SavvySugar

Surviving a Pricey Wedding Season, Part III

SavvySugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:28:17 -0700

While you may not see your savings account grow during wedding season, you can do your best to see that it doesn't shrink or completely vanish. Most engagements average about a year, and usually you're aware of which weddings will include you on their guest list far in advance. A flexible rule of thumb: If you're surprised to receive an invitation to someone's wedding and it requires many expenses, send the couple a gift but don't attend. Of course, if you can afford it by all means make the trip, but if your wedding season has you fretting about money it's OK to say no thank you. Discover my three-step wedding season budget plan when you read more.

After you've had your pouting pity party because you have so many added expenses, do realize that you're lucky to have good friends who want to share their lives with you. Here's my wedding-season money plan:

Promise yourself that you won't go into debt during wedding season. If you think your many events are expensive now, consider how much more they will be when you pay interest on whatever you charge to your credit card. Think about how long it will realistically take for you to pay off these charges and make a plan to avoid this situation.
Create a spreadsheet or simply make a list of all of your anticipated wedding-related events, and estimate how much you'll need for each event. Include everything you can possibly think of - travel costs, apparel, gifts, food and drinks, accommodations, etc. It's always safest to be generous with your estimates because as we all know, things can cost more than you expect and surprises do happen.
Once you've figured out how much you'll need to save for each event, use a savings calculator to figure out how much you need to save each month in order to have X amount of money with certain dates in mind. Set up your bank account to have this amount automatically transferred from your checking account to your savings. If you can't tweak your spending enough to afford the monthly amount you've calculated, save whatever you can.

Check out all of our wedding season coverage at IDoSugar.

Bella Pictures

Surviving a Pricey Wedding Season, Part II

SavvySugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:28:45 -0700

Is your Summer calendar full of weddings and all of the events surrounding them? Are you trying not to make anymore female friends so that you don't have to add another one to the list? Just kidding. But wedding season can make you realize how many people you actually know, and how much money it will take for you to attend the Summer lovefest. Here are some of my survival tips.

Only attend the events that you can afford! If you really can't manage to pay for a bachelorette party / bridal shower / plane tickets to fly to a destination, simply don't go. The wedding is not optional if you're a close friend or in the wedding party, but brides will likely understand if you can't attend one of the other events because of money issues. Be honest with the bride and don't make up some lame excuse - she'll likely be understanding, thank you for your candor, and focus on the time you will have together.
Save on shoes: If you don't already have shoes that go with your bridesmaids dresses, try and buy a pair in a neutral color that will go with many shades of dress. And if the bride insists that everyone get matching shoes and presents an unreasonably priced pair, there's always room for suggestions. Try and hunt down a pair that looks similar and costs less - a bride has so many decisions to make, it's likely she didn't exhaust her bridal party footwear search and will be open to alternatives.

I have two more tips for wedding guests and bridesmaids alike, so just read more

Wedding gifts: Some people are naturally gifted in a crafty way and can create an inexpensive gift that's better and more thoughtful than anything on a registry. For the rest of us, there's the beautiful thing that is collective gifts. If you can't bear to give your friends a cookbook holder and mixing bowls, why not pitch in on one of the bigger ticket items with some other girls? The bride will appreciate that you all took the time to pick out a gift together and won't think anything of the fact that the card is signed by more than one person.
Swap dresses: If you have girlfriends who are the same size, suggest sharing dresses throughout wedding season to make your wardrobes stretch. Just make sure to respect something borrowed and take good care so you don't find yourself shelling out money to replace a damaged dress!

Check out all of our wedding season coverage at IDoSugar.

Bella Pictures

Surviving a Pricey Wedding Season, Part I

SavvySugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:03:04 -0700

Memorial Day weekend suggests that Summer is just around the corner and is also the unofficial kickoff to an eventful wedding season. I've suggested plenty of budgeting tips for brides to be, but this edition is all about budgeting for your friends' big days. Looking ahead at the rest of 2008 has got me slightly stressed because of the many bachelorette parties and weddings that I'll be attending, and every event will require plane tickets, hotel stays, new apparel, and gifts. I know through good planning I'll be able to enjoy my Summer of witnessing wedding love and be the best bridesmaid and guest possible.

First and foremost, try and take the bitter out of the equation. Yes, weddings can be insanely expensive as a bridesmaid or guest, and I know that costs add up. But don't make your friends feel badly for all deciding to get married at the same time - it isn't a plot against you or your bank account. Like any relationship, friendships involve give and take, and your newlywed friends will be there when it's your turn or have been there for you already. Your friends will sense your bitterness and will prove that bitterness goes both ways. This is a time to make good memories, not to be talking behind each other's backs about so and so's ridiculously expensive tastes.

That doesn't mean that you should let the bride kick you around and be insensitive to her friends or unrealistic about her needs and wants. Some brides are highly demanding, but if you go into the situation with a good attitude, you're more likely to win her over with some of your lower-cost suggestions. Whether you're in the bridal party or you're a guest at the wedding, the bride-to-be has included you because you're her friend, and it's not part of some evil plot to make you go broke. Keep that in mind when the bitter-bug starts creeping.

Stay tuned for some of my tips for surviving a busy wedding season, and check out all our wedding coverage at IDoSugar.

Bella Pictures

How-To: Survive a Pricey Wedding Season

SavvySugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:30:57 -0700

It takes quite a bit of cash to put on a wedding, and sometimes it can cost a small fortune just to be a guest or member of the bridal party. Summer is nearly here, which could also mean the start of a busy wedding season for some of us. Prepare for your packed calendar - and don't go broke - by following my tips on surviving a pricey Summer of celebrating love.

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6 Summertime Savings Tips

SavvySugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:06:13 -0700

It's hard to maintain a budget when the weather outside is delightful, the calendar is packed with Summer weddings, and Travelzoo's weekly deals email to remind you there's a beachy paradise awaiting you on the other side of the globe. Summertime saving requires extra effort and restraint, but it is possible. Check out some of these guides for some added support.

10 Ways to Make Spending Less More Painless	Guide to Surviving a Pricey Wedding Season	Travel Websites For Big-Time Bargains
Simple Rules For Cutting Food Costs	10 Simple Ways to Go Green and Save Green	Simple Steps For Creating a Spending Plan

What's Money This Week: Savvy Weekly Recap

SavvySugar — Sat, 31 May 2008 07:03:32 -0700

This week I shared my tips for getting back on track after a long weekend.
We checked out some of the ways other people spent their rebate check.
Maxed Out showed us how one engaged couple cleaned up their financial act.

Philadelphia was named the best city for new grads, followed by Boston.
Some New York 20-somethings shared the ways they make it work in their expensive city.
More than half of you admitted that you're not as financially secure as you expected to be at this point in your lives.
And about half of you verified that you've been able to use your college major since graduation.
I shared some of my tips for surviving a pricey wedding season, including a three step budget plan.
You shared what's in the depths of that big bag of yours.
I explained what happens to renters when their building is foreclosed.