Motoko Mihoro navigates perpetually strained finances by resourcefully improvising daily necessities through unconventional methods, such as fashioning undergarments from old newspapers. She takes on low-paying seasonal jobs far ahead of demand—crafting Christmas decorations as early as April—a practice that draws reactions from classmates oscillating between sympathy and bewilderment.

Her ingenuity extends to video games, honing a sharp familiarity through reselling used consoles and titles. While this expertise occasionally surfaces in peer interactions, it remains a pragmatic tool to mitigate economic hardship rather than a casual interest.