Saving Money & Buying Your First Home

Last year me and my boyfriend had finally saved up enough money to buy our first home. It is just right for us and it came at just the right time. We had been saving for a couple of years as we wanted and had been living at home as neither of us wanted to rent. Luckily for us our parents didn’t mind so we were able to save up a bit easier but in the end there comes a time when you just need your own space away from the parentals! There are a few things I did to save money so thought I would share them with your guys in case you are saving for a house, a holiday or even just that shiny new bag you have had your eye on for months!

·         Pay Day Review – Ok so this one was an absolute must for me when I was trying to save as much as possible. As soon as I got paid I would work out what I was doing in that month, how much I would need to realistically spend each week and allow a bit tiny bit extra. Anything that was left over went straight into my savings account.  When you think how much you actually need to spend every week it is amazing how much you can save! And remember if you put your savings into an ISA it is tax-free! If you are saving for a house there are first time buyer ISA’s that are available too.

 

·         Do I really need to buy it? – This may seem hard at first if you are used to just going out and buying a lipstick here and a blush there. So what I would do if I saw a product that I liked I would first go home and research online, read blogs, look at swatches etc. That way I could see if it would suit me and if I had something similar already. This stopped me wasting money on things I just did not need.

 

·         Pick up a loaf of bread! – Make a pack lunch every day. In the past 5 years of working there have only been a handful of times when I have gone out and bought my lunch, usually I make all my lunches at home. I have looked on the internet and have found that the average worker spends between £4.50 and £8.00 a day on lunch and snacks. If you think about how quickly this can add up it is just insane! If you are spending the top end that’s £40 a week, £160 a month! How much does it cost to grab some bread, ham and some snacks from the supermarket?

 

·         Change how you holiday – Just because you are saving does not mean you cannot have a break! For the past couple of years rather than having a big holiday abroad we have stayed in some really nice places in sunny England. We stayed in a really lovely lodge in Yorkshire and a great holiday park in Cornwall. There are some great deals that you can find in some really lovely places if you just look!

 

·         Check your phone contract! – If your phone is coming to the end of the contract or has already finished its contract don’t just let the payments roll over. Call your provider! I phoned mine and found out on average how many minutes and texts I used a month and they told me what deals they had to suit. This saved £5 a month which may not seem like much but it’s £60 a year I would not have had before.

 

·         Check voucher sites – Again saving money does not mean you need to be a recluse. If you are going out for dinner have a look on voucher sites before you go. It is surprising how many offers you can find! I found a great one the other day for 33% off at Pizza Hut, we were going there anyway so this just made it even better. Everyone likes cheaper pizza right?

 

·         Mortgage Brokers can help! – We went to see a mortgage broker to arrange our mortgage. It was a free service and she made the process so easy. She explained everything and did all the hard work for us by researching and finding a mortgage that would suit us. This has helped us to save money as we are on a mortgage that suits our needs and doesn’t make us feel that we need to scrimp and save every month to pay the bills.

 

These are just a few on the tips & tricks that I did to help me with my saving and they really helped. If you like these types of posts let me know as I have plenty more up my sleeve!

What are your top tips for saving?