Lara Joanna Jarvis

[RobinsNest]

I am currently watching her declutter bedroom video which feels like seen before.
Why does she hoard so many products as imagine she gets sent a fair few for free and beauty pie gifting influencers or high commission rates for affiliate linking.
Even when she does these declutter videos it never looks minimal or totally tidy.

Not sure the crystals and trying to manifest things will help.
Cant believe shes prepared give up on house buying .
Will be a while until foreign travel opens up.
One thing pandemics taught me is I like the security of home ownership.
We didn't hve keep moving,pay ridiculous rent, could do what we wanted decor wise and have been able get a dog.
We were lucky enough take a mortgage break and we have a asset to pass down to kids when we go.
We can also remortgage to release money to do improvements or travel later.
in some ways I was hoping she would fulfil her house buying as its harder when get older.
Seems younger you tubers like the carters don't struggle they own 2 houses.
I just think if they keep doing what they always done then they always get same results.
Why can't they move to cheaper area perhaps?
Their goals for 1st house were pretty high.
Just downsize massive declutter and get on ladder.
She doesn't need a office.
she has 2 boys that share so they could buy a 2 bed with scope extend into loft after a few years.
We need a 5 bed but we brought a 3 bed and divided 1 bedrooms onto 1 and toddlers in with us.
we cant get massive Gardenstown,ensuite , utility and open plan lovely kitchen straight away detached with garage.
we so so sightly dodgy area.
still close to school they attended and mid terrace doer upper older houses we found offer so much more potential than new builds she viewed as often have bigger less overlooked gardens and bigger bedrooms.
we cant Park car very close to house.
we only run 1 car as close to high streets and good bus route.

I just think both of them maybe need consider a job change to achieve their goals clearly her you tube is more side hustle so maybe she needs a job too and her husband needs job hunt too.
I'm amazed how little they spend on food so shes better than me there.
We not the tidiest minimalist family but we trying and getting somewhere slowly.
Maybe its harder if gifted lots if things and content relies on hauls and buying stuff.
Maybe that's why shes in a declutter cycle.
I wish her well I truly do but think she has be honest and tough with herself.
I follow few debt free accounts and people pay off more in year than she saved.
She needs a bigger deposit than 25k.
She needs secure reliable income.

I wish her well I truly do. I think she seems like a nice person. She means well.
Shes more normal and relatable than other you tubers thats for sure.
I just don't personally see her as my financial guru or minimalist that's all.

I work part time as home with a toddler, my husband has a decent but averagely paid job. We bought a house a couple of year ago- I had terrible credit and a baby, but we still managed. We saved 10% deposit from NEVER going on holiday, had a tiny cheap wedding and basically were frugal hermits but we just needed to get that deposit because rent was rinsing us. We got help to buy, and had to buy in a pretty dodgy area, but it was a great decision because our mortgage is almost half our rent for a house that's twice the size and it's gone up nearly 20% in value in that time.

She was in the papers saying she saved £25k a year, and all she really did was shop in Lidl. That must mean her husband is on a decent wage to have that much spare after rent and bills. If she really did save 25k, that's a hefty deposit- that's 10% on a £250,000 house. Depending on where they live, £250,000 should be able to buy A house. Maybe not the biggest, maybe not the nicest area, but something.
I can understand if she doesn't want to buy until she's got a nice suburban 3 bed, but that must be doable, especially if they got help to buy.

I don't think house prices are the barrier, it's her not working makes it hard for them to get a mortgage. There's no way her youtube channel is bringing in enough to cover a full or even part time wage. And if you're self-employed, you need three years of accounts.

She's really missing a trick here. She could still do a house buying series, if she did it properly.
a) She looks at proper ways to make/save more money. Let's see her pick up some side hustles to add to the deposit, or some serious no-buys and see her do free fun things with the kids.
b) She buys even a teeny tiny, not so good house, and we can see how she does it up, makes it homely, somewhere she's happy, with the intention of selling it on and upgrading in a couple of years.

It really bothers me when youtubers kind of do everything half-hearted. She either doesn't really know what she wants her channel to be and it just seeing what sticks, or she really just doesn't know how to do it. There's so much potential in her ideas, it's kind of disappointing to just see the same declutters every week that go nowhere.

 

[Idntknow]

Her channel is a bit of a weird one coz shes trying to jump on the minimalist band wagon which has really taken off in recent years, but considering how many declutter videos shes already done and her no spending she shouldnt have that much stuff. Also her declutters aren't really decluttering its just pulling everything out and then putting it back neatly while taking a few things out. I found her channel through the minimalist hashtag and was shocked when I saw how much stuff she actually had,
Its not really her thing.Her food hauls are pretty much the closest thing to advice she gives but seeing what someone buys from the supermarket each week is a bit boring
Shed be better off getting a house because the mortgage is normally cheaper than renting and at least at the end you have something that you own and can pass to your children but she wants a Louise Pentland/Kate Murane house but their channels are so much more successful and popular and both of them are now authors so have a side hustle

 

[Liptastic]

She was in the papers saying she saved £25k a year, and all she really did was shop in Lidl. That must mean her husband is on a decent wage to have that much spare after rent and bills. If she really did save 25k, that's a hefty deposit- that's 10% on a £250,000 house. Depending on where they live, £250,000 should be able to buy A house. Maybe not the biggest, maybe not the nicest area, but something.
I can understand if she doesn't want to buy until she's got a nice suburban 3 bed, but that must be doable, especially if they got help to buy.

When they were going to see the houses a few months ago their budget was around 400-450k from what I could gather. They are aiming for much more than 250k house.

I think Stu brings in 45-50k and based on this her income must be 30-35k a year to get a mortgage on 400k house with 10% deposit. She said if they got a mortgage now before 2020 income is taxed, she would get higher mortgage than after new tax year started. As her income in 2020 has gone down compared to 2019.

 

[Dreamy222]

When they were going to see the houses a few months ago their budget was around 400-450k from what I could gather. They are aiming for much more than 250k house.

I think Stu brings in 45-50k and based on this her income must be 30-35k a year to get a mortgage on 400k house with 10% deposit. She said if they got a mortgage now before 2020 income is taxed, she would get higher mortgage than after new tax year started. As her income in 2020 has gone down compared to 2019.

how would She earn that much!??? She doesn’t work does she?? Does making a few videos really earn you that much!?? More then what a staff nurse earns!!!!!

 

[RobinsNest]

Yeah, I can totally see she isn't going for £250k houses, but it feels really rubbish for people watching her videos for advice for getting on the property ladder that she's getting so upset about not being able to do it, when she's refusing to settle for something that is in the starter home range like everyone else.

 

[Liptastic]

how would She earn that much!??? She doesn’t work does she?? Does making a few videos really earn you that much!?? More then what a staff nurse earns!!!!!

Based on what successful influencers earn, I'd say 35k is realistic for Lara.

 

[Dreamy222]

Based on what successful influencers earn, I'd say 35k is realistic for Lara.

wow that’s crazy!!!

 

[Idntknow]

wow that’s crazy!!!

According to the brummymummyof2 thread on here....5k an insta post....and she does like 7 in less than a month so yea just sell your soul and your privacy and you too can be rich

Edited to add.....it makes you wonder why she hasnt manged to save enough to buy a house out right by now free stuff gifted to you so you have less outgoings and a 5k for a posted picture

 

[Liptastic]

According to the brummymummyof2 thread on here....5k an insta post....and she does like 7 in less than a month so yea just sell your soul and your privacy and you too can be rich

Edited to add.....it makes you wonder why she hasnt manged to save enough to buy a house out right by now free stuff gifted to you so you have less outgoings and a 5k for a posted picture

Lara has 6 times less followers, so she'd be earning less, much less. And gosh that brummymummy is not a very inspirational person to follow I would never care what she does.

 

[Bumble2019]

I still cant get over her money advice! She doesn't have a penny to her name and still rents and is knocking on 40....What on earth is she advising anyone about. If she had ever "Invested" wisely she would have something to show for it. But she doesn't she has sweet FA!

I still cant get over her money advice! She doesn't have a penny to her name and still rents and is knocking on 40....What on earth is she advising anyone about. If she had ever "Invested" wisely she would have something to show for it. But she doesn't she has sweet FA!

If she can't afford a house or is saving for one i assume she also doesn't have any kind of pension either. Not really in a position to offer advice is she?!

 

[fireflies]

I still cant get over her money advice! She doesn't have a penny to her name and still rents and is knocking on 40....What on earth is she advising anyone about. If she had ever "Invested" wisely she would have something to show for it. But she doesn't she has sweet FA!



If she can't afford a house or is saving for one i assume she also doesn't have any kind of pension either. Not really in a position to offer advice is she?!

I think she's trying to find her niche and failed.
I would have enjoyed her low spend year if she didn't go on holiday America and freebie trip Canada.
She brought new stuff for holidays.
She claimed meals and coffee at influence meets in London were work related expenses so don't count.
In doubtful she repeated all gifted items.
Think she got given a gifted gym pass that year too.

Another thing she admitted don't ask me which video that 25k saves was not all done during no spend year some of it was saved over previous years.
25k on 400k House is clearly not a great deposit its not even 10%.
She seems think next tax year updated will change what they earn.
I am not sure 2020 was a lucrative for influencer as previous years.

I don't know how much savings she currently has .
Has she updated? Is it higher than 25k now?
Is it in help to buy isa or has she put some into shares.
Is the upcoming holiday cashflowed from income or dipped into savings as her update video dident make that clear.
I don't think anyone be going abroad this may.
I assume she has no debts.
I was always skeptical how sbe spent so little on food and if the kids were also a plant based diet.
I know last year she did low spend but did she ever update how much she saved in 2020?
Did they get 500 deposit back off new build as she seemed really concerted about that 500.
I just don't know if housing market where she wants to live will drop that much as massive supply demand houses that inflates house prices really .
There s staggering amount people on social housing lists ir paying extortionate rents in private rental.
I wish her luck and hope she doesn't abandon attempt to buy buy think she has to make some tough choices around where how big and even career longterm in order to achieve this goal.
Does she follow what she's saying ie sinking funds/ emergence fund she got from other finance influencers.
Ahe never really mentions dave ramsey but its mostly his idea or budget mom.
Theres quite a few finance you tubers and insta gram account now that are helpful and inspirational.
Theres one on insta my frugal year who got a book deal and a column in magazine.

I know one of tabloids did advertise her low food spend.

 

[Liptastic]

I think she's trying to find her niche and failed.
I would have enjoyed her low spend year if she didn't go on holiday America and freebie trip Canada.
She brought new stuff for holidays.
She claimed meals and coffee at influence meets in London were work related expenses so don't count.
In doubtful she repeated all gifted items.
Think she got given a gifted gym pass that year too.

Another thing she admitted don't ask me which video that 25k saves was not all done during no spend year some of it was saved over previous years.
25k on 400k House is clearly not a great deposit its not even 10%.
She seems think next tax year updated will change what they earn.
I am not sure 2020 was a lucrative for influencer as previous years.

I don't know how much savings she currently has .
Has she updated? Is it higher than 25k now?
Is it in help to buy isa or has she put some into shares.
Is the upcoming holiday cashflowed from income or dipped into savings as her update video dident make that clear.
I don't think anyone be going abroad this may.
I assume she has no debts.
I was always skeptical how sbe spent so little on food and if the kids were also a plant based diet.
I know last year she did low spend but did she ever update how much she saved in 2020?
Did they get 500 deposit back off new build as she seemed really concerted about that 500.
I just don't know if housing market where she wants to live will drop that much as massive supply demand houses that inflates house prices really .
There s staggering amount people on social housing lists ir paying extortionate rents in private rental.
I wish her luck and hope she doesn't abandon attempt to buy buy think she has to make some tough choices around where how big and even career longterm in order to achieve this goal.
Does she follow what she's saying ie sinking funds/ emergence fund she got from other finance influencers.
Ahe never really mentions dave ramsey but its mostly his idea or budget mom.
Theres quite a few finance you tubers and insta gram account now that are helpful and inspirational.
Theres one on insta my frugal year who got a book deal and a column in magazine.

I know one of tabloids did advertise her low food spend.

The help to buy ISA doesn't exist anymore, she moved her money into lifetime ISA (or other type of ISA), I only remember because that was the first video of hers that I watched. In one of her recent videos she said her house deposit money is sitting safe in savings account and some type of ISA, not shares as that's too volatile to get it out soonish when they'd need to for the house purchase.

Totally agree about the food shop, I didn't even bother watching it as that's unrealistic for the 2 of us, nevermind a family of 4 without compromising quality of nutrition!

I follow my frugal year on IG and yes, it's a great account also really recommend go_fund_yourself_

 

[fireflies]

The help to buy ISA doesn't exist anymore, she moved her money into lifetime ISA (or other type of ISA), I only remember because that was the first video of hers that I watched. In one of her recent videos she said her house deposit money is sitting safe in savings account and some type of ISA, not shares as that's too volatile to get it out soonish when they'd need to for the house purchase.

Totally agree about the food shop, I didn't even bother watching it as that's unrealistic for the 2 of us, nevermind a family of 4 without compromising quality of nutrition!

I follow my frugal year on IG and yes, it's a great account also really recommend go_fund_yourself_

Yes I thought it was discontinue.
I saw she did investment video which I did not watch.
But I assumed maybe she had started investing in the stock market possibly via a stocks and shares isa.
So has she updated her savings total at all and added to it?
As she acknowledged 25k was not alll saved in 1 year.
Also when she was going to buy that new house it was with help to buy which seems like really risky daft thing as she would of had to pay it back within 5 years so dident seem very wise.

I was really skeptical on food we family 6 as 4kids.
My husband enjoys his meat and hates most veggie dishes.
I shop between aldis and lidls so I know how much every thing costs.
Plus she claimed meals kit boxes were cheap just dident seem sustainable for 4 including breakfasts and lunches plus snacks and drinks.

She never said what rent they pay.
I guess rent and council tax south east more expensive.

Shes appears watched other you tubers videos and tried to latch onto same ideas .

Shes neither financially sensible or a minimalist.
I like her but these are not her niche.
Also labelling things Americanism like thrift stores I mean its flipping charity shops.

 

[Lht30]

I used to follow Lara a long time ago, towards the beginning of her no buy series. I'm sure she said then in a savings update they had managed to save almost 60K. I think this was the year of the gifted USA & Disney trip though. And then they went on to buy a new car. If that came out of the house deposit fund, I don't know.

I real feel if she was serious about buying a house she would have done that now. The various Help To Buy Schemes could have helped them loads to get on the property ladder. We
could only buy our first home with the 5% deposit HTB scheme. Yes we lost some of our equity when we sold & moved house & paid our HTB loan off but without it my husband & I would be mid 30's, with 2 children in a rented flat. It wasn't ideal but what this pandemic has really bought home (no pun intended) is the importance of home. Having a
safe place that our daughter's will always have (whether it's this home or another) to come back to, even if we aren't around.

Instead Lara & her husband are pushing 40 with no kind of asset. I know house buying isn't the be all & end all & there is so much snobbery with renting vs buying (Brogan Tate I am looking at you!) but we know Lara so badly wants it.

The thing is they aren't looking at 250K starter homes now, her boys are going to be needing their own space so I can see why she is looking at houses on the next rung of the ladder but I don't think that they can afford to do that, their lender wouldn't lend them 400K for that new build. So I think she needs to reconsider where she starts, even if they stayed for a couple of years in a smaller house and make some equity to
enable them to move into something bigger and more permanent in the future.

 

[Bumble2019]

I used to follow Lara a long time ago, towards the beginning of her no buy series. I'm sure she said then in a savings update they had managed to save almost 60K. I think this was the year of the gifted USA & Disney trip though. And then they went on to buy a new car. If that came out of the house deposit fund, I don't know.

I real feel if she was serious about buying a house she would have done that now. The various Help To Buy Schemes could have helped them loads to get on the property ladder. We
could only buy our first home with the 5% deposit HTB scheme. Yes we lost some of our equity when we sold & moved house & paid our HTB loan off but without it my husband & I would be mid 30's, with 2 children in a rented flat. It wasn't ideal but what this pandemic has really bought home (no pun intended) is the importance of home. Having a
safe place that our daughter's will always have (whether it's this home or another) to come back to, even if we aren't around.

Instead Lara & her husband are pushing 40 with no kind of asset. I know house buying isn't the be all & end all & there is so much snobbery with renting vs buying (Brogan Tate I am looking at you!) but we know Lara so badly wants it.

The thing is they aren't looking at 250K starter homes now, her boys are going to be needing their own space so I can see why she is looking at houses on the next rung of the ladder but I don't think that they can afford to do that, their lender wouldn't lend them 400K for that new build. So I think she needs to reconsider where she starts, even if they stayed for a couple of years in a smaller house and make some equity to
enable them to move into something bigger and more permanent in the future.

Her priorities are all wrong. She lives in rented accommodation at age nearly 40 with 2 growing boys yet she clearly spends a lot on personal grooming and girls days out shopping etc. Like i said before, if she doesn't own her own home she is very unlikely to have a pension either. What's her long term plan or goal.

 

[Liptastic]

I don't think she spends much on personal grooming, all the little details I have observed about her is that of someone trying to act more wealthy and stylish than they really are. She looks very basic.

 

[RobinsNest]

I agree with all of this. I'm so glad I found people who feel the exact same!

Definitely agree that she wants to look wealthy but is very basic. All the stylish people or well off people I know have quite a small wardrobe of high-end simple clothes. It looks good because it's decent quality and fits well. They might have more "fashion" or fancy pieces but they're usually for going out, or maybe a super expensive bag or jewellery. But given how many declutters she does, she has tons and tons of clothes, and it's not just bags of primark- she's clearly spent a lot of money trying to look fashionable to have that high-end aesthetic.
And it's the same with her house. I know it's rented, but I know a lot of people in their 30s with identical houses. They've all thought "stylish" or "luxury" means white and silver and meaningless phrases in picture frames.

She seems reluctant to get a "starter house" which at 40, I guess is understandable, but also, you can't just skip a few rungs because you feel like you deserve it. If she DID have 60k saved, even assuming she did buy a car with some of that, say she had 40k, that's still 10% on a 400k house, and she could get help to buy on something like £437,000 in the south east. And she could absolutely get a NICE 3 bed for that. Help to buy is only available for first-time buyers though, and she doesn't seem to talk about it- perhaps she or her husband owned before so they're not eligible?

 

[Liptastic]

I agree with all of this. I'm so glad I found people who feel the exact same!

Definitely agree that she wants to look wealthy but is very basic. All the stylish people or well off people I know have quite a small wardrobe of high-end simple clothes. It looks good because it's decent quality and fits well. They might have more "fashion" or fancy pieces but they're usually for going out, or maybe a super expensive bag or jewellery. But given how many declutters she does, she has tons and tons of clothes, and it's not just bags of primark- she's clearly spent a lot of money trying to look fashionable to have that high-end aesthetic.
And it's the same with her house. I know it's rented, but I know a lot of people in their 30s with identical houses. They've all thought "stylish" or "luxury" means white and silver and meaningless phrases in picture frames.

She seems reluctant to get a "starter house" which at 40, I guess is understandable, but also, you can't just skip a few rungs because you feel like you deserve it. If she DID have 60k saved, even assuming she did buy a car with some of that, say she had 40k, that's still 10% on a 400k house, and she could get help to buy on something like £437,000 in the south east. And she could absolutely get a NICE 3 bed for that. Help to buy is only available for first-time buyers though, and she doesn't seem to talk about it- perhaps she or her husband owned before so they're not eligible?

Oh god that wall in her background with the tacky pink desenio prints... she's trying to imitate that stylish look, but is totally failing

 

[bluemoon20]

Don't know where she's got her Land Registry fee from, it goes up on a sliding scale. Most first time buyers will be paying £80-£190 for the LR fee not over £1000.

If she's going to do advice videos, she could at least get her facts right.

 

[andreaoid]

She also forgot to mention mortgage fees as well. There are plenty of things she is unaware of because as we all know she's never actually bought yet. Bizarrely, she mentioned food on the list. Well, we all need to eat but it has nothing to do with buying a house. What she will realize the biggest problem of renters is that they need to pay rent and mortgage at the same time for at least a month because of overlap between completion and the last month of tenancy.