How I Saved Up A Deposit For My House

How I finally saved a deposit after 15 years

I want to share my personal journey towards saving a house deposit to finally buy a home. This is a milestone I had been working towards for over a decade, and the path to becoming a first-time buyer has been very up and down. There were times I thought it was never going to happen. I had months where I wasn't paid very much, months where I was paid substantially, and months where I had nothing coming in at all, which made consistent budgeting a real challenge.

Eventually, after burning out from running my own business and dealing with health issues, I secured a full-time role, and that is what catapulted my journey towards buying my home, along with a few other things I'll mention.

I appreciate that my journey isn't going to be applicable to everyone. Honestly, it's probably not going to be applicable to most people. But I wanted to share it anyway, because there might be something in here that's helpful, interesting, or just gives you a sense of what's possible.

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Living at home and saving up

Where I was living, in the family home, I was charged a very small amount of rent. Shout out to mum, who only charged me £200 a month. Because my outgoings were so low, I was able to save a substantial amount each month towards my deposit. I was putting aside anywhere between £1,000 and £2,000 a month, depending on what else I needed to cover. Once I cleared my credit card debt, I was consistently saving around £2,000 a month.

After about a year, I was almost there. My target was £20,000, plus fees, so realistically closer to £28,000 in total. I just needed to keep going a little longer.

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The CICA award

Just after New Years Day, 2025 - I was awarded a sum of money by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) in relation to something that happened to me in childhood (I was hugely emotional about the poetic justice, great way to start the year.) After legal fees, the payout was enough to top up my deposit and bring me right up to my target amount. I received the news on New Year's Eve, two years after filing the claim, and it meant I was finally ready to start looking for a property.

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How I budgeted

One thing that genuinely helped me was giving myself a budget for the things I knew I was going to spend money on anyway. That included takeaways and delivery services, which might sound like an easy thing to cut, but for me it wasn't that simple. With endometriosis, there were times I couldn't leave the house, and delivery wasn't a luxury. It was how I got medication and the things I needed. Having a set budget for this meant I didn't overspend. I was essentially budgeting for both my needs and my habits, and knowing that money was already accounted for stopped me from dipping into savings.

I also kept my overdraft at £50 for my entire adult life, and I've worked hard to stay out of it. That's been massively helpful with keeping things under control.

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Why I needed my own space

I want to be honest: living at home wasn't without its costs, even if not financial ones. I have stage four endometriosis mainly in my bowels, and living in a crowded space meant I couldn't always access what I needed, like the bathroom for example, which made my condition worse. I was in more pain as a result. I needed my own space, for my health and for my wellbeing.

That was another reason why moving mattered so much to me. I knew I couldn't heal where I was. My nervous system couldn't settle there. Too many demons from my past in clear view outside my window. Impossible to truly move on with my life with the constant reminders! Buying my own home wasn't even a financial goal for me, nor was it about "getting on the ladder" - it was purely about me having peace and finally being able to regulate my nervous system. I'm almost certain all of the things I was experiencing played a massive part in me developing Endometriosis.

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I can understand that my situation is a unique one and won't be relatable for many, but I hope this is helpful, or if not helpful, then at least insightful...or interesting 😅

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