20 Great Ways to Save for a Home — Your down payment is within reach

We’ve talked to countless home buyers over the years, and everyone has a story to tell about saving for their first home purchase. There’s oceans of advice out there for how to do it – some of it bad, some of it good – but we found a great article from Time Magazine that outlines 20 of our favorite tips. .

One thing we know for sure though is this, no matter what you do to save for a down payment – from cancelling your cable subscription to paying down credit card debt – the key habit all successful home buyers (and owners) share is discipline.

All the tips and tricks in the world won’t work unless you start by understanding that preparation, knowledge and yes, even sacrifice are part of the deal. But the good news is that if you stick to a plan, you’ll be confidently shopping for your new home sooner than you think!

Here’s a quick look at 20 ways to save. Read the full explanation of the hidden ways they can work for you HERE. And if you have some of your own, please share them with us!

1) Pay Down Credit Card Debt
2) Save Your Raise
3) Stash Your Tax Refund
4) Keep More of Your Paycheck
5) Get a Roommate
6) Rent Out Your Apartment on Airbnb
7) Pick Up a Side Gig
8) Reshop Your Insurance
9) Ditch Cable TV
10) Scale Back Your Vices
11) Automate Your Savings
12) Reap Credit Card Rewards
13) Drop Your Gym Membership
14) Eliminate Checking Account Fees
15) Cut the Cost of Commuting
16) Lower Your Cellphone Costs
17) Stop Spending on Home Décor
18) Live On Half of Your Paycheck
19) Sublease Your Apartment
20) Move Back Home