Matilda Littler: How to Live Large for Less

This transcript is auto-generated and lightly edited for readability, it may contain errors.

[0:00] Sammie Ellard-King: Hello and welcome to the Money Gains podcast. This is your host, Sammie Ellard-King, and today my guest is Matilda from the hit Instagram channel A Millennial Saver. Now, we discuss all about how she’s saving money, how she’s using apps, cashback apps, how she uses dupes as well. So when you get the Aldi product instead of the really expensive one, and how much you can actually save by doing that. And actually, the products really don’t differ that much. Super interesting, something that we’ve not had on the podcast before. But for now, if you’re listening on YouTube, please do whack that subscribe button. And if you’re listening on Spotify or Apple, please do whack the follow button. And also share this episode with a friend. It really does help the show grow. And if you’re enjoying listening to this and you think a friend could too, please do share it with them. That’s your task this week. Thank you guys. But for now, let’s get started on the Money Gains Podcast.

[0:53] Sammie Ellard-King: The Money Gains Podcast. Let’s make some work. Matilda, welcome to the Money Gains Podcast. How are you doing? You well? Yeah, I’m good, thanks. Sammie, how are you doing? Not too bad, actually. Yeah, Monday night we’re recording this, but you know, if you if you look back at the weekend, it’s been a good weekend. Unfortunately, the guys lost the rugby. And uh, but yeah, no, I hit hit reset this weekend and um yeah, looking forward to chatting with you today. I’ve been following you for a little while. Absolutely love some of the content you’re putting out. But if you wouldn’t mind giving the audience a little bit of a 4-1-1 into yourself.

[1:40] Matilda Littler: Yeah, yeah, of course. Um, so yeah, I’m a millennial saver. Um, or also my first name is Matilda, but uh yeah, I started the uh Instagram account around 18 months ago now. Um, and I really started it with kind of sharing my own like personal journey and saving tips, um, and also really focusing on the topics that we weren’t taught about at school. And as we I’ve grown over time, so’s the content and it’s developed and tailoring it as well to what people want to see. Um, and yeah, it’s just kind of taken it from there. What were you like with money before this? Is this something you’ve always kind of had, or have you were you like having were you doing this to try and teach yourself to be better? So I I’ve always been really like I have always actually been quite good with money. Um the the first memory that I have of of money is my grand, yeah, my granddad took me to HSBC. Um and I think I was about 11 years old, and we opened a current account together, and well, obviously in my name, and then at the end of it, you got like a HSBC red locker money box, and I remember thinking this was like the the best thing in the world. And um when like Christmas came, I would put checks in and birthdays, and then when I got my first job at 14 and got paid on a weekly basis, I would put my pay into there, and then once a month I would go to the bank. So it was something that I feel has always been quite ingrained. Um, and as I was growing up, I think there were lessons that were taught along the way from kind of people around me, um, but also things that I was just more curious about. And I think I didn’t really notice maybe how how much I had probably learned in my childhood when I maybe left university. And I noticed, and it’s more why I started the count as well, is that a lot of friends would come to me like asking me, like, oh, you know, what’s the difference between a help to buy ISA versus a lifetime ISA, or you know, oh, I’ve started, you know, getting paid and I don’t really know what to do with this, like, you know, just general questions. And I was more than happy to kind of like point them in the right direction, but it also probably made me realise that I was more aware than I thought. Um, and that’s yeah, that’s why I kind of started originally with the account.

[4:05] Sammie Ellard-King: You were you like the designated money friend then? Let’s ask Matilda. It was like I didn’t realise it, and then I think, yeah, it did get to a point that people I mean, everyone loves that someone values their opinion, right? And I was like, whoa. Um, so yeah, it’s it that I think more so after university because obviously people started getting paid um a salary and it was kind of that lump sum that you didn’t have before university, and people were a bit more conscious, obviously, you know, renting a majority of us renting in a new city or town. So um it definitely got more. I found people were becoming more aware of it after. Yeah, no, absolutely. It’s it’s it’s it’s weird though, isn’t it, when you kind of get left on your own at university and you’re kind of given this bank bank account with this card on it, and you’re like, oh my god, uh I’m on my own. Like it’s it’s quite daunting. How did you get on with that?

[5:06] Matilda Littler: So um I so before university, I actually uh lived in Australia. Well, I went travelling for a bit, but I lived in Australia for about uh nine months uh and I went by myself. Um and I was I was doing some work, so I was saving up for a ticket and then spent a majority, you know, using that money travelling. But yeah, I had about nine, ten months in Australia, and that was quite a daunting experience for me on my own because I like if I ran out of money, there was no one out there to save me. So I think in that time I had to do a lot of growing up and you know become a lot more independent. So I was more careful, and you know, there were times and more so at the start where I had to stay a bit longer in an area and get a job and build up because I’d kind of gone out there, spent a little bit too much, gone kind of traveling and maybe spent outside of my budget. So I was learning all those lessons out there. So I think actually when I went to university, because of that experience, I was a little bit more careful. Um, naturally, fresh as week, we all go a bit crazy. Uh, but it is interesting, especially like I think more so the first year is you meet so many different people from so many different backgrounds, and some people are more careful, you know, some people haven’t, you know, when you get that student loan, we’ll kind of blow it. Like I’d have friends that would be in like credit card debt, I’d have people that were more conscious and you know, going to like Tesco on a Sunday night just before close for the reduced to clear. Like there was just such a variety.

[6:44] Sammie Ellard-King: It was such a strange time though, but you’re right, like there was you know, I I was the first person, so I racked up every bit of consumer debt I could possibly could, but no one was telling me not to, and I feel like that’s probably um you know that I I didn’t really have that kind of blocker there and where my my mum and dad, lovely people, but you know, would spend a pound before they had it, kind of people. Um, and that’s kind of was ingrained in me. I didn’t have that kind of stopper or that blocker um that often people get, and that’s why I always love asking this question because everybody’s journey is so different, and how they manage money often comes from their upbringing. But equally, you’ll find that some person who had parents that never taught them the value of a pound were like the most, you know, avid savers or completely, you know, just valued every penny that they had, and then you you know uh others like me go completely the other way, and you know, vice versa. So it’s really interesting to hear. So, you know, was money spoken about in the household with you quite a bit?

[7:52] Matilda Littler: So it was and it wasn’t, like it was, but quite secretly, I found, and I I didn’t really realise this until uh kind of my ad my adult life, but there’s there’s a memory that I I have, and it was um it’s 2008, so the the financial crash, and I remember my parents um, you know, a few months prior to kind of when things got really bad, that they were they said we need to be a bit more careful with money. Uh we’re saving for a rainy day, and that rainy day was the emergency fund that they were building up, and that we needed to and you know, we had to kind of change habits, we you know, had to make sacrifices just to make sure that we were building up this amount and you know, looking at it as a child. Uh I felt like that was uh it was a really valuable and important lesson that I learned then, but I didn’t actually know that it was the impact of the financial crash and of you know the money worries that we had, but how they portrayed it and they worded it was yeah, I think I think there’s you can go one way or the other, can’t you, with with childhood. You can kind of talk too much about money or too little. I think what you just mentioned, Sammie, of you know, for example, if you’ve got parents that were in debt, I think you can go that one way. You can either follow those habits or because you’ve seen it and the you know the impact that it can do growing up, you go completely the other way. Um, but yeah, everyone, I mean it’s so different, isn’t it?

[10:09] Sammie Ellard-King: Oh, totally, absolutely. And that yeah, again, that’s why it’s so fun asking this question because for me, uh, I find it so interesting, the psychology behind it all and the way that we end up being. So you you’ve come out of university um and you’ve gone into I imagine a full-time work. Well, what did you study? And and do do you work in that field? Is is you know, and many people don’t, many people do, so um no, I don’t, yeah, I don’t work in the field. So um I I do a little bit. So the degree that I got from university was business and marketing, um, but I now work in project management. So in a way, it’s kind of the same kind of yeah, business plans, business cases. There’s a bit of it. And I got onto a graduate scheme after university, and I wouldn’t have got on that if it wasn’t for my degree, and that I really felt set me up. Um, but did I really need that degree? Maybe, maybe not. I’ve I think there’s more so now than before is that question of is it worth going to university and and the value that it brings, but and the depth that it brings. Um, but yeah, I finished university.

[11:20] Matilda Littler: Especially these days. Yeah, 100%. And um, especially with the new plan that they’re putting in place, it feels like you’re never gonna get to a point where you pay it off. Um, but yeah, I finished university, uh, got onto a graduate scheme, uh, which was in it was half in London and half in Watford. Uh so I moved to Watford because it was cheaper. Uh and it wasn’t yeah. Sorry, I uh had to do that. Watford boys, yeah. Yeah, that’s where I grew up, so yeah. Um yeah, it was uh it was right by the the train station where I lived, so it was kind of yeah, just 10-15 minutes from town, but really easy commute into into Euston, which was where the office was, their London office. But um it was interesting because it was leaving university and getting that salaried amount, which is amazing, but also the bills and the expenses that come with it, especially in an environment where yes, it was Watford, it wasn’t London, but your commuting costs, your rental costs, your um, you know, like even getting to the offices, things like that, like transportation, sorry, like commuting. Um, but also they were a lot higher than what I was used to because Watford in terms of pricing was kind of similar to London, obviously not with the rental, but other areas. Um that was a bit of a shock to the system as well.

[12:46] Sammie Ellard-King: Yeah, it is. Once you once you’re out on your own as well, after university, you move out and you really are like, you know, you’re not surrounded by your mates, it’s not student kind of living now, it’s it’s the real world, you know, and your first steps that you’re taking into the you know, corporate ladder and as you said, rental costs and really kind of figuring things out on your own. Um it can be quite daunting for some, um, but it sounds like you you grasped it. And so so you are you still at the same place now or have you moved on? No, no, moved on. So um, so I did the graduate scheme and then I went into a PMO analyst role, which is like a project analyst role, and then I moved into tech and did a product manager role. Um, and then went back into more of a project manager role, and now I’m a program manager role. Very all very project focused. Um, but yeah, it’s what it’s what I really like doing, and I’m glad I kind of found what I what motivates me.

[13:50] Sammie Ellard-King: You gotta, that’s the thing. Uh it sounds like you’re like chief organiser. I try, I try. I feel like that’s reflected on my page in my normal life. Uh, I don’t know what a normal life is, but yeah, my normal life and my work life. Like you should see, I’ve just got like a calendar of everything. Oh, yeah. I won’t go into it, it’s too, it’s too organised. I am literally the carbon opposite. I think I because I spent my life uh before this organizing other people and making sure that you know our businesses were running to the nth degree with my own personal life. I absolutely sucked to organising myself. And um luckily uh you know, I have a I have a very uh my partner’s basically a project manager um but in production and film, so she’s extremely organised, so that does help things a lot. But um, yeah, I wanted to move on to your uh to your business. Oh yeah, oh god, yeah, yeah. Thank God for her, honestly. Um saved my ass on more than one occasion, more than one family birthday. Um yeah, yeah, absolutely stitched myself up on occasions, but but there we go. Um yeah, I was watching, I got of I like obviously prepping for podcasts, making sure that you know we chat with uh the guests, but I just absolutely love your deals on reels idea.

[15:15] Sammie Ellard-King: Oh, yes. What made you start that? And and how’s that come to sort of you know fritition over there? Because you you’ve done quite a few of them now, but they’re so much fun. Yeah, I love them. And you know what’s fun is um I do it with one of my best friends, Dan. And I feel when you work in like the kind of the social media, it’s very much like just you, and it can feel a bit lonely at times. So it’s nice that I could do something with one of my friends. Um, there’s actually a funny story for how it came about. Um, so Dan, uh who I do deals on Reels with, he’s a food uh Instagram blogger. Uh, and he so when we meet, he often does food stuff, and then I try and take content that’s more, you know, deals, um, deals-based. And we were chatting, and I think he was at mine one night, and we were chatting, we have we had a few drinks, and we were like, wouldn’t it be great if we did something together? And then I don’t know why, but we ended up getting a bit too drunk, and we went on TikTok live, and we went on his TikTok live, and we’re like, you know, what guys, like, what’s a really good name for this? Like, we need a good name, like this is the concept, like this is what we want. And someone said deals on reels, and I was like, that is amazing. Um, and I still talk to her now, and I when I did it, I was like, this girl’s amazing, like she has just put deals on reels, but yeah, I can’t give myself credit for that one. I can give myself credit to her, but um, yeah, it’s just it’s yeah, it’s a good concept, but also it’s just nice to do it with someone else as well.

[16:50] Sammie Ellard-King: I completely agree. It is uh really lonely at times, um, and yeah, collaborating, and that’s partly why I started the podcast because there’s so many amazing financial creators in the space, and actually, you know, touching base with them, having a bit of a laugh, having a chit-chat with them on the podcast, and you know, helping others learn too is like one of the big things for me, you know. I I I um I haven’t got out of the home and done that style of content yet because you know it is so difficult to get right, um, but you’ve absolutely nailed it. Um yeah, and I’m I’m sure having Dan there really helps. Yeah, and I think the the main thing is is like I I I needed to get over it because I think at the start I was like, I feel a bit awkward recording, you know, in front of loads of people and people kind of watch. And Dan’s used to it because he does um like restaurant reviews and things like that. So he’s always he’s got a light box and he’ll be you know tucking in to dinner. So it’s just that’s quite alien to me. But I also just think about rather than that, the benefit that it will bring. Um I think more so now than ever, you know, with the cost of living. And what I find, especially on my page and and similar pages, is that everyone try you know, trying to be creative with what we can do for less and you know, making our money go further. And that’s how, and that’s what we want to do as part of Deals on Reels, is finding those you know, things to do. And and one of them that we shared the other day was like a roast dinner, and it’s about getting that quality right, but also that low price. So um it was uh £20 off a £40 spend, so essentially half price, and it was really good quality roast dinner, Vintage Inns there around the whole of the UK, and we we try and make it so you know it’s something for everyone. Um, and something like that is just if if you you know if you’re missing out or you’re you’re trying to be careful with your money, but you want to be careful of what you choose to do, like those types of things are a really, really great way.

[18:52] Sammie Ellard-King: Yeah, because you’re coming at it like um, you know, there’s probably like Chloe’s Deals Club, but that’s very much product heavy. Um and you know, maybe Savvy Spender, I could say, makes some similar content in a lot of ways, but actually you you’re you’re really coming at this with a like refreshing angle. There’s two of you having a lot of fun on the camera, but you’re also providing so much value. Um and I just love the way you’re approaching it, and I uh you know, I think you I think you’re on to a winner there for sure. Um yeah, I just always wonder how long it must take to make one of those videos. They look so high well done. It it it can really vary, but yes, it can um it can take a while. I it is something like the time is something that I struggle with like from time to time, as you know, when you’re doing a like a nine to half five job, and then also um the Instagram account, and we do, and I think because it’s with Dan, we do take it in turns as well, and we also focus on the parts that we enjoy the most. Um, so he really like he loves editing. Um, whereas I’m like, oh yeah, you you can edit this one, whereas I love doing the script and editing like the voiceover. So it’s just like when you’ve got it together, you can just kind of pick the best part. So yeah, it’s it is nice.

[21:20] Sammie Ellard-King: Yeah, you do a great job on it. And one of the big things that you cover on your page is like the dupes and things that you can do to save. What is a dupe for someone that uh like myself who’s not really very well professed on that side of stuff? Yeah, so what a dupe is is it’s like a copy of another product or item. So not exactly the same, but we’ll often have very similar uh concepts. And I have to be careful with the word dupe, but and everyone does, and especially in the um like in their branding space, you know, like Rimmel, um, they do a lot of really good dupes, but obviously we’ll never say it’s a good dupe. Yeah, yes, yeah. Uh but if we look at like um makeup and skincare, it is often that they have pretty much the s the same ingredients but one. So it’s very very, very similar to what you’d get if you brought, you know, the the higher end uh copy.

[22:20] Sammie Ellard-King: Gotcha. And so where do you find these? Because obviously, you know, you’re in boots right now. What what do you do? Do you shop in boots still or do you look somewhere else? So it really varies. So I do a monthly roundup uh of the best dupes that I found. And A, I try and do a mix so there’s a variety. So I will try and do like a food dupe, like clothing, makeup, skincare, just uh like jewellery, just so that there’s a real variety. Um, I will also think about what do people want. So uh I I think last week I did a roundup of the dupes and it was like coats. So I was thinking, you know, people are going to be buying winter coats soon, so making sure to include one of those. Uh, I think I did like a Bailey’s dupe because I was thinking what if people are gonna stop drinking the Aperol Spritz now, what will they turn to? So that that I think about as well. Um, and just researching as well, and also a lot of people will message me on dupes, and if I find that I get kind of the same requests consistently, I’ll make sure that that’s also uh within there. And that came about a few months ago, my monthly roundup, and it always does really well, like just people love it, and it and it came, and I think what you’ll see on my page is a lot of the as my career has grown and my you know, my age have I’ve got older, one thing that has always kind of stayed with me is just finding those deals and finding. Finding ways to do things less, but equally still having good quality. And dupes is one of them. If you can find something that is pretty much the same ingredient and it can be £60 less, it’s a no-brainer, it’s worth trying out.

[24:09] Sammie Ellard-King: I mean, our house is literally, you know, littered with it. We um, you know, instead of the Diptyque candles, we get the three pound ones from Aldi, but they’re the same ingredients, bar one, as you say. Yeah. And actually they’re so good, you know, like and that’s 75 quid saved on and probably a lot more if you actually got the same size candles. So, like it just that just one example that popped into my head, but there’s even when you go into the food, food things, the own brands of the Twixes or the Mars bars, etc., are like often pounds cheaper. And if you’re doing that for 365 days a year, like how much that adds up? It must be mad. Yeah, yeah, definitely. And I find Aldi just kills it. Like they are so good for it. I’m surprised they haven’t been in more legal trouble. Because some of the stuff you think, okay, you’re really taking the mic now. Um, but they do like they do so well, Aldi. Um, you know, I think that’s why they are number one in terms of shopping, because people do turn to them for that lower priced items, but knowing that they’re not missing out on the items, they don’t have to change it, they’re just buying a different brand.

[25:19] Sammie Ellard-King: 100%. You know, we we do most of our weekly food shop in Aldi, and then we go to Maury’s for a few of the little, like, you know, I like my whole earth, peanut butter, and all stuff like that. But and and that, and like Audi, you’re not you’re not gonna get there whether or not you try as hard as you like, but you won’t get on some of the stuff, you’re not gonna be the same. Like, you just have to get the like the one the little things that you like, but that’s it, you know. And man, the amount we save on the same level of shop is for you know, 30-40 pounds for a standard shop, and that’s once a week. So that’s a lot of money. When it comes to your finances now, you know, you’re making all this great content, you’re doing all of these things. Outside of this, what are some of the things that you’re implementing in your your daily life at the moment?

[26:06] Matilda Littler: In terms of like a financial aspect. Yeah, so you know, you talk a lot about sinking funds and budgeting and saving. What are some of the things that people can sort of take away from this and go, oh, that’s a really cool idea, and how could how can I implement that into my own sort of strategies? Yeah, yeah, of course. So um payday is looming, two two days for me. So I can talk a bit about my payday routine, but I’ll also talk a bit outside of that. So, for example, with my payday, it’s it’s remained fairly similar to when I graduated, um, but I have made some changes. And what I find, and I think personal finance is personal, right? So some of these may work for people and and some may not, and there’s different methods of budgeting. But for me personally, when I get paid, I automate. So anything that all the bills, anything that I need to pay will be automated. So when I do get paid, all of that will go out, and I’m left with that amount that I’ve got left over, and that amount is really savings and allowance, and I will put an allowance, so I pay myself a salary, as you as you will, um, and I give myself an allowance which I put into Monzo. So that card is the only card that I can use for that month, and then I will put in a certain amount of savings that will go into sinking funds. So this is where when I’m putting a set amount into Monzo, I want to make sure that I don’t grow over that amount. So there may be things that are coming up that don’t really usually come up in a month. So one of the things is, and um, you might not see it, but my roots are starting to come through. So hairdressers uh is very, very expensive. Uh, it doesn’t happen every month, it probably happens once, uh once every like five, six months. But I will put in a set amount and then I will put that into a hairdresser’s sinking fund. And I’ve got like a Christmas sinking fund, um, I’ve got like car MOT sinking fund. So all these things that I want to think about in terms of the future. Um, and then when that comes around, so when it’s the month that I’m gonna get my hair done, that doesn’t impact my allowance because I’ve already accounted for that cost. Uh, and then when I’ve put that money into sinking funds, I also put a set amount into my savings account. Uh, some of that will go towards a lifetime ISA, and then some goes towards a stocks and shares ISA as well. And then some also goes towards premium bonds. Um, but yeah, that’s that’s my page.

[28:45] Matilda Littler: Oh, okay, cool. I like that setup. Yeah, and it varies. Like, I I think because when I start, and especially with ISAs, you know, in April is when the ISA allowance resets. So for the first few months, like I will be putting more into like my lifetime ISA and my stocks and shares ISA. That 20,000 allowance, I’m never gonna meet, I’m never gonna uh exceed that over the year. But it just means like that’s more of a focus for you know the the the initial months, especially. So are you planning on using your lifetime ISA towards uh saving for a house or is it a retirement pl for you? Yes, yeah. Um yeah, so I contribute towards a lifetime ISA. So for those that don’t know, you can put um towards your first home or you can put it towards uh when you retire. And you can put a maximum of 4,000 a year. And if you put in that max of 4,000 a year, you would get £1,000 from the government. So that’s that bonus. Uh, but they will always put in 25%. So if you don’t reach that, you’re still getting 25% of the amount that you put in from the government bonus. And what um I’m putting towards is my first home. So essentially um every year I’m putting £4,000, I’m getting £1,000 for free. Yay, we love free money. Um, and then when I buy my house, that gives me a bigger deposit. And you also get interest as well on that.

[30:14] Sammie Ellard-King: That’s great, I think. Yes, yeah, but they are um apparently they’re making changes to the lifetime ISA, and we’ll hear more in the autumn budget. So we’ll see what that holds. Yes. Um, for those that tuned in, uh, this will be a couple of weeks, I think, after we had Brian Byrnes from Moneybox on, um, who had a bit of insider info about it. Um, but for those who haven’t caught that that episode yet, essentially what they’re saying is it’s a full restructure of ISAs. But one of the big things that will happen potentially to Lifetime ISAs, this may be out before, it probably will, um, is that the penalty won’t be there. So if people do need the money, they’ll they may lose the bonus, but they won’t have a penalty there to take the money out because it’s quite unfair, especially for some people that really needed the money, and then they’ve got to take a little bit of a penalty or a whack if you if they take it out before. But currently, right now, you lose your bonus and get a small penalty if you take your money out of your lifetime ISA, which is you know, it’s difficult for people.

[31:20] Matilda Littler: That’s interesting. I’m with money box, so it’s interesting to hear. I’ve also heard they may be increasing the limit, but it’s all a rumour now. Um, because I know there’s been talks of you know that 450. And I feel what the government sometimes does and loves to do is they put something in place and then they just don’t touch it for years. So that 450, um, it’s you know, it’s still obviously very relevant. But I know I’ve got friends that are looking to buy in London, and it’s just even one beds, they’re kind of even if you’re you know, you you buy somewhere for 460, you would lose that and you would lose that penalty. So it’s yeah, it it’s very rigorous and and can work in some areas, and I think some areas not, and people are getting pushed out.

[32:07] Sammie Ellard-King: Completely agree. I think it’s a really, really important topic at the moment around lifetime ISAs because if the Help to Buy ISAs are disappearing, it’s really the only support we’ve got for first-time buyers on the market right now. House prices have been, as we know, compared with with wages, the difference is absolutely staggering when you look back sort of over the last 20 years. You know, there’s a few graphs come out about it recently in the press, and it it’s nuts. And like, what are we supposed to do? If but if you know, if a one-bedroom flat in London on average costs over 450,000, um, you know, but we live in we we live and work in the city, we’re not gonna move outside just for the sake of of uh of getting a place. So I do think that needs to be reviewed. Yeah, are you looking to buy in in the city then?

[32:53] Matilda Littler: Is that is that that something on the cards for you or uh um no, we’ll so I’ve recently moved in with my partner. Uh I think I only I only moved in about a month or two ago, so we’ll live with each other and see see how that goes. Um, and then we will look to buy. Um but yeah, I think we’ll probably look to buy in you know a year, um, see how that that initial year goes. But we have we’ve had a really open conversation about it. Um, and we both work in London, uh, and he works in London actually five days a week. And the commute isn’t too bad from where we’re living at the moment, but we’re also looking at other areas where it’s a bit more of an easier commute. Um, but we do I really like London, but I and my partner personally, we we want to be more on the outskirts and a bit more near the country, but equally have the the easy access into London. So yeah, we’ll we’ll see and and have a look around. But we have been looking closely with the house prices, and I was actually looking to buy. This was before I met my partner, and it was I think it was just after COVID actually, where I was looking to buy by myself. And when you look to buy as a single person, you will you don’t realise how hard it is for a single person. Like it was just you, you know, obviously when you don’t have another person’s income, it’s incredibly harder. And I do think there needs to be more on that as well of how can we support different people in different situations, and especially like you know, someone that wants to buy on their own and they want to get on the property ladder, you shouldn’t have to be reliant on someone else as well.

[34:32] Sammie Ellard-King: I completely agree. You know, it it again comes back to this old age, like uh prices are very, very high, and when you’re only allowed five times your income on the mortgage, and that’s the max, you know, really that most providers will give you. Really, you want to be aiming at like four really to give yourself and and the average wage is 33,000 in the UK, then that’s a hundred and you know, thirty thousand give or take. You’re not getting a place in London for that. And even if you’re at fifty grand, you know, that’s two hundred and fifty grand. Um again, you’re very hard pressed to find somewhere in London for that. So you do have to team up or you have to wait until you know the you know Mr. Wright or Mrs. Wright comes walking through the door, and that doesn’t happen to everybody. So it’s just um yeah, it’s it’s it’s it’s a tough time for people at the moment, especially when they’re looking to purchase their house. But I I wanted to ask you, you know, you moved in with your partner, and how have you set up together? Have you have you got joint accounts on the go? Is there talks of uh you know bringing everything under one roof? Or it’s always interesting to hear these things because uh you know every couple does it differently.

[35:42] Matilda Littler: Yeah, it’s it’s yeah, it’s very interesting. So when I think the key thing is me and my partner, we have been quite open about finances, um, and we have shared goals, you know, we’ve spoken about moving in together and then buying somewhere. And I think that’s the that’s probably like the biggest step is just even being open and talking about it. And when um he asks it, I’ve moved into his flat. So when he asked me to move in, um we just sat down, we worked, you know, what would this cost in terms of finances? Obviously, it’s actually a really big benefit for us because we were both renting separately. Um, and then what we’ve done is we’ve got a joint account where we put a certain amount in each where we both then um then pay out, sorry, the uh the bills, so it all comes out of that set account. And there it was interesting because my my partner actually earns more than me, but also commutes into London, which is a big cost in itself as well. Um, and it was also having that conversation of I was very much happy to split it 50-50, but when we go out, he will pay for a few more things. So if we like went out for dinner, he would probably, you know, get get that one. But um, I think it’s just finding that balance and what works for people and knowing that you’re both comfortable with that arrangement, because I think you need to be comfortable with that arrangement and and both be very honest with each other because once that’s set, it’s very hard to then have that conversation a few months later if you weren’t actually happy with it. Um, but equally, it’s also just making sure you’re even aligned on your future goals and what you want to do and where you want the relationship to go as well, because it’s a big thing moving in with each other and also um you know speaking about our deposits and things like that, um, and what what that looks like. So we’ve both got um lifetime ISAs, but with different um different providers.

[37:49] Sammie Ellard-King: So interesting. So, so interesting. You know, I I really think you’re doing it the right way. Communication is really key. You know, me and my partner, we try and communicate about everything as we’ve grown as a couple, you know, we’re nearing five and a half years now. I think for us it’s like we’ve probably do way more together now than we we did at the start. You know, there’s always that kind of like early like, oh okay, we’ll just pay the bills out of our monzo. But now we’ve got like four or five different sinking funds or a saving for all these different random things. And um, yeah, Christmas, as you said, was one. We’ve got a holiday pot, a new house fund for when we decide to move and actually might buy a new sofa if it ever turns up, and you know, those those types of things. So uh, but communication is massive, you know. Like, oh okay, I’m struggling at this month uh because you know, I I run a business, so my income varies massively. It goes up and down like a yo-yo. So I’m struggling X, Y, and Z this month, you know, we’re gonna need to pull from X, Y, and Z and that kind of conversation. So it’s not just like bill land or you know, why is there no money in the account today? Or what you know, what the you know, the anything that comes up, you know, it’s all hypothetical, really. I’m just sort of riffing here, but you know, by us having that conversation, takes all of that stress away.

[39:04] Matilda Littler: Yeah, 100%. So interesting. Yeah, so I’ve absolutely loved this. It’s been a lot of fun. Um it’s been great, great having you on. Um I highly recommend people come and check you out, but um yeah, listen watch a few of those deals on reels, they’re a lot of fun. I always bring a smile to my face. But yeah, where can people find you, Matilda? Uh yeah, so they can find me at A Millennial Saver on Instagram. Uh and I post all things finance, dupes, deals on reels, uh, and side hustles as well. Currently doing an opt-in October side hustle challenge. But if you do follow it later on, I’ve always got a highlight in there as well. So I would also recommend following that too.

[39:50] Sammie Ellard-King: Oh, cool. That’s fun. I’m gonna go check that out. I missed that one. But um yeah, Ricky, thanks very much, Matilda. It’s been an absolute pleasure. No worries. Thank you, Sammie.