How to Save Money to Buy a House

To get a sense of how much money you will need to save for the house you want, experts suggest you begin by looking at recent home sales for the type of home you want – number of bedrooms, architecture style, finished basement, etc.– in the neighborhoods where you want to live.¹² The prices you find in that research will help you get a sense of what a potential mortgage would look like and the amount of down payment you’ll need.

To illustrate, let’s stick with that median $416,100 for a house. If you aim for a 20% down payment, you’d need $83,000, plus an additional $4,500 to $21,000 or so for closing costs, depending on the location. Then factor in your timeframe for saving. If you want to save the money you need to buy that house in five years, divide the down payment by the number of months (60) and that’s your monthly goal. That math works out to saving about $1,450 per month at the low end of the closing cost range to $1,730 per month at the high end.

Now that you’re saving to buy a house, where do you put the money? Interest rates from old-fashioned bank savings accounts are measured in hundredths of a percent, and there are only so many shoeboxes or mattresses to put money under in your current home. It makes sense to open a high-yield savings account because they can earn more interest on your savings than a standard bank savings account and are still nearly risk-free thanks to government insurance.¹³ You also may want to consider a certificate of deposit (CD). Compare the CD and savings account interest rates to determine which offers the best return over a designated amount of time. Opening both types of accounts may benefit you as well.

Automatic savings:

Figure out how much money from your paycheck you can afford to get by without and have it direct-deposited into your savings account. You can always tinker with that number as needed, over time.

Audit your existing expenses:

Examine your existing monthly expenses such as TV/streaming bills, cell phone bill, gym membership, subscriptions, groceries, etc. Ask yourself, “What can I get rid of?” or “Which bill can I reduce?” or “Can I shop somewhere else for cheaper items?”

Save your savings:

Spending less is ideal, sure, but it really helps to put away that unspent money. What good is reducing your morning breakfast bill from $10 to $8 if you’re not putting those two bucks away? If you did that each weekday, it equates to $10 a week, and $40 for the month. That’s $480 for the year. It adds up over time.

Bank the boons:

If there’s a sweet income tax refund headed your way this year, congrats! Now put it all – or at least a big chunk of it – into your savings account. Same with bonuses and big commission checks. For most of us, these financial windfalls occur infrequently, so when saving for a house, maximize their impact.

Second income:

Call it a side hustle, a second job, joining the gig economy, whatever you wish. Bringing in additional income makes balancing saving for your future home with your daily lifestyle a little easier.

Gifts:

Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends who normally purchase birthday and holiday presents for you to put that money toward your down payment fund instead. It’s perfectly fine to say, “Hey, ma, I’m good with socks and underwear right now, how about you put that $30 toward my house instead?”

Use technology:

Saving for a house? There’s an app for that, and they can help you put money away for a house without you really noticing the impact on your wallet. Some financial institutions and companies round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and put that change into an account.¹⁴

Loan yourself the money:

You can borrow against your 401(k) retirement plan to help with the down payment. You’ll have to pay it back, with interest, but there are times when it may seem worthwhile to you to reach into your retirement savings for a short-term loan.¹⁵

Sell other investments:

If you have other investments, like stocks, bonds, or even a perfectly restored ’57 Chevy, consider selling them to help pay for your house. That house could be your next great investment.