Seven months ago — just a week after I turned 24 — my partner called to tell me that our offer on a house had been accepted. We were officially homeowners.

Halle-fucking-lujah!

We had been on the hunt for several months, losing out on bidding wars and silent auctions, but finally, we found the one. Yes, being 24 is somewhat young to purchase a home, but my partner and I had been diligently saving. Instead of paying off someone else's mortgage, we decided to pay our own. And so, that's exactly what we did.

Me now with a 30-year mortgage. (Image: Nickelodeon)

I’m not a wealthy nepo baby, and my partner and I had no outside help (aside from each other). I understand the struggle of living — and attempting to save — on a meager part-time minimum wage job that seems to lead nowhere (not my current job, I promise!). And hey, it’s not like I’m a high-flying lawyer earning a six-figure salary now either.

But I was quite savvy with my money, if I do say so myself, and I believe I've earned the right to say that.

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I followed five key financial principles that allowed me to save enough for a house deposit before turning 24, none of which involved isolating myself indoors while my bank account quietly grew.

Though I longed to do this, I maintained a social life. (Image: Pinterest)

Today, my friend, I'm here to share those rules with you. So, if saving isn't your strong suit and you want to start — whether for a house deposit or a Euro summer — my guide might prove helpful.

PSA: This isn’t financial advice, and I’m not a financial advisor (I’m actually PEDESTRIAN.TV’s E-Commerce Editor, hehe). I also acknowledge my good fortune in having a partner to do this with and living in Melbourne, which isn't as expensive as Sydney. I was also lucky enough to live at home with my parents, something not everyone can do.

This piece isn’t intended to shame anyone for not being able to afford property in this incredibly expensive country, but to share the strict rules I followed to save for a deposit. If that’s not your thing, that’s okay!

The 5 Rules I Used To Save Up For A House Deposit Before I Turned 24

1. Pretend Your Savings Don’t Exist: Final Boss

A genuine visualisation of the mentality I had. (Image: @kyzioglu1568 / TikTok)

Perhaps influenced by my mother’s dinner table lectures about my spending habits and her belief that I’d never save enough to buy a house, I developed a knack for pretending my savings account didn’t exist. I embraced a hardcore ‘broke girl mentality’. Once I got paid, I transferred the money I didn’t think I’d need into savings, and it was officially out of sight, out of mind.

I worked multiple jobs — I have since I was 18, and I still do. Whether it was retail, hospitality, or content creation, I divided my paychecks into two parts: I could spend from my main job (while still saving a set amount), but my side hustle? That went straight into savings. That money was reserved exclusively for a house deposit.

2. Your Savings Isn’t ‘Treat Yourself’ Money