My fiance and I want to start saving for our first home, however I worry that saving up for the down payment will limit what we can put into our FIRE fund. That money we are saving won't get to grow in the market, though we hope whatever house we buy grows in value. I'm curious what saving strategies others have used when buying their first homes. I am self-employed, so my earnings can fluctuate month-to-month, year-to-year. (This is my first year of self-employment, so I don't yet know by how much) My fiance makes less, but it is a steady job.