'I'm 20 years old and managed to buy first home while earning minimum wage - here's how'

'I'm 20 years old and managed to buy first home while earning minimum wage - here's how'Tia Cordery from Essex started saving £300 a month from age 16 while earning minimum wage, sacrificing her social life to build a £12,000 deposit Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Daniel Windham 09:50, Mon, Jun 1, 2026 Updated: 10:10, Mon, Jun 1, 2026 Tia Cordery (Image: undefined)A young woman who was previously ridiculed by friends for being "stingy" has disclosed how she successfully purchased her first property at just 20 following years of diligent saving while on minimum wage. Tia Cordery, from Billericay, Essex, started setting money aside when she commenced an apprenticeship aged 16. Resolute in her ambition to step onto the property ladder, she consistently deposited a substantial portion of her earnings into a savings account instead of splashing out on evenings out and other leisure pursuits. window.scriptsToLoad.push({url:'https://live.primis.tech/live/liveView.php?s=118222&vp_content=plembed3a6btjknzwqh&cbuster=%%CACHEBUSTER%%&playerApiId=v118222',triggeredBy:'tcfLoaded',delay:1500,containerId:'ovp-primis',title:"Primis player",beforeLoad:()=>{window.top.addEventListener('primisPlayerInit',e=>{try{if(e.detail&&e.detail.playerApiId==="v118222"){if(window.document.getElementsByClassName('jwplayer')[0]){e.detail.float('disable')}}}catch(e){}})},}) Her dedication paid off earlier this year when she secured a mortgage and bought a one-bedroom flat valued at £180,000. Tia said: "I would put half my earnings into [the app] Moneybox. I put probably £300 away every month and I had no bills and I wasn't on a lot of money. I was [originally] on minimum wage, about £6 an hour." Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get personal finance news, money saving tips and advice plus selcted offers and competitions Subscribe Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in...