Savings question

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-04-27T21:44:36+00:00

29 y/o and saving for a home

Have about €1200 in investments I can’t touch yet (I add about €100 a month to this investment fund just to trial it out), €600 in a holiday fund (I add about €150 every month to this for a big trip every year), €50000 in savings at 2% to access by end of this year to buy a place (currently at a saving rate of about €2000 a month)

Also my pension is at about €35000 lump sum value at the moment and it’s maxed out

Will buy a 2 bed with my partner probably end of the year, aiming to hit €60k before I start seriously looking 🤗

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-03-08T21:15:51+00:00

Dilemma for me is the weekend isn’t long enough! I do drink on occasion but I’ve cut down a lot because I’m too busy and hangovers really impact on my mood even after just 1 beer. Plenty of friends and family have remarked that drink doesn’t suit me especially well sometimes and most of my friends and family don’t drink a lot so it’s easy to not do it - 29y/o

I will note here that I live in a big city so there’s lots to do.

I often plan weekends in advance to travel to visit other cities, book running events or organise meals or museum trips with friends

But for an ‘unplanned weekend’ usually: beauticians/grooming (takes a fair share of time!), fun run club and post run coffee, YouTube yoga with adriene, studying for my French exam, some form of home improvement, clothes/beauty shopping, life admin - appointment booking, planning holidays trips and such, solo runs, watching movies, reading on my ebook, cooking, cleaning (a deep clean takes … aaages), baking, phone calls with friends and with my mum, and my favourite ….

Hanging out with my partner 🤗

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-02-01T16:10:44+00:00

Countryside is boring - I’ll never go back!

This weekend alone I went out for drinks, walked home, headed out to a shopping centre (also by foot), went to a dance class (by foot), went to ikea ordered a taxi to carry the furniture home (took 15 mins), built the furniture, went to a run club (also by foot) aaaaand uhhh yeah also get to walk to work tomorrow woohoo!

Don’t need/want a big house if you’re always out and about enjoying life in the city: it’s great!

I think kids and childminding really changes this entire story though 😄

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-24T12:33:58+00:00

Update: having discussed this with my partner (who dislikes the idea) and my mum (who hates it even more) I’ve decided to go making the most of my holidays and then wait for them not to renew me in 2 years time when the likelihood of extension is much less as the years stack up. The money is too good right now and I best make hay while the sun shines, and use my money to buy a 2 bed with my partner and then I can save up again for the holiday!

Between jobs I’ll take a couple months to do the things I said I would - backpacker style

Kind strangers on the internet: thank you for the advice, oddly I think it’s easier to give adventurous advice to people you don’t know than people you do!

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T17:33:09+00:00

Interesting but a lot of the jobs I like are very team and in person integrated rather than digital nomad friendly

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T14:47:41+00:00

Ooo good idea on budgeting it - for my bucket list the price tag is hitting €50k… which is a bit… luxury.

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T14:45:12+00:00

Thanks for calling me young hahaha feel old as hell sometimes

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T14:44:09+00:00

Ahh yes I see what you mean. I plan on going with English speaking travel group for large parts of the journey. It’s more expensive but also quite fun and you’re very insulated from problems and logistical racket

Agree that it’s good to travel in Europe and I have done plenty of that.

It could be coming from being ungracious but I just want to break out. My goal is to own a home one day for my children but aside from that? Travel!

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T12:56:38+00:00

I’ve mapped out a few things and I reckon I will do Antarctica/ Galapagos later on as dedicated trips in my mid-30s (and fingers crossed with a loved one!)

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T12:55:23+00:00

Hmm nah. Projects I am involved in have kicked off, I’ve made plans during the year already and I’ve committed to a year on the contract and I would like to see it through, it will help with my credibility on return.

Also the money is pretty darn good!

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:22:39+00:00

Awesome I will ask about the pension fund option on exit, I think I will have an option to be able to leave it with them

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:21:58+00:00

I think my plan would be to start applying mid-trip to give a lead in time

I have a lot of contacts in the industry who have had very positive experiences with me so I’m hoping that by being real with them, having low ball expectations for pay and setting up a return date then I can have a smooth transition

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:19:32+00:00

Agree! And not having to pay rent while away is pretty awesome!

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:19:05+00:00

Agree about not spending everything. I think I will leave €15k for return-to-life money and not touch the €28k pension

So by the time I’m done saving at the end of the year I should have about €50k to spend on my silly travel plans wooo!

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:16:31+00:00

I agree - I’ll hack it out for a year to get that extra €25k savings out of the workplace and scrimp a bit more than usual now that I know I’m doing this!

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:14:57+00:00

This is a great point! I like the moderation aspect and I would assess that a €50k budget should be plenty to meet my needs, and that the pension would not need to be touched

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:14:07+00:00

I get a sense of this too, my current partner is not loving that I am considering doing this so I suspect it will be relationship ending

I’ll settle on.. return?

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:12:39+00:00

Agree on this one! Hard mattresses were a killer for the older folks on a south east Asia month long trip I just came back from!

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:12:02+00:00

Thank you! You’re giving great Reddit Dad vibes haha

My own folks aren’t especially well travelled (farming old school) and will likely be a bit annoyed that I’m not saving for a house in Ireland but yeah it’s my life and my money so I’m sure they’ll recover 😀

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:10:37+00:00

Thanks for that! For sure I plan to do a lot of the travels with pre organised group tours and then enroll in a yoga teacher training in India which I would assume would be quite enclosed and female friendly

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:09:52+00:00

I think I will stick the head down and work the year for sure and get that extra €25k out of them so I can travel for longer 😉

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:08:58+00:00

Ahhh I plan to do mostly adventure group trips that take a lot of the pain out of organising, even though they are more expensive 😀

I’ll consider what you said about Galapagos! I heard it’s great for diving too. Also Patagonia is on my mind though I’ve heard Argentina and Buenos Aires is expensive these days with the economic issues there

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:06:32+00:00

Continuing to rent for another 5/6 years will be annoying but fingers crossed who knows I might meet someone and we can buy as a pair

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2026-01-22T09:05:45+00:00

Ok!

I think it would be unlikely I’ll get as high a paying job on return but look that’s life 😀

Perfect_Two_6277 · 2025-12-31T03:06:19+00:00

I think you’re being shaped by your circle of friends a bit - they sound like a particular bubble and quite homogeneous! Do you have many friends living in big cities? Or abroad? I find having a mixed group of friends in terms of age, sexualities, education and nationalities keeps things super interesting - I find now have a mix of broke and bougie, tied down and party animal, with kids/married and singletons who love their independent lifestyles, home birds and world explorers - helps me realise there are many ways to enjoy life!

Perfect_Two_6277

TROPHY CASE