HOW TO SAVE UP FOR YOUR DREAM HOUSE

A collaborative post/ What does your dream house look like? Where is it and what’s the design? I know for a fact that it is everyone’s dream to build or buy their own house. It is in my wildest dreams too. It is on top of my list for the next ten years to build my dream house where I can settle and raise a family. I would like it to have the things I love such as a garden, a pool, and a mini-library.

It is glamourous to hear, isn’t it? But let’s not forget, housing can be the most cumbersome financial problem in these times. It is in fact the most expensive thing on my list to accomplish. Let’s begin addressing it by slowly saving up money. Today, I would like to share tips on how to save up for your dream house.

 When saving up for your dream house, it is important to remember that this might take a while. Things like using your money wisely to control your finances and adjusting your lifestyle following your income help. I know a lot of us are not naturally being good with money. I too find myself having not enough money for the things I want to have.

Money slips as fast as a bar of soap on paydays. But by equipping ourselves with the right knowledge and skills about finance, we can take control of our finances and move toward building our dream house. With the right knowledge and these tips, you’ll be able to make better decisions about money.

Are you ready? It’s time to get learning and start saving for your dream house.

Save up for your dream house

Saving up for your dream house might sound intimidating but everyone has an opportunity for homeownership. All you need is a helpful resource like the SoFi website and financial tools such as a home affordability calculator to help you with your home goals.

1. Have a millionaire mindset

If you want a six-figure income, you need a six-figure mindset. If you want to be successful, you need a success mindset. So, let’s start to work with the mind. Having a millionaire mindset is the first step to making your dream house a reality. When a voice starts saying it’s impossible and that the money is hard to come by you need to have the right mindset to counter this.

Having a millionaire mindset is being ready to take the money you deserve. I always say in my blogs that there is so much abundance from the universe. To tell you the truth, there is only abundance. There is no scarcity. So, choose to take that all in. Scrap all those limiting beliefs you learned and replace them with new ones. Choose to feel abundant, happy, and successful and you shall have everything you need in this world. 

Your mindset is your foundation in this journey of building your dream house. Unfold that wealth of knowledge. Open up and expand that feeling of being worthy of money. Unleash that confidence that you will get what you desire because to be deserving of your dream house, you need to attract it. I love Lauren of Love’s Millionaire Mindset course. I cannot describe how much value her course is. Check out and you see it for yourself.

2. Adjust your lifestyle and dig deep into your expenses

House prices across have escalated over the past years not just in western countries but also in Asia. This has made the prospect of buying a house seem impossible. A report by The Guardian says that the UK house price rises by £13,316 in 2020. While in Japan, an average house costs ¥35,760,000 (about $337,000) according to real estate Japan. 

My Japanese colleagues apply for a house loan and will have to pay for 30-35 years. Now, with this information, you might get discouraged and think there is an affordability problem. 

There are no quick solutions but there are things you can do to get on the housing ladder. You can adjust your lifestyle and dive deeper into your expenses. Consider your outgoings. Where is your money going to? You might have to sacrifice your luxurious weekends and vacations. Try sticking with simple living to save money.

Instead of going on a summer trip, you can cancel it. Sacrifice that cup of coffee every morning to save a hundred bucks. It might be a small act but doing this will lead you into something. You can at least save enough money for the deposit. The next step will be convincing the bank to lend you money. 

Here is something I learned from reading financial books. The general rule for deposits is that the more money you can put toward it, the less money you have to borrow and the less interest you have to pay. So, my tip is to lower your bills and avoid excessive expenses for some time to save for deposits. You can stop buying these unnecessary things.

3. Increase the source of your income

Whether you can afford to buy your dream house really depends on your income. Is your salary high enough to buy a house? There are many ways to increase your income.

One is having a side hustle or a business to have a passive income. If you have saved enough learn to invest and study the stock market to double your income. I too would like to dig deep and involve myself in the stock market, but I have not given enough attention yet.

I currently have two extra sources of income. I treat my blog as a side hustle because I make money from it. 

I create my opportunities as a blogger by displaying ads, affiliate marketing, and collaborating with ads. As a teacher, I teach private lessons outside school through hello sensei.

These are small amounts, but they add up and if you know where to put your money, it is worthwhile to save up little by little. Evaluate your skills. What are you good at and leverage your skills to make an income from it. You can team up with your partner too and double how much you make. Have an accountability partner if you need to. 

If you don’t have time to pick up an extra job, consider renting out a spare room in your current apartment or home. As long as you protect yourself by carefully selecting your roommate and signing a room rental agreement, you’ll be able to save money on your monthly housing payment without lifting a finger.

Another thing to consider whether you can afford your dream house or not is to know the market price. You can use tools such as a mortgage calculator to familiarize yourself and plan how much money do you need to make to be able to afford your dream house. You can calculate your mortgage qualification based on your income.

This is very important to know, so you can have a crystal clear and exact amount of money you want to make and save. When you are clear with your goals, it’s easier to know when you are far off or close to reaching that amount. You can also compare market trends in your area with Rightmove.

4. Manage your debts and stay on top of it

One of the biggest problems of today’s generation is the spiraling credit card debt. Because it’s so convenient and easy to swipe with a credit card, we get a rich feeling. It happened to me too.

Five years ago, I was using my credit card like a debit card. Until I got myself struggling to pay my spiraling credit card debt. It really hit me hard and I was in suffering from debts.

And I think this is a common situation for young people nowadays. A lot of people are in severe debt problems and having a hard time getting out of it.

But if you enrich yourself with knowledge and skills about finance, you can make informed choices. You can make better choices about your money. Here is a piece of valuable information from the Wall street journal showing how to pay off the debt by cashbacks. 

One thing that helped me to get out of my credit card debt is the concept of Kakeibo. It is something I learned while living here in Japan. It is referred to as keeping track of your day-to-day expenses. It is the art of personal management of your money where you imbue mindfulness into your daily spending. It is very common and practical for the Japanese household to keep a notebook and track all the expenses. This makes so much sense because when you great awareness comes great results. 

Learn more about the details of Kakeibo system here. 

5. Grow your money with investment

For you to be able to afford your dream house, you need to attract all the money you can get. And you can do this by investing your money. Putting your money into investment funds has better results than just putting them into your savings account.

Spare yourself one night and research the right way to invest. You can find ample information on the internet or in books. 

A lot of people get scared when they hear the word investing your money. They are all like isn’t it too risky. Well yes in a way, but if you equip yourself with the knowledge you need, you will have a better understanding of where and what to invest in.

If you are from the Philippines, check out International Marketing group (IMG) I am a member of this, and I selected a plan to pay monthly for seven years. My money then will have 20 years to get matured, grow, and double. By the age of forty, I shall withdraw my money and have enough to make any of my dreams into reality. 

Philam Life is also a legitimate option for growing your money. They have insurance products you can choose from and they cater to Asia-pacific. I got the Moneyworks plan which I chose to pay twice a year and can get my money’s worth after 10 years. The maturity percentage depends on the stock market. You can check out their products and find out which one best works for you. 

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OVER TO YOU

Saving up for your dream house starts with setting up your mindset. Have a mindset of a millionaire to become a millionaire and build that dream house. Learn how financial products work and use them to your advantage. Also, manage your debts and be on top of your finances. Do a self-reflection and interrogate your attitude towards money. There are the tips you can follow to save up on your dream house. 

QUESTION: How do you save up for your dream house?