Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make—right up there with deciding whether to splurge on the fancy guacamole at a restaurant. Unlike guacamole, though, a house comes with a lot more fine print and a much bigger price tag. So before you start mentally arranging furniture in a home you don’t own yet, let’s make sure your finances are actually ready for this adventure.

So, you want to own a home? Congrats on embracing adulthood—or at least pretending to. But before you start picking out paint swatches and Pinteresting DIY projects, let’s talk about the unglamorous (but essential) part: budgeting.