How to save for a home on an average salary: a real plan with calculations

Numbers are illustrative — plug in your net income, rent/mortgage, and local home prices. The structure stays the same.

Assumptions

• After-tax income: 100,000 ₽ / month (or convert to your currency mentally).
• Goal: down payment (e.g. 20%) plus closing reserve.
• Horizon: 3–5 years as a reasonable baseline without extreme sacrifice.

Step 1. Lock in fixed costs

Example: rent/mortgage 35k, utilities/phone 7k, groceries 20k, transport 5k, health/misc 8k → 75k. Remainder 25k before habit changes.

Step 2. Split the remainder

• Emergency fund 5k until you reach ~3 months of essentials (~225k) — then redirect to the down-payment bucket.
• Down payment 15k to a separate account without an everyday card.
• Flexible 5k for wants so the plan survives real life.

Step 3. Rough math

15k × 36 months ≈ 540k; × 60 months ≈ 900k (ignoring interest). Meaningful in many markets as a full or partial down payment, especially with co-borrowing or government programs available locally.

Step 4. Accelerators (one at a time)

Side income +10k to the down-payment fund shortens the timeline roughly in proportion. Annual bonuses in full to the fund. Refinancing expensive debt — redirect savings to the same bucket.

Step 5. Review twice a year

Update target price, deposit rates, and spending. The plan should evolve.

Illustrative only; consider inflation, household income, and local rules.