Getting a mortgage is one of the biggest and most expensive decisions of a persons life. In the economy as it is today, it can be difficult for people to actually save enough money to put the deposit down on a mortgage and move out of their rental home. Just about everyone will need to get their foot on the property ladder at some point, so here are some helpful tips on how you can start to save up money ready to get a mortgage:
Have The Right Attitude Towards Your Mortgage
Your home is more than likely the most expensive thing you’ll ever buy, so if you can’t afford to pay cash, make sure the loan you get to fund it is the best one available to you. You don’t want to be paying hundreds a year more than you really need to!
You’ll find thousands of deals available to you so it’s crucial you read the small print to find the best one. Staying loyal to your bank will benefit your bank, not you, so if it’s not the best rate for you don’t do it. Better still, you can try to pay more than you need to each month on your mortgage, which will mean you finish paying years earlier than you would have otherwise and save loads of money.
Pay Off Credit Card Debt
Financial planning has some important rules and one of those rules is to clear your largest debts first, so if you have credit card debt that should be your number one priority. Credit cards do give us an easy way to pay for things, but if you can’t pay off your balance every month then a low cost loan could be a good alternative. You can save hundreds of pounds!
Slash The Cost Of Your Petrol Bills
Petrol is another big expense in most of our lives. The market for petrol is competitive, so find the best place you can get yours from. It might not seem like a massive saving but it all adds up in the long term! You can even save money by walking shorter distances instead of driving, which has the added benefit of improved fitness!
Make Sure You Have The Right Phone Package For You
If you have a pay as you go phone, and top up on average 5 pounds a week, that’s a total of 20 pounds per month. However you could find there are many deals from different providers offering you more minutes/texts/internet for less money, such as Giffgaff! On Giffgaff you can set up a monthly payment through direct debit or continue to top up as you go.
Many of us also fail to check for better deals when we have had a phone contract for a while. This could mean the deal you’re on is outdated. Searching for better value for money contracts everytime it comes to renew could save lot’s of money over the years…even just mentioning a better deal you’ve found to your current provider could encourage them to offer you an even better deal!
