Teen buys her first house on a $16,000 wage — she worked two jobs and ditched night-outs

Kirstie Allsopp, 50, bought her first house when she was 21 when the house prices in the UK were about $69,000. She disclosed how she was able to buy her first home on a $16,000 wage after diligently saving since she was 15 years old, reports LadBible. She spoke to Sunday Times, "When I bought my first property, going abroad, the EasyJet, coffee, gym, Netflix lifestyle didn't exist."  She also added, "I used to walk to work with a sandwich. And on payday, I'd go for a pizza, and to a movie, and buy a lipstick." 

Allsopp also claimed that individuals only need to be willing to move to regions where they can afford to live. Isabella Hunter, from Dearham in Cumbria, was 19 years old when she bought a two-bedroom semi-detached property for $145,000. Hunter was studying to be a nurse while simultaneously working weekends and saving money in whatever way possible. She said, "I started working when I was 15 and I opened the account with my £1,000 savings. The maximum I could pay in was £200 per month, so that was my target." She added, "I went on less nights out and I would always take a packed lunch to work rather than buying food out every day. I saved any money I was gifted for birthdays or Christmas."

She commented on how the pandemic helped her to work more after being trained as a nurse, "Lockdown really helped me to work more and save more. I stayed motivated because I knew what I wanted and knew smaller sacrifices would be worth it once I got a place of my own." She says she is "a saver at heart." She moves, "a set amount into a separate savings account," after each salary before spending on anything else. She said, "When I went to college, I had two days with no lessons, so I got a job in a GP surgery to gain experience and then I worked weekends as well." 

Hunter's base wage was just $13,722 per year in 2021, but she mentioned how she would work overtime on a regular basis to supplement her savings. She was paying only $280 per month at the time after being given a mortgage with a 40-year term. She has been painting and decorating her house by herself, and she has also saved money by purchasing pre-owned furniture for her house. She says, "It needed a new kitchen but the rest of the house just needed redecorating. I got my sofa and armchair on Facebook Marketplace and I love to shop in charity shops." 

She says she doesn't, "need or want the latest phone or designer clothes." Adding on to her shopping habits, she says, "I do love a deal and will always shop around, I get a student discount and I have a blue light discount so I make sure that I am getting the best price possible." Kerri Hunter, her mother, stated that her daughter is motivated and has grasped the notion of saving since she was a child, per Lad Bible. Kerri says, "When Izzie got pocket money from us and her grandparents she would save up to buy something she wanted, so she understood that you have to save if you want something from a young age."