While it’s expensive, there’s no doubt that renting has its advantages. You get to live in a home that you could probably never afford to buy outright; you can move fairly easily if an issue arises and when something major breaks down in the house- it’s not your responsibility to pay for. I’ve been renting homes since I was nineteen, with no major problems at all. I moved into my current home in March this year, and as incredible as it is (and I don’t plan on moving again for a long time!) I don’t want to be renting forever. Despite the pros of it, each month I'm still paying for a home without anything to show for it in the future. So have recently made the decision to start a mortgage fund to start saving towards a home of my own. While this is going to take a long time (I’m talking years) I’m glad to have something to plan and save towards. It’s definitely making me be a little more careful with my money too. If like me you want to own a house in the future, here are some of the ways you can add to your mortgage fund and increase it as much as possible.

From looking at average house prices, and the prices of homes in estate agents windows near me I’ve worked out roughly what I’ll need to save. I’m sure this will change over the next few years, but it helps to have a goal in mind. To put down a deposit for a house, you need at least 5% of the mortgage cost. So check out some figures, and work out a number that’s reasonable for you.

The nature of life means that some months are easier than others. For example, we recently had car issues that set us back over £500, so it’s safe to say that no savings went in that month. (If you’re wondering- the clutch, brakes and back tyre all decided to pack in at around the same time. Bummer). But if you save what you have whenever you can, it soon mounts up. The same applies to things like loose change. I can be an absolute nightmare for this and I'm constantly swimming in coins. Just saving up the shrapnel from my pockets has already come to a significant amount, without it even being missed. Whether it’s a little or a lot, put it in the savings pot and it will all accumulate. This article gives you one hundred money saving tips, so if you're looking to boosts your savings it's well worth a read.

A savings account with a high-interest rate is your best bet when you’re saving for anything. Some savings accounts might have limits on the number of withdrawals you can make in a year. While this seems like a bad thing, it can actually prevent you from dipping back into it so for me it’s a positive! Speak to your bank, or use a comparison site to find the best savings account for you.