> But the real kicker is; how did you get your deposit? Scrimping and saving? Pretty much -- more saving then scrimping. My parents and my partner's parents di

> But the real kicker is; how did you get your deposit? Scrimping and saving? Pretty much -- more saving then scrimping. My parents and my partner's parents didn't help us, mainly because they couldn't. And we didn't expect them to. And, no, we didn't have other benevolent relatives or money magically appearing in our bank accounts. If only ... Also were also able to use some of our KiwiSavers (government retirement savings plan for those of you outside of NZ) to take advantage of the first home buyer's scheme. Overall, though, for us it was a matter of living modestly, paying our bills, and remembering to pay ourselves. Not that we didn't/don't indulge from time to time -- pay a visit to our favourite local cafes and we take the occasional trip here and there. I'm sure this all would have been a bit easier if I was making $150K or more annually (or even if my partner was making $20K or so more a year). But we're not unique or special or anything like that. I know several people in a situation like mine who are doing or have done the same thing.