AD – This is an advertorial but all thoughts are my own
Although I’m 28, I don’t own my own home yet. I’m not ashamed of that; I don’t think anyone should be. We’re all different with different paths in life and different priorities. I’m in a very fortunate position right now but of course, I’m going to want to buy a house eventually. And I’m currently in the process of saving as much money as I can and getting really clear on my finances and options.
I think education and knowing what’s right for you is incredibly important when it comes to anything money related. Everyone has an opinion on money and it’s still a very taboo subject for a lot of people. Embarrassment or resentment or judgment are often feelings that come up during a conversation you might have with someone about money.
Making, spending and saving money can cause a lot of controversy. But I don’t see why. As long as we know what we’re doing with our own money, make choices which are suitable for US and are sensible, then there’s nothing controversial about it. I’m definitely not one to judge anyone on what they do with their money, as long as they’re sensible.
So before we jump into the different ways I’m saving for my future house, I just want to quickly mention cashasap.co.uk, a short term loans company that offers small loans to customers that have been excluded from mainstream or low interest credit options. They are authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and provide customer focused services, whilst encouraging responsible, affordable borrowing.
They offer small sums of money (from £150) over short loan terms, which other mainstream providers do not offer, so customers can just borrow the amount that they need and only pay interest on that amount. And if you’re struggling between paydays, they also offer payday loans to help you there, too.
cashasap.co.uk are a private company whereby all loans come out of their own money and they make their own lending decisions. They have a friendly customer service team who are customer driven with an easy online application process which includes new technologies, such as multiple affordability checks and Open Banking financial reports with consent from their customers, to ensure that their loans fit their customers’ disposable incomes.
We all get a little stuck sometimes and sometimes, things like a payday loan or a short term loan are needed and one of the only things to get us through. With services from places like cashasap.co.uk, you know they have the customers interest at heart. Which is really important if you need to consider a short term loan.
There are obviously a ton of different ways to make money, save money and spend money. Sometimes we need a loan to make things work, sometimes we need to sell old stuff, sometimes we need to cut down on a few luxuries. Whatever the case, it’s okay. And I firmly believe there needs to be a lot less shame attached to money.
Now here are a few small things I’m doing to save extra money for my future house!
Cutting down on takeaways
My goodness I used to spend an absolute FORTUNE on takeaways. I love a takeaway but I’ve definitely cut down on them lately. It’s helpful for my waist and my bank account, so win win for this one!
Adding money into my ISA every month
I set up a Help To Buy ISA back in November 2019 before they stopped offering them completely. I ensure I had money into my ISA every single month without fail and once the money is in there, I don’t touch it again. I know I’ll get extra on the money I have in there from the government when I do come to buy a house too.
Selling clothes on Vinted
Obviously this isn’t a big money maker but every little helps, right? I never really got anywhere with Ebay and wasn’t a huge fan of Depop so I decided to give Vinted a go and had a few sales and really enjoyed the platform, so I’ll be continuing to use this to make a little extra cash!
Paying closer attention to my incomings and outgoings
Although I’m self employed so I have to note down all my incomings and outgoings, I’ve never really paid ATTENTION to it. I’ve just kinda, wrote it down because I need to and never looked at it again until I have to do my tax return at the end of the year. By actually paying closer attention to my money, I’ve been able to manage it better and boost my savings.
Cutting back on subscriptions
I’ve cut down on a few subscriptions I don’t really need or use lately, including Disney+ which kinda broke my heart but I simply wasn’t using it enough to warrant a subscription for it. So this is a handy way to boost your savings back up.
Not buying anything unnecessary
One thing that I don’t find particularly hard is not buying things I don’t really need. I’ve never been someone that over-purchases. So this one isn’t difficult for me but of course, it DEFINITELY does help when it comes to savings and building up my savings account.
Finding a better work balance to improve my productivity
That was just a more humble way of saying I’m working really freaking hard. I’ve worked harder than ever before this year. And whilst some months are naturally better than others in this industry, I’m really trying to find a good balance so I can be MEGA productive when I need to, so I can earn even more and still have a nice balance so I don’t burn out.
Less holidays (thanks to covid!)
I mean, not really something I’ve actively had to do over the last 18 months, considering we couldn’t go anywhere but the fact that we were stuck at home (or stuck in the UK) definitely didn’t hurt my savings for the future!
Using survey sites for a little extra cash
Back in June, I think I made an extra £100 or so from survey sites alone. Although I really knuckled down with them and was doing them almost every day, it is cool to know you can make a little extra cash every month from doing very little!
