• WizardofFrobozz@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    As someone in their early 40s who just bought a house, I can attest that having a well-paying job helps greatly and that watering down the shampoo leavings does not.

    • HumanoidTyphoon@quokk.au
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      2 days ago

      Also mid 40s and just bought my first house. 100% was the new job with significantly higher pay. None of my past efforts at frugality paid any dividends either.

      • bignate31@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        My partner is in her 30s, works 4 days as a school teacher, and just bought her first house in London. It’s possible!

        (I don’t need to add that I’m in tech and have a very convenient salary, since that’s not at all related, right?)

        • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
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          2 days ago

          At least it’s not so bad outside of London. I’m on the south coast and bought a few years ago while saving up was done at/near minimum wage.

    • neomachino@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      2 days ago

      Im in the process of buying my second house, much bigger on a nice chunk of land. I make good money nowadays but we absolutely 100% would not be able to afford anything at all if we didn’t already own a house to sell. We bought it for $100k in 2021 from a grumpy old guy who wouldn’t leave during showings and scared everyone off. Thankfully I grew up around grumpy old guys and he liked us enough.

      We’re now selling that house for $230k, granted I also entirely rebuilt it the last 4 years and I think we could get more but I like the people buying it. We got lucky all the way through.

    • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I started with a family business that underpaid me. Couldn’t get ahead in my hometown city so i moved to another city with cheaper rents and housing costs. I eventually got a job where my work ethic and previous education and experience makes me almost irreplaceable. I used that as leverage with my boss to get paid a more competitive wage for my skill and responsibility level.

      Before i was employed or got my raises, saving every penny i could kept me afloat. I’d take my neighbors empty beer cans and return them if i noticed them in the bin. I had maybe a month or 2 of living expenses left when i finally found a job in my field. Had i not been frugal from the start i may have had to abandon my whole plan and move back home completely broke before i could land a job.

      Doing 1 frugal trick won’t make a big difference. Applying a frugal mindset as often as you can will make a noticeable difference and can give you a little monetary boost to start getting ahead. For example if you have a little extra money, you can stock up on food during a sale. It requires more capital up front but you benefit from a cheaper price long term.