Housing stress and your deposit horizon
Two questions loom over most budgets: is my housing eating too much of my income, and when will I actually have the deposit? Cowry answers both from your real numbers — with the 30% line marked and no verdict attached.
Two housing questions sit quietly under a lot of budgets: "is my rent or mortgage eating too much of what I earn?" and "at this rate, when will I actually have the deposit?" Cowry answers both — from your real income and real saving pace, not a rule of thumb pulled from the air. As always, it's a mirror, not a verdict.
Housing stress: the share, with the line marked
Cowry adds up your committed housing cost — rent or mortgage and the fixed charges that ride with it — and shows it as a share of your monthly income.
It marks the widely used 30% line: housing above roughly 30% of income is the point many define as "housing stress." Cowry draws the line and shows where you sit relative to it. It does not hand down a verdict — no "you're in trouble" banner. Whether 32% is fine or fraught depends on the rest of your life, and that call is yours. Cowry's job is to make the number visible so you're deciding with eyes open.
Deposit horizon: when, at this pace
The other question is about the future, and Cowry answers it the honest way — from actual progress, not a hopeful slider.
If you're saving toward a home deposit, Cowry projects how far away it is at your current pace: "at your current saving rate, your deposit is about X away." It reuses the same forecast engine behind your savings goals, so the estimate reflects money you're really setting aside — recurring contributions, salary-linked amounts, manual top-ups — not a simulated raise.
| Question | What Cowry reads | What it won't do |
|---|---|---|
| Am I stretched on housing? | Committed housing ÷ monthly income, vs the 30% line | Declare a verdict |
| When's the deposit ready? | Your real saving pace, via the goal forecast | Assume a pace you haven't shown |
Why the two belong together
They're the same story from both ends. Housing stress shows how much of today's income your home already claims; the deposit horizon shows how that pressure shapes tomorrow's biggest goal. If housing is heavy, the deposit takes longer — and seeing both side by side makes the trade-offs concrete: the honest moves are to lift the saving rate, adjust the target, or extend the timeline, exactly as Plan already exposes them.
Try it
- Make sure Cowry can see your income and housing costs (connect a bank or add them on Plan).
- Open Housing stress — read your housing share and where it sits against the 30% line.
- Open Deposit horizon — see how far your deposit is at your current pace.
- Adjust a saving rate or target on Plan and watch the horizon move.
A quick note
This article is educational. Cowry is not a licensed financial adviser, and nothing here is financial, tax, investment, or legal advice. The 30% line is a common reference point, not a rule about your situation; the deposit horizon reflects your own saving pace, not a promise about house prices or timing.
Cowry — The clearest mirror of your money. Know what's spoken for. Know what's safe to spend.