Did I mention we're finally going to tie the knot? Of course I did (prepare to be bored to tears with the minute details...) for now, I need to come up with a radical saving/money making plan. From now on, I shall be couponing like a good 'un; I shall compare car insurance and energy bills to get the best deals; I shall clear out my junk on eBay and I will open a savings account. I’ve made a start by advertising our driveway parking space for rent, and I’m religiously following money-saving blogs and reading newsletters.
Although I consider myself thrifty in some areas, my money saving is totally unorganised. While I'll save pennies in some areas, we splash out frivolously in others - I shall be sad to see our regular Friday night bite the dust. But I guess I could make my own instead?
I've never really saved up for a specific purpose, so I'm telling myself it's quite exciting actually. For years I've lived by the mantra that saving is for losers - and this has been borne out with the paltry interest rates on offer of late. But no, my mindset has to change.
With the cost of an average wedding reported to be over £15,000 there are a lot of pennies to be saved. Apparently the average spend on a wedding has dropped by £5,000 in the past few years. I doubt that's because things are getting cheaper, more likely that couples are cutting back.
So I'm asking for your help. Besides the things I've mentioned above, what else do you suggest to cut back and save up? Should I set us a target amount or will that only depress me? Where is the best place to open a savings account – is anyone offering any interest at the moment?
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From experience, you can have a wonderful day without spending silly amounts of money.
ReplyDeleteIt depends what you want of course but I would consider how you can save on the wedding itself.
Is it OK to have a secondhand dress and shoes - I did and did not feel shabby at all.
Flowers - do you really need flowers everywhere like on the table at the reception. I had a small posy and got wands with flowers for the little girls and corsages. It cost me £80 in total for that lot.
Cake - can someone make it for you. My mum's friends did ours.
Reception - find a venue where you don't pay for the room hire just for what you eat and drink.
Evening Do - necessary or not?
Oh and a tip I found really helpful, have bubbles for the children and good for photographs too. I also had fun party packs for the children to stop them getting bored.
Photography and video - can friends do it?
Biggest saving you can make is less charity shopping and I am considering if I can face cutting back in that area this year although it is SO much fun.
Congratulations - it makes a difference to how you feel and we got married after 10 years together so I know
Honestly? I'd set a budget that you can afford to pay off - say over a year. If you can afford x per month as a payment add that over 12 months (or more if you're ok with that) and stick it on a 0% credit card. There are some good deals on 0% cards at the mo - look at Moneysaving Expert for the lowdown. Then make sure you DONT pay the minimum, but pay the higher monthly amount you can afford to get rid of the debt (and not pay interest) but have a fab wedding.
ReplyDeletei can't help with the general budget cuts! but you can also cut wedding costs if you are so inclined, just like kateonthinice says. If you are doing the wedding and do in seperate places don't tell the second place it a weddding, just a family party. they put the price up for wedding sometimes! If you have gifts to give (people who help etc) can you give them the flowers (big ish displays) from your do as a thank you? How much can you make or do yourself? invites etc, flowers cost less if you arrange them yourselves? do you need proper wedding favours or will chocolate coins or similar which you can get from marks on 5 for the price of 4 do? this is where i add that the balloons at my do came from floor to go!
ReplyDeletedo you have to hand out drinks ( that people will not always drink) when people arrive or could you just pay for the 1st round at the bar?
do you know anyone with a nice car you could 'arrive' in?
lots of ways to save and have a cheaper do. x
I would definitely do all the big budget cuts. And I would also keep a big piggy bank at home. Every time you do your couponing or save money in any way, actually put the amount of money you save into the piggy bank. If you go without a regular treat, put the money on the bank. If you walk instead of the bus, put the money in there.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, put all your coppers in there and the occasional larger denomination coin when you feel you can.
It's all ver y well, 'saving money' through couponing, but if you are like me it is so easy to just spend it again on something else.
I would definitely do all the big budget cuts. And I would also keep a big piggy bank at home. Every time you do your couponing or save money in any way, actually put the amount of money you save into the piggy bank. If you go without a regular treat, put the money on the bank. If you walk instead of the bus, put the money in there.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, put all your coppers in there and the occasional larger denomination coin when you feel you can.
It's all ver y well, 'saving money' through couponing, but if you are like me it is so easy to just spend it again on something else.
Hi Im getting wed this August very exciting! I am being tight as possible so here you have it: I have made my own flowers using srtifical ones and pins from ebay, the church is costing a lot but its one of those things you can pay bit by bit. The rings will be cheap, my dress was bought online and cost 158.00 and bridesmaids dresses (4) came to roughly £150 my mum will be doing any alterations. My grandad has a nice car so no transport cost, my mother in law has made some invites and I have as well. I recommend homing in on any family&friends talents as well as your own! Just a few ideas i could talk forever ha!
ReplyDeleteEbay all the way! Our wedding cost around £5K inc honeymoon and we could have probably done it for cheaper!
ReplyDeleteI sold loads on ebay, parted with DVD boxsets, things I could do without and ploughed the money made into wedding things. I made my own favours, place cards and seating plan. We had a function room in the local rugby club instead of a hotel so miles cheaper than a hotel and as it was a boiling hot day all the kids were running around on the pitch outside! I found a local cakemaker who made cakes from home on ebay as well as a local man who owned a Rolls Royce that saved loads and was far more personal. A friend did my invites and I got one of my bridesmaids dresses off ebay and one off an American website for less than half of the price of the ones in the bridal shop!
I asked friends for recommendations of florists and photographers and by doing so got bargains.
Shop around for everything - I saw loads of stuff I liked in the Confetti catalogue and got exactly what I wanted either from ebay or other websites that were much cheaper.
If you join up with wedding forums (on a few wedding sites), a lot of them will have 'for sale' sections where girls will sell their stuff once their wedding is over! You can also pick up tips from other brides to be on these forums.
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