How I purchased a house with my Target job and extra income – read my story

A Nebraska Target worker has revealed how she managed to buy a house at 23 despite earning below average income for her state.

Kaitlin Sonday, 25, makes $30,000 a year from her retail job, typically working between 35 and 40 hours a week.

With a savvy approach, she is able to boost her earnings by as much as an extra $35,000 annually through her social media presence, where she creates TikTok content revolving around her job at Target and by following a careful budgeting strategy.

‘I know how to manage,’ Sonday she told NBC. ‘I know how to allocate money well, so then I can still enjoy things in life.’ 

Sonday has turned her “side hustle” into a significant source of income, amassing a substantial following and earning additional money from advertisements, which she put towards purchasing her $205,000 home in Lincoln.

Her TikToks and YouTube videos typically feature things like tips on Target products and marketing and advertising strategies.

Her hard work has seen brands take note, with the likes of Skims and Rare Beauty sending her products to promote.

Although she initially calculated making $35,000 in her first year on social media, the reality usually pans out to around $10,000. Nevertheless, this extra income has allowed her to increase her savings to $20,000 and manage her expenses more comfortably.

Even with her side hustle, Sonday still makes below $70,000 a year, the median income for Lancaster County. 

Her hourly Target rate of $16.50 is also well below the $19.71 MIT researchers estimate is necessary to survive as a single, childless adult living where she does.

Sonday was given an extra helping hand to buy her property by Neighborworks, a housing non-profit.

The organization topped up Sonday’s savings with a $10,000 down payment loan and an additional $15,000 interest-free repairs grant, which she will only have to pay back if she sells the property within ten years.

She took out a 30-year fixed mortgage with a 6.38 percent interest rate. Sonday gets help with her $1,400 monthly repayments from her roommate, who contributes $580 a month to live in the two-bedroom home.

Sonday benefits from a slightly lower cost of living than elsewhere in the country. Gas is around 23 cents below the national average at around $2.83 in her area. 

She also drives the same car she was gifted by her mom at 16 which she says has allowed her to accumulate more savings.

 ‘That has helped me achieve what I have — by holding off and focusing on other financial goals in my life versus wanting a newer car,’ she said.

Sonday holds a degree in animal science with a minor in business studies from the University of Nebraska. 

She got a discounted rate on classes as her mom worked at the college, meaning she did not need to take out student loans.

While a job in her field of study could prove more lucrative, it would require additional qualifications or a greater focus on the scientific element which Sonday says she struggles with.

Instead, she says her retail job has allowed her to become a homeowner, learn valuable skills, make friends and even travel around Italy for six weeks thanks to flexible working hours.

‘Just because you work in retail doesn’t mean that’s the end goal,’ Sonday said.

‘And if retail works for you, that’s OK, too. You don’t always have to be chasing some type of goal that society has given everyone.’