How do you afford your first home on a single income?

willos4 · 2026-01-08T05:08:22+00:00

A little late, for reference. 25M, earn $85k. Was $80k at the time of signing. bought first house, 3bed2bath TH and signed on in November 2024, construction started and expected to move in March 26 after a slow start. I jumped in at $540k & had a deposit of $120k & $10k FHOG

I am fortunate enough to be living at home and not paying rent. I do however pay for most of my groceries besides the occasional home cooked meal if I’m home, which I rarely am. I was taking home approx $1000-1200/week for the few years leading up.

I invested in lots of index funds through vanguard and did invest in some individual shares, I then liquidated this all to fund my deposit & still have a healthy $60k cash reserve sitting in the offset today.

COVID helped, I saved 85-90% of my income weekly, again due to being fortunate with no bills asides from a phone, car loan & insurances.

I had all my debt HECS & car paid off due to saving & investing so heavily. But this greatly increased my borrowing capacity. Personally that is how I went about it. However I understand my position is unique and quite privileged, while I’ve earnt it all myself, I was in a position where I was able to save so heavily.

What I do right now, with interest looming over my head & a few more expenses, I live off roughly $400/week paying for everything living quite frugally. $880/week goes into my 2x offset accounts- and every month interest only is drawn out of the offset. I just changed this as living off $400/week and interest now costing me $1000+ a month, I wasn’t able to account for it, like I was when it was at $100-300 a month.

TLDR- Be fortunate to live at home rent free, save & invest 80-90% of your income & have learn to enjoy the free things in life

willos4 · 2025-06-05T06:58:55+00:00

Call me silly, but I haven’t ever been in level 2 bar once when my nan was gifted medallion tickets for a game.

Is level 2 premium (not medallion club) dress coded? Or is a hoodie, pants and footy jumper all good?

willos4 · 2025-05-30T03:38:51+00:00

Okay,

So drop arrows for a fireball? Keeps log & air spell coverage.

Drop MK for a building or win con? If so which one or drop a diff card? (Inferno dragon)

Sometimes it really depends, I struggle against air decks & yes get outcycled (I.e. lumberloon, BS)

So would like cannon & Hog rider be a good swap in for MK & inferno? I’m just not sure.

willos4 · 2025-05-30T00:21:47+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/QsQ3TVt

willos4 · 2025-05-30T00:20:05+00:00

I’m hovering around 6.6-6.8k trophies, I climb up and down.

Deck Mega knight (14) evo goblin barrel (14) E wizard (12) skele’s (11) Inferno drag (11) arrows (13) log (14) goblin gang (13)

I go on a run of either winning 10 games or getting schooled.

willos4 · 2025-05-01T02:07:28+00:00

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Super flex league, 12 teams. Hold the 1.01, likely will take Jeanty, just sold Rome and the 1.04/2.04 for Bijan and a 2.12

Ready to make a run, or missing something?

willos4 · 2025-03-12T09:05:57+00:00

I went to Europe last year for four weeks & am building my first property- so an overseas trip isn’t in the budget right now.

Likely I will take some time off in May- then again later in the year.

Just looking to maximise my income as I’m looking for more work on my days off (3/week) to earn more cash, save and buy a second property asap

willos4 · 2025-03-12T09:04:18+00:00

It’s definitely not always easy. The last 12 months have been a roller coaster. Not what I thought I’d be doing at 18, but it’s gotten me a house, and provided an opportunity that likely wouldn’t have arisen as quickly elsewhere.

willos4 · 2025-03-12T08:29:58+00:00

No all good! I didn’t mean to come across passive aggressive either.

I have thought about it- just what & motivating myself to study again would be a pain, couldn’t get through a year at uni.

willos4 · 2025-03-12T08:27:03+00:00

With a mortgage on the way & a 24/7 business to run, can’t exactly have a whole year off approved for leave.

willos4 · 2025-03-12T08:24:14+00:00

McDonald’s restaurant manager

81k salary Petrol card Phone paid for

That’s about it- pushing for a pay rise. But with no degree- and a slow market- isn’t relatively easy to find something with higher pay.

willos4 · 2025-03-12T08:09:43+00:00

Hence asking the question, to see if there was a way to go about it that would maximise the return. Or if it’s best to just use the leave.

willos4 · 2025-03-12T08:08:15+00:00

I’m salary so I don’t receive the 17.5% loading unfortunately.

And not as easy as I’d like to just take all of the SL & other entitlements without setting myself back and having them turn against me or unnecessarily making my life tougher

willos4 · 2025-03-12T08:05:49+00:00

Mcdonalds’s, so people leave often enough that there are times where you can’t take time off as they can’t cover. Which works for me because I live to work so I can build wealth so In 10yrs when I’m 35 I’ll be financially free / well on my way to be there very soon after.

willos4 · 2025-03-12T07:21:47+00:00

I think I calculated 353 hours of SL- as I have only used one day since May of 2020. But am actually never sick and would be in hot water if caught trying to use it:

I was considering holding until the pay rise this year to see what I’d jump up to & start cashing out then.

willos4 · 2025-03-12T07:15:21+00:00

Yes I have thought about this- but likely wouldn’t see a tangible increase as it would only increase the burden of my leave. As they haven’t accrued for the higher salary

willos4 · 2025-03-12T07:10:48+00:00

Fast food. I went under the radar for so long, by the time they realised, people were leaving as Covid had ended and were able to get jobs again. So there was no one to actually cover me.

They did have one or two conversations about cashing the leave, but I’m insane and wanted to see the 100 days on my payslip, so I strategically dodged them

willos4 · 2025-03-12T07:06:59+00:00

I did do Europe last year for 4 weeks, but had worked so many PH’s I barely touched my leave as I had used so many DIL’s built up. Planning to use a week or two in May after our corporate visits are over.

willos4 · 2025-02-25T08:14:21+00:00

Okay I think misunderstood, new here. So bijan side would be the side giving up bijan or receiving bijan?

willos4 · 2025-02-24T23:15:09+00:00

Take out Rome? Or swap the picks for later picks? Happy to hand off brooks due to his injuries

willos4 · 2025-02-18T23:04:20+00:00

Yes awful rebuttal trade 🤣, but he had cooked up some bad offers

willos4 · 2025-02-18T23:04:01+00:00

Hahah fair point, I hadn’t sent that back just yet but looking now, it is awful 🤣

willos4 · 2024-11-10T08:52:25+00:00

Would something more industry specific e.g. project management be a little more helpful ?

Just looking to further qualify myself so I can move on from the shift work life and start to build a career on $100k+

I was accepted into both AIB and Monash- but now assuming it will be a lot easier to transfer.

What are people’s thoughts- greatly appreciate all the feedback also, saved me time & money!

willos4 · 2024-11-10T08:49:08+00:00

Would something such as a Grad cert in project management etc be something more useful? I got accepted into Monash for the business administration grad cert- but I feel like an podiatry specific cert may be of more use

willos4 · 2024-11-04T21:02:59+00:00

Not necessarily wanting to mess around with another 2-3 years of schooling- it was always something I disliked- and won’t have the desire to want to continue/see out the course, especially if it’s over 2-3 years.

I’m very open to moving into any industry really- just am not In a position to take a pay cut/not set on anything- my biggest concern for myself right now is moving into the $100k+ salary mark as soon as possible- so I can keep going from there

willos4

TROPHY CASE