As the 2024 housing season comes to a close, you might already be making plans to purchase a new home in 2025. After all, April, May and June are typically the months with the largest influx in housing inventory.
Whether you want to build new, purchase a fixer-upper or finally secure your dream home, having a nice nest egg of cash to put toward your future home is always a great idea.
The first way to save money is to track your spending. How will you know where you can cut costs and save money if you have no idea where you are spending your money?
There are countless budget apps on the market for all you tech-savvy people. However, if you prefer an old-school method, write down your expenses in a journal or use an Excel spreadsheet.
After you have a month of data, evaluate where you can cut costs. Maybe you need to purchase groceries in bulk or cancel unused subscriptions. Winter is the perfect time to take action.
Heading into the winter months also means the holidays are right around the corner.
According to the National Retail Federation , the average American plans to spend around $1,000 on Christmas gifts. The good news is that you don’t have to follow this statistic.
Can you buy gifts when they go on sale? How about making a few homemade items for family members and friends? By reigning in your holiday spending, you can put more money toward your 2025 home purchase.
Meal Prep
After a long day at work, the last thing you probably want to do is cook a full meal. This can cause your takeout budget to explode in the winter.
Avoiding overspending on takeout can be done by meal prepping and planning. Set aside time each week to plan your meals. When you go to the grocery store, you know exactly what to get, reducing spending.
In addition, you are less likely to impulse-order takeout when you have meals ready to go. Meal prepping might include pre-cutting fruits and vegetables and making your meals in advance.
Winter-Proof Your House
If you live in an area known for frigid temperatures in the winter, you can save money by winter-proofing your home. Clean your furnace filters, remove dust from your vents, seal your windows, and caulk all holes outside your house.
Spending an afternoon winter-proofing your house can result in lower energy bills over winter.
Create a House Fund
As simple as it might sound, creating a separate savings account for your house fund can be very motivating.
Open a high-yield savings account to store your house funds. Not only will you earn extra interest income, but you will also be motivated when you see your savings start to increase.
To further your savings rate, automate transfers from your checking account into your savings account, such as $100 per week or pay period. You are more likely to reach your savings goals when they are on autopilot.
The Bottom Line
Which of these five winter money-saving tips can you implement? Being financially stable to purchase a house in 2025 requires you to focus on your savings goals in winter.
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