The excitement of buying a new home is incomparable; from touring that first property to closing the deal, it’s a wild rollercoaster ride. For most, it’s a symbol of adulthood and security. Everyone has to live somewhere, right? The only hard part is affording the dream. Such a large purchase can mean decades of debt, so it’s important to have a game plan.

If you’re ready to buy that new home, but don’t want to live house-poor, here are some ways to budget so you can have it all.

Research The Market

The most crucial part of budgeting for a home is to know what you can afford. Look at local listings and find the average. If you already own a home and will be swapping, remember that the cost of selling a house adds to your closing fees as well, which should get taken into consideration.

Once you’ve got a ballpark number in mind, start saving for the down payment. Typically, this price ranges between ten and fifty thousand dollars, which is more than most Americans have in their savings. Don’t expect to save it up overnight. It will take time! Little by little, month by month.

Save For More Than The Home

Your savings shouldn’t just be for your house purchase price, but also maintenance and repairs. Keep separate savings for emergencies, at least two thousand dollars, that you can put towards any unexpected expenses. You don’t want to buy your home, and then miss payments because you put your emergency funds into it.

Make Your Savings Untouchable

A lot of people have trouble keeping their savings safe. Instead of just tossing your money into an easily-reached savings account, there are other options. Bonds make sure that your money can’t be touched for some time, while also gaining interest on top of it. Make sure to only create safe, smart, slow return investments.

Be Honest About Your Finances

Don’t tell yourself that you’ll suddenly save six hundred dollars more a month than you have before. Drastic changes are difficult and very unlikely to stick long term. It’s okay to have fun and indulge, provided you’re setting aside a reasonable amount. Maybe instead of spending money on movie theatres every week, make a big event of streaming a movie in the den, with some yummy snacks and drinks. Remember that a budget allows for all your needs and wants, just not everything on the same day.

Your home is going to be the place where you feel safe and comfortable. This is a big decision. It requires planning and effort. Don’t rush into it. Buying a home should be a good experience, and when done on a budget, most of the stress can be eliminiated.

Free coffee all summer long? Yes, Panera is offering it. Simply sign up for a MyPanera Coffee Subscription before July 4th. There is zero cost and you can drink up every TWO HOURS if you like. (I seriously doubt anyone will be doing that on a regular basis, but that’s an incredible deal!)

Please know that you do have to enter credit card info, but you will not be charged the normal monthly fee of $8.99. Make sure to cancel your subscription before it expires on 9/7 so you won’t be charged.

My local store told me that it’s valid for hot or cold coffee and also tea. I don’t know if the tea part is nationwide, or just something around here.

Many small businesses are struggling due to extended closures during quarantine. Some have had to raise their prices on goods and services, which is understandable, but the way they’re doing it is pretty sneaky, with vague Covid surcharges being added to receipts without warning.

How to tell if you’ve gotten a Covid surcharge? It could be listed as almost anything from “Miscellaneous” to “Health & Safety Fee” to “Temporary Operating Expense.” If something seems off, don’t be afraid to ask. At a local coffee shop, I was charged an extra dollar. After chatting with the owner, she told me it may be two dollars next month if volume doesn’t increase.

Covid fees are legal, provided they’re clearly disclosed. A business is not supposed to bury it on a receipt, hoping customers overlook it. Customers do have the right to ask for a waiver, however, be generous if you can. A tiny fee is not unreasonable due to the current economy.

Personally, I am more than willing to help small businesses, provided they’re upfront and honest. I just don’t like the sneaky stuff. Either way, always check those receipts!

My husband is not much of a shopper (that’s putting it mildly). He will drive me and wait while I shop, playing video games on his phone in the car, but actually browsing in a store? That’s rare, unless it’s a home improvement place. Mention tools and that man is in heaven.

He has been going through the Lowe’s Black Friday ad, circling items he likes, and leaving me Post-It notes all over the house—funny things like, “Daddy needs a new drill” and “Daddy wants a generator.” Other small items include impact sockets, channel locks, and needle-nose pliers; No, I have no idea what that stuff is, but I try to humor him!

Since Lowe’s will NOT be open on Thanksgiving, I think we’ll stagger the shopping, with my wish-list on Thursday and his on Friday. (Doors open at 6:00 AM at Lowe’s.) Since Lowe’s is running to two special promos, getting there the earlier the better is key. Promo #1 is the first 300 shoppers in-store get a chance to win a $500 gift card; Promo #2 is the first 300 shoppers in the door get a $10 off $50 coupon, good only on 11/29. (We’re hoping for the latter. I can’t even imagine having $500 to play with at Lowes. That would be awesome!)

In general, he is pretty handy and what he buys, he will actually use. I wish Black Friday had come this week, because we dealt with a major crisis when the water heater burst, flooding the utility closet and spilling into the kitchen. (You guys, it was like something out of a horror movie, with ice-cold water spraying everywhere. I was drenched, he was drenched, and we were up to our ankles in a puddle.)

We had to buy a replacement, obviously, and ended up buying an A.O. Smith to replace the broken GE heater. (So far, so good, fingers crossed.) Next up, we need to replace the flooring, so that’s high on the Black Friday list.

I like the look of this shade of wood. Because it’s actually ceramic tile, it will last longer and be easier to keep clean and smoother. $0.99/per Sq. Ft is a wonderful price.

For anyone in need of big ticket items, Black Friday is the day to shop. There’s an LG washer/dryer set that’s deeply discounted to $599 each (regular price is almost $1,300). These are the high efficiency top-load model washer and the TurboSteam dryer. My sister has this exact set and she uses them daily. Her laundry load is insane, probably a dozen loads a week, so if this can keep her in clothes, you know it’s good. LG dishwasher, on sale for $399, is also a steal, and the Frigidaire Side-by-Side stainless steel fridge is $799.

Anyone looking for cheapies will want GE Light bulbs, 3-pack is only $0.98. Werner foldable step stools are $14.99 and aluminum 6-foot step ladders are $46.96.

Online shoppers please note that while most deals don’t require shopping in-store, the Doorbusters do, so plan accordingly.

Anyone else headed to Lowe’s on Black Friday? What’s on your list?