Young Aussie gives her generation a brutal wake-up call over the single mistake many are making – and she thinks it’s why they can’t afford a house

A young Australian woman says people trying to save money for a down payment on a house should stop spending money on eating out, beauty treatments and vapes.

Zali Gillings24, said people should stop complaining about not being able to buy a house or start a business unless they adopt stricter savings habits.

“You know what’s been f*****ing me lately? The amount of people complaining about the cost of living and [say] “I’ll never be able to save money for a house or I’ll never have money to start a business, but then they still get their nails done every week, their hair done, their eyelashes done, and stuff like that,” she said in a video posted to social media.

“Eating out, vaping, smoking… They want to complain about the cost of living. Honey. I honestly don’t think you realize how much money you could be saving.”

The South Australian woman shared one of the money-saving tips she used to save enough money for a down payment on a house.

“When I was saving for a house, I always asked myself, would I rather get what it was worth?” she says.

‘For example, if I want to get my eyelashes done, I think, do I want someone to give me a set of eyelashes as a gift or do I want someone to give me $120?

“And I would always choose the money. Which tells me, honey, you don’t need those lashes, that’s more money for a house deposit.”

Zali Gillings, 24, said people should stop complaining about not being able to buy a house or start a business if they can’t adopt stricter savings habits

Ms Gillings said there were already Australians living on the “bare minimum” and not having their hair, eyelashes or nails done.

“But the majority of people who say they can’t save money could if they got their priorities straight,” she said.

Ms Gillings told Daily Mail Australia her method is not suitable for everyone.

“I’m sure that house prices and the barrier to entry are higher than ever, but I just wanted to share a simple tip that can help me save money,” she said.

‘The video doesn’t apply to everyone’s situation and I’m certainly not saying that not wearing nails for a year is enough to put a down payment on a house.

‘It was more about how all those little things come together to form a whole.’

Australians were divided over the way Mrs Gillings saved money.

“So we’re not allowed to live? Better to live life and enjoy it than to have no memories,” one woman remarked.

“I just want to say that nails, hair, eyelashes, etc. can be someone’s self-care and very important for someone’s mental health,” added a second.

A third said: ‘Literally stopped everything to save for a house. Have a mortgage and still can’t afford to go back to my old lifestyle. It’s all about priorities.’

‘Because what’s the point of trying to save it when it feels like it’s too far out of reach. I’d pick the nails out of the wall,’ said a fourth.

A fifth agreed: ‘If buying a house is impossible (and it is for many people), why not just buy nails and an e-cigarette and enjoy all the things you can do?’

However, many agreed, saying they had given up beauty treatments and other luxuries to save money.

‘I’ve given up on lashes and nails. I can afford them, but I’d rather save for a down payment. I love saying “I’d rather”… A really helpful tip!’ said one.

A second wrote: ‘A friend was complaining that she didn’t have money to pay the rent and wasn’t sure where she was going to live… and then a little later she told me she’d had a facial in the afternoon because she’d had a rough week.’

‘I still go out for special occasions but I don’t go out all the time or eat out often. But I see people complaining about not having money but I see them spending it on one-off useless things,’ said a third.

Saving for a down payment on a home now takes the average buyer more than 15 years, even if they put aside $400 each month.

“Oh literally. I’m 21 and just bought a four-bedroom house with no help from family. If you can’t do without a few luxuries for a year or two to build yourself up, that’s a problem,” a fourth commented.

Australians looking to buy a home are trying to save an average of $67,474 for a deposit, according to research by financial comparison group Mozo.

If someone can save $359 a month, it will take 15 years and eight months to reach that $67,000 amount.

For people saving less than $200 a month, it would take at least 21 years and eight months to put aside money for a mortgage.

Even that savings goal is modest, since a 10 percent down payment would only be enough to buy a $674,737 home or condo. That means the buyer will have to pay the lender for mortgage insurance.