SavvySugar

Budgeting For the Big Day, Part III

SavvySugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:03:55 -0700

So you've come up with a figure for the overall price tag on your wedding, but how will you spend it all? First you need to figure out what your priorities are in terms of each category - if you know that you want a band instead of a DJ then you might need to save in other areas like your dress or the number of courses served at dinner. And if it's important that 300 people can attend your wedding and eat during the festivities, you might need to consider doing a buffet-style rather than sit-down dinner. To find out what else there is to know about buckling down on a budget just read more.

Because every bride has different wedding details that are important to her, and the varied cost of living from city to city, I can't tell you exactly what percent you should expect to pay for everything. Give yourself plenty of time to research the venues in your area and take advantage of all the extensive online resources. Once you've researched your options for the big-ticket items and book your venue, you can start getting more specific in allocating portions of your budget to certain categories.

The general rule is that about half of your budget should go towards venue, food, and beverages, but obviously that wouldn't hold true for all weddings. Create a spreadsheet for yourself with all of the specific categories, right down to the welcome baskets for out-of-town guests. Start by assigning percentages of your budget for each item, and as you check things off your list enter the amount that you actually paid. That way, there won't be any surprises at the end!

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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Budgeting For the Big Day, Part II

SavvySugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:29:02 -0700

After arriving at the magic wedding budget number, you need to consider how many people will be attending your wedding. That means getting three guest lists together - yours, his parents', and your parents'. The number of guests will determine which types of venues are feasible for the event, and if one side has a guest list that rivals a royal engagement then now is the time for editing. How many guests you'll invite weighs on some of the most important factors of your wedding, pressing most heavily on how your budget is allocated.

The same budget for a 350 person wedding may look wildly different from the way that budget is broken down for a 120 person wedding. For example, you can't determine how much of your budget will be used to feed your guests until you have an estimate for how many will be eating. Nothing needs to be set in stone at this very early stage of your wedding, but you'll avoid wasting time (like looking at venues that would fit half your guests) by getting a good idea of what to expect.

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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Budgeting For the Big Day, Part I

SavvySugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:02:14 -0700

Once you've had ample time hanging out on the Engagement Cloud 9 with your new fiancé, you'll need to start focusing a bit on what type of wedding you want and, most importantly, can afford. Before you even discuss where you want to have the ceremony and reception, you need to figure out what kind of budget you're working with. Whether you have $50,000 to spend or $5,000, a budget is necessary so that you don't spend too much on one area and run out of funds. See the first steps to becoming a budget-building-bride-to-be when you read more

The biggest question to ask is who's contributing to the wedding costs and who's responsible for each category. If you and your fiancé will be paying for the entire event out of your own pockets then the two of you need to figure out two things - the maximum amount that you can afford, and how much you actually want to spend. Think you can't avoid going into debt from wedding expenses? Set up a separate wedding savings account in which you and your fiancé deposit a certain amount each month. And if you're set on having a bigger budget than is reasonable within your ideal engagement time-frame, be flexible! You can always push the wedding out another six months to give yourself more time to save.

If you're planning on asking your families for help in financing the wedding, talk to each family about who will pay for what and how much they'll contribute. At that point you'll have a total budget to work with, and you can start digging into the details of your big day.

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.com.

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I'm Asking: What's the Best Thing You've Bought This Month?

SavvySugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:34 -0800

There's just one week left until Black Friday, the day most major retail and electronic stores slip into official holiday mode and host big sales. I plan on keeping my Black Friday budget pretty tight (that is if I spend anything), and considering the fact that most of us aren't sure the economy is getting better, I suspect most of you are planning the same.

That being said, 'tis the season of shopping, and spending a little on everyday purchases can actually help you save up for the big stuff. What's the best - or smartest - thing you've purchased so far this month?

5 Savvy Ways to Save and Spend Smart This Weekend

SavvySugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:30:43 -0800

If you spent Monday through Friday monitoring your spending and trying to be productive and efficient, don't erase all your hard work with a wild weekend of spending. Consider these smart saving tips before you whip out your wallet this weekend.

Save Big When You Eat Out - Tough times for consumers mean empty tables at restaurants - and to fill them, restaurants are making menu changes and slashing prices, or offering discounts. Take advantage of the deals by researching in advance.
Plan Inexpensive Things to Do This Weekend - More than half of you admit that spending more money on weekends is a given, but that doesn't always have to be the case. Challenging ourselves to occasionally be more mindful of our money on weekends may make us think twice before blowing our budgets on those days when watching our wallets isn't necessarily on our minds.
Shop For the Best Buys at Warehouse Clubs - Almost every list of saving tips includes some mention of buying things in bulk. But if you’re not the Gosselins or the Duggars, are warehouse clubs (like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale) really that great of a deal? The answer is yes - if you know how to shop smart.

For the rest of my tips, read more.

Calculate a Purchase in Terms of Hours Worked - As much as we all promise ourselves that we'll only buy things we absolutely cannot live without, sometimes in the heat of the shopping moment that mentality is substituted by one of like, not love.
Take a Hands-Off Approach to Spending Less - Research shows that you don't necessarily have to stay out of stores altogether, but you should be mindful of where you put your hands if you want to refrain from spending.

Do you have a tip for readers? Join our How Do You Save? group and share your helpful suggestions. Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Share Your Career and Finance Advice in Our Community!

SavvySugar — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:00:52 -0800

Vent about your job, brainstorm your next big move, and share your personal and professional success with other readers in the SavvySugar Community! What do you do? Find like-minded savvy friends in some of our hottest groups.

How Do You Save?: How do you keep your budget in check? Dole out your advice to other readers trying to save a little green.
Ask Savvy: Submit a career or finance question for me to answer while giving other readers the opportunity to weigh in. Why rely on a Google search to satisfy your concerns when you can get help from your trusted community of Sugar friends?
Start Your Own Group!: Planning on only spending $40 a day for a month? Start a group about it! Have tips and tricks for making a good impression on hiring managers? Start a group about it! Lend your career and finance expertise and get the encouragement you need to reach your goals by starting your own group.

For those of you that already have an account, you can get started right away. For those who don't, you can browse the SavvySugar Community without an account, but to really dive in, register here. Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Share Your Career and Finance Advice in Our Community!

SavvySugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:26 -0700

How Do You Save?: How do you keep your budget in check? Dole out your advice to other readers trying to save a little green.
Ask Savvy: Submit a career or finance question for me to answer while giving other readers the opportunity to weigh in. Why rely on a Google search to satisfy your concerns when you can get help from your trusted community of Sugar friends?
Start Your Own Group!: Planning on only spending $40 a day for a month? Start a group about it! Have tips and tricks for making a good impression on hiring managers? Start a group about it! Lend your career and finance expertise and get the encouragement you need to reach your goals by starting your own group.

Share Your Tips and Ask For Help in the SavvySugar Community!

SavvySugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:00:22 -0700

There's a lot to be said about money. Some say it's the root of all evil. Some say 'mo money, 'mo problems. Others say it's the key to happiness and success. No matter what your philosophy, most of us need it, use it, and have to work for it. Vent about your job, ask for help updating your resume, brainstorm your next big move, and share your personal and professional success with other readers in the SavvySugar Community! What do you do? Check out and join some of our hottest groups and share.

How Do You Save?: How do you keep your budget in check? Dole out your advice to other readers trying to save a little green.
Ask Savvy: Submit a career or finance question for me to answer while giving other readers the opportunity to weigh in. Why rely on a Google search to satisfy your concerns when you can get help from your trusted community of Sugar friends?
Resume Remedy: When you upload your resume (minus your personal details, of course), you give other group members, including me, the opportunity to constructively critique it and help you land your next gig.
Recession Proof: Give and take tips on how to stay afloat financially, save money, and use less. Share recipes, activities, and links to money-saving tips.
Start Your Own Group!: Planning on only spending $40 a day for a month? Start a group about it! Have tips and tricks for making a good impression on hiring managers? Start a group about it! Lend your career and finance expertise and get the encouragement you need to reach your goals by starting your own group.

Coming Up With a Wedding Budget, Part III

SavvySugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:30:17 -0700

Wedding planning might seem like a part-time job, and there's one tool that you might despise using at work but will be your best friend on the road to your big day. Spreadsheets can be a tedious annoyance when used for work purposes, but they're the best way to keep all of your wedding details organized.

Use one for your preliminary guest list and create another one for your budgeting needs. Enter all of the spending categories you can think of and then get to work. To see some tips on what to consider while creating your budget, read more.

The venue, food, and drinks are typically the categories where couples spend the most. However, because everyone has different priorities and the cost of weddings varies geographically, there's no standard percentages to use as guides. Determine if there are certain compromises you're unwilling to make and go from there. For example, if you're set on having a live band rather than a DJ, you may have to cut costs in other areas to stay on budget.

Use online resources and talk to friends who have been there and done that to get a feel for how much certain things will cost. Once you have an idea about the cost of the biggest-ticket items, you can begin allocating your funds as accurately as possible. Continue updating your spreadsheet as you book vendors so there's always a clear picture of your budget.

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Coming Up With a Wedding Budget, Part I

SavvySugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:30:18 -0700

Engagement is absolute bliss until you realize the long wedding planning road ahead. Sure, it's overwhelming: What will you wear? Who will be in your wedding party? Will you get married on the beach or in a ballroom? Curb the train of thought questions and focus on one thing at a time.

First thing's first: Come up with your wedding budget. It's certainly not as fun as wedding dress shopping, but really, what is? Your budget will determine how you can proceed with the details for your big day, so it must be set before doing anything else. To see my tips on figuring out a magic number, read more.

Nail down who is contributing to the marital cause. If there's more than one party paying, find out how much everyone can commit or use spending categories to divide the financial responsibilities. For example, his family pays for flowers, yours pays for the photographer, you and your fiance pay for the music, etc.
Footing the bill all by yourselves? Discuss how much you can afford to pay and how much you realistically want to spend on your wedding. You're in total control, so there's no reason to go into debt together. Create a separate savings account for your wedding fund and set up automatic withdrawals from your bank accounts each month. Be realistic: if you're unable to save enough by the time you want to get married, choose a wedding date further in the future.

For more wedding tips, check out all of the Sugar Network’s wedding coverage here.

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