help a lot." - illeatmyletter

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Frugal people share the under $20 purchases that have saved them hundreds of dollars

These 30 things have paid for themselves many times over.

Image via Canva/RyanJLane

Frugal shoppers share the $20 or less purchases that have saved them big money.

Every penny counts when living a frugal lifestyle. Saving money means making smart purchases.

And even the smallest investments can have the biggest returns. From budget shopping to thrifting, frugal people know how to save money when it comes to shopping.

To help others save big, frugal people offered their best frugal advice for purchases $20 or less that have saved them hundreds of dollars over time. These are 30 purchases they've made that have saved them the most money.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"A $12 sewing kit. Instead of tossing clothes for tiny tears or missing buttons, I’ve been fixing them. I've actually been fixing my own clothes for years. It blows my mind how many ‘disposable’ things can be made useful again with just a small, cheap tool." - localkinegrind

"My wife bought a toaster oven on sale at Target for $19.99 and we used it daily for almost ten years, until someone gifted us a fancy one which broke after 2 years at which time I dug the old one out of the garage that we still use." - BigDuke

"Our little $15 rice cooker really was worth it. I'm a pretty good cook but I really haven't been doing it much in the last few years. Enter the rice cooker - just toss in some rice, heat some frozen thing or another, pop some veg in the microwave and boom, dinner. Cheaper and faster and healthier than the burrito or fast food place down the road. Just gotta keep stocked on the frozen meals we like." - poshknight123

@baddie.brad

I hope this helps :)

"Bread machine from goodwill for $3. But I would have paid full price for it too. We make bread almost daily since 2019 using the same machine. In addition we make rolls, pizzas and bunch of other stuff. I think at this point the savings are in thousands - the same quality bread goes for $4-5 where we are." - tx645

"Hair clippers. Haven't paid for a haircut in 5 years." - Efficient_Comfort_47

"Lunch box to bring your own lunch to work rather than eating out." - Tenet_Bull

"Honestly? A hardware shop near my house was closing and I bought a pack of every grit of sandpaper and it was not quite $20. This was about 15 years ago and I haven’t bought any sandpaper since. I made a joke about how much sandpaper my Dad had in his garage when he died, and then his wife said that sandpaper was actually my grandfather’s. It’s almost as if my family fears a sandpaper shortage and we hoard it. I dunno." - tc_cad

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"One-gallon cold brew pitcher. I love a fancy coffee, but not the associated costs. Now I make a gallon and it lasts me a little over a week and costs... tbh I dont even know... maybe a couple of dollars per 32 oz cup between the creamer and milk and coffee?" - pbpantsless

"Safety razor. I was spending $30 every other month for replaceable heads on my razor. Switched to a safety razor and it’s now less than $10 a year." - raccoon_at_noon

"My menstrual cup purchase in 2017 was $20 and has paid itself off. They’re a little more expensive now but still very much worth it." - in-the-narrative

"Insulated water bottle. I don't buy bottled water anymore or drinks for that matter. I can have my coffee, tea, smoothie in there. Water filter on my faucet (Pur brand) I drink the local city water with that filter and I don't buy purified water." - revelry0128

"$7 basil plant in a pot. It’s well and alive still after three years." - FredBreadBad

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Reusable grocery bags. Where I live it costs $0.10 for a bag at the grocery store. I figure I'm saving at least $0.50 per week, $20+ per year. Also less trash to get rid of, so its a win win." - Duke0fMilan

"An obd reader for my car. Check engine light came on and I was able to diagnose, make a small fix, and clear the code without driving back and taking it to the shop. I know car parts stores can read them for free, but we were out camping in rural Wyoming, so it was nice to have my own." - puhnitor

"battery charger and pack of 12 rechargeable AAA/AA batteries combo." - CarevaRuha

"Water Sensor for the basement/under sinks. Screeches and sends an alert to your phone if it detects water. It saved us when our dishwasher was leaking and when our sump pump in the basement stopped working a few times over the years." - Pr1zonMike

"Cloth napkins." - Expensive_Bear_1059

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Hair snake to keep shower drain clear. Clothes steamer to forego dry cleaning bills." - Voc1Vic2

"Huge pack of dish towels. Saves us a ton on paper towels. We still use paper towels for really gross or sticky spills but it’s cut down a ton. Bidet. Cuts down on a lot of toilet paper." - Jealous-Argument7395

"TV antenna." - switchfootball

"A fabric shaver. I paid it around $20. You can remove lint off your clothes and extend their life. You really need to be careful with thin fabrics though because it can create little holes in your clothes (learnt it the hard way lol)." - ybhgt-234ag

"A simple cheese grater allows you to purchase less expensive blocks of cheese, with no anti-caking additives." - orangezeroalpha

"A sunshade for my car windshield. I live in a brutally hot and dry part of California and have to park my car outside. The sun shade has saved my car interior from being completely destroyed by UV rays. Over 200k miles and my black interior still looks really good." - _skank_hunt42

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Hot glue gun. Solves lots of problems." - gobbledegook

"We haven’t yet reached the hundred mark but it’s certainly paid itself off- the mini air compressor that lives in my car. I got it on sale for $19.95. The gas station charges $2 to turn on the air compressor, in exact change. $2.10 if you have to tap your card. With the amount of times I’ve had to completely fill a tire (both mine and others after various screw related holes, two leaking valve stems, one set of trailer tires that sat neglected for a season), or just top it up when it looks a little low in winter, it’s paid itself off." - Birdo3129

"Bought a fantastic Lodge cast-iron pan at Goodwill for 10 bucks. I won’t need another pan for the rest of my life." - tedshreddon

"Took an online defensive driving course for $19.99 and it's saving me almost $100/mo on my car insurance for the next 3 years." - Hatty_Girl

"For me, a $15 French press. Stopped buying coffee out every morning, saved me hundreds within months." - Altruistic-Bar2459

"Dryer balls. They make my clothes soft without ruining my dryer, and last for years." - Grouchy-Display-457


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A Palestinian and a Jewish stranger are showing people what a civilized conversation looks like

"I believe and I hope."

Photo by Farrinni on Unsplash

Two hands reach toward one another.

We live in challenging times, made even more divisive by social media rage. This is not to say that the rage is always uncalled for or unneeded, as there are many moments in history where even anger is righteous. But far more powerful in these times are the surprising moments of real connection, communication and understanding, like a recent exchange between a Palestinian and a Jewish stranger that shattered negative stereotypes and expectations.

I, like many, have become addicted to the algorithm, often fueled by propaganda, false narratives, and plain myopic anger. We are all, by nature, tribal ,and so many of our hearts have swelled with fear, sorrow, and an existential angst around the idea that humans simply might not be fixable.

earth, space, humans, water, peace A photo of Earth from space. Photo by NASA on Unsplash

But I've noticed lately that I'm getting a stronger dopamine rush from reading supportive and kind comments as opposed to the hate-fueled ones. I stumbled upon a post on Threads from last year just before the Jewish New Year, (Rosh Hashana) which really struck me. A man wrote:

"As a Palestinian, like many of my Jewish and Arab friends, this year has been a heavy one. Nonetheless, I believe and I hope."

"A Jewish friend once shared a verse (from the Pirkei Avot) with me that I've saved and held on to: 'The world is sustained by three things: by truth, by justice, and by peace.'"

"It has been especially poignant as a mantra all year."

"To my Jewish friends, L'Shanah Tovah. May a new year bring love, light, healing, and a sense of peace grounded in truth and justice for all."

Threads, Jewish, Palestinian, Israeli, peace A person on Threads shares a sentiment. Threads, Mohu

Having read this, I find myself constantly searching for like-minded people of all races, religions, and political affiliations who would also like to find a soft space nestled in this chaos. I scour social media sites and have found that often when you search, you find. It doesn't mean that there aren't literal and metaphorical fires burning all around us. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't stay informed and stand up for what we believe.

But, if just for a day, we could focus on these tiny victories, perhaps it's the smallest step to regaining our humanity. I happened upon a conversation last week (also on Threads) wherein a Palestinian woman made a comment about having pride in her heritage. Many nasty Islamophobic and anti-Semitic bots and trolls came out of the woodwork, but one comment stood out.

The OP wrote:

"All I said in my last post is 'I love being Palestinian' and the comments speak for themselves. We can’t love our heritage? Our culture? That’s too much for you (clown emoji)."

In response, someone wrote back:

"I’m Jewish. We probably disagree on lots, but to hell with those comments. You’re a human being deserving of respect, and to be proud of your culture and heritage."

The OP answered:

"Thank you for being rational. May we find a common middle ground one day."

This is met with:

"Hopefully in our lifetime! Don’t let the uneducated people bring you down."

flower, peace, nature, kindness, earth A purple flower surrounded by green leaves. Photo by Konrad Koller on Unsplash

A Threader pointed out, "This is one of the more mature comments I’ve seen. So much hate on these threads. Thank you for being a human being." The kindness began to multiply, with another person sharing, "That’s so true. I started a dialogue with a Jewish man and I would like to think we both learned a lot. You can’t understand how other people think and behave without respectful debates."

There are many more threads like this out there between people from every side of the proverbial chasm. They don't take away the pain and fear, but they could serve as a step in the right direction.


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