It wasn’t that I denied myself any pleasures, but I was savvy about them: I would go to the cinema or restaurants only if there was an offer on, such as a two-for-one dinner or a film screening at an unpopular (and therefore cheaper) time of day. That way I could slash about 50 per cent off what I might otherwise have spent on these activities.

If it sounds like hard work, it didn’t feel that way. I always went out and socialised, I just did it inexpensively. Not drinking can save you hundreds a month (if it doesn’t appeal, at least try abstaining one night a week), and I didn’t need to spend lots of money to have fun with my friends. We’d get together in people’s homes or go for picnics in summer.

I never succumbed to pressure to spend money on what everyone else was buying. My mum would trim my hair and I had no beauty treatments, which again probably saved me hundreds of pounds a year. When there was a whip-round for somebody’s present, if I felt the amount requested was more than I could afford, I would politely duck out and buy my own gift instead. I’d never make unplanned purchases just because something caught my eye in a shop.

Of course it took a certain amount of discipline, but once you form good spending habits it starts to feel normal and not a great strain.

I’m not naive, I know that even with all these savings it could still take far longer than six years to save for a deposit if you are paying rent. 

We can’t pretend that buying a property 30 years ago was similar to buying one today. Now, a 20 per cent deposit is typically equal to 110 per cent of a full-time salary, according to Nationwide figures published last year. While the total cost of a home was 2.1 times income in 1995, it is now 5.5 times income.

Many aspiring buyers don’t have parents who can afford to help them with the deposit. I’ll be forever grateful I was able to live with mine while saving for my own. Allsopp also suggested young people consider moving north, where property is cheaper. But again that’s not an option that makes sense for plenty in the south. I grew up in Cheshunt, Herts, and one of the most important considerations for me was remaining near family and friends. It’s not an unreasonable wish.

That said, it’s true that if you’re serious about wanting to buy your own home, you will need to make sacrifices –- and you’ll need to put away a substantial sum of money, perhaps over many years. This means that, yes, you will need to cut back on your day-to-day spending.

If you can’t afford to buy on your own, it’s a good idea to go in 50-50 with a partner or friend. You could also save money in the meantime by renting a room in a shared house, instead of renting a whole expensive flat.