Okay, you have decided to buy a home, now what?  The first thing you will need is your down payment and nerdwallet.com has some fun and easy ways to do just that.

1.  The $5.00 Bill Savings Plan:  Ever time you receive a $5.00 bill, as change, a gift or you find the bill on the street, SAVE IT.
2. Keep the Change: There are several ways that some banks offer to do this.  As an example, Bank of America debit card holders can sign up for a program that rounds the purchase price up to the next whole dollar and puts the change in a linked savings account.
3. Open a Savings Account:  Salary bonuses, tax refunds, and raises go right into your savings account.
4. Automatic Transfers:  You’re trying to save money here.  Let your bank know that every month you want a specific amount transferred from your checking to your savings.
5. Keep your Old Car:  Calculate what your new car payment would have been and put that amount in your savings account every month.
6. See it and Believe It:  Paste a picture of your dream home on the frig and wrap that picture around your most used credit card.  Look at that picture when you grab that card to spend some money. Continue reading →