Buying a house takes some serious, up-front cash. Why? Because you have to show them you're serious and can actually afford something as expensive as a house. But don't sweat it. Look how many houses there are. And consider how many someones like you saved up to buy them! You can do it. We'll tell you how.

A normal down payment is 20% of the purchase price of the house. That can be a lot. It's $20,000 on a $100,000 house. And you want to tuck that away while you're renting, right? Indeed. It's not as difficult as you may think.

For starters, try to keep your rent to below one-third of your monthly income (sorry to tell you, but it's time for a budget. You'll have to stop rock, scissor, papering to see who picks up the bar tab). If you budget for another third of your salary to cover monthly entertainment, bills and groceries, then tuck the last third of your salary into a savings account. Don't give it the old college try; give it the I'm-out-of-college-and-financially-responsible try. Over time, this will add up to a nice chunk of change.

For example, if you make $30,000 a year, don't lease an apartment with rent over $800 (might be time to get hunker down and get a roommate or two). Try to put around $800 a month in a savings account (preferably yours). By the end of the year, you'll have $9,600 saved. In two years you'll have close to $20,000! That's a good amount for a down payment on your very own new house. Then you'll have to start saving for furniture. The fun continues!