New to forums...Saving for a wedding! Looking for Tips

**MitchV85** · 08-26-2008, 03:49 PM

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the forums and a frugal lifestyle, but am really excited and have challenged myself to save as much money as I possibly can!

Long story short, I recently got engaged to my awesome future-wife and I saw pretty quick how much of an impact being an irresponsible spender (as I was!!) can effect a relationship.

I gave myself a challenge to save up $7,500 dollars by August of 2009, giving me roughly 11 months to meet my goal. And I am starting from scratch!

But I really think I can do this.

So I make roughly 67k per year, I typically don't share salary because I personally think it is rude, but I think for good tips it's necessary in this case.

So far I have begun taking the bus to work, brewing my own coffee at my desk, eating breakfast at home and bringing my own lunch to work. In all I have calculated that this will save me approximately $348.00 each month.

Now comes the part where I ask all of you frugal gurus out there for some pointers for this frugal living newbie.

So what are some the techniques/methods, basic or advanced, that you use to save money in your everyday lives? Any suggestions and tips are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance to all!

**Bournecrazy** · 08-26-2008, 04:02 PM

hi, welcome, ive not long joined the frugal wagon myself.
first thing, get yourself a good savings account to start your savings. and have a look at last month if possible, if not use next month to see what you spend on what and see what you can cut out a little. get a budget set up and i think you will be ok.

congrats on getting engaged

that $348.00 each month you will save after 11 months will get you $3828 in savings, work out in teh long run how much something will cost, you tend to find out the 'real' cost over a period of time for these non-essential items i.e coffee / lunches

**missmanny** · 08-26-2008, 06:20 PM

Hi, wlecome to the village and congratulations on your recent engagement!

There are lot of threads here with some great advice on how to cut costs and save - everything from food to utilities and insurance.

hat really helped me when I started was to write down every little penny that I spent (it was tedious but I only did it for a month) at the end of the month I could see in black and white where my money leaks were and then it was easy to change my behaviour.

Good luck with everything.

**TheRootedNomad** · 08-26-2008, 06:57 PM

It appears that your asking about ways to cut spending. I, however, was taking a walk down memory lane today and how DH and I saved for our wedding was part of it. One of the things that we did was donate plasma. It pays well for sitting around reading a book for a couple of hours a week.

As for spending you'll find lots of ideas here for cutting spending.

... how about.... no more dinner out dates...cook for her.

**PrairieRose** · 08-26-2008, 09:00 PM

Hello and

to the village!

Eating at home and taking your lunch and drinks and snacks to work are a great start! Tracking your spending to locate the leaks is the next step and paying yourself first. It's a works in progress and doesn't happen overnight but you can change you habits and change your life. There are many, many good threads here to help you out on your journey. Just dig around, read a lot.

**yankeegal** · 08-26-2008, 10:10 PM

Welcome!! And congratulations on your engagement.

I love the Dave Ramsey plan-lots of great ideas on that thread.

**tammy8701** · 08-27-2008, 07:46 AM

congratulations on your engagement.

**kimmy4433** · 08-27-2008, 08:27 AM

Congrats on your engagement!!

One way to save money is to use coupons!! I know a lot of people think you can't save that much money, but when paired with sales coupons can save you over 75% each shopping trip!!

**wannabedebtfree** · 08-27-2008, 11:44 AM

Congratulations on your engagement. The others here at FV are much better equipped to offer you advice than I am but I just had one quick comment about the wedding. I, too, and engaged. I will be getting married on Monday (9/1). We have been engaged for 2 years and saved the whole time for the wedding. Now that it is here, we are paying for it in CASH. Every bit of it, event he honeymoon. We didnt get much help from family so this has been hard, but very worth it. We are getting married in Jamaica (we are flying out on Saturday) so when we return, we will have no debt (we even saved $500 spending $) from the wedding at all. That will be a great relief I am sure.

So, that would be my one tip to you....pay for your wedding in cash. If you cant afford "it", do without, no one will complain/miss that you didnt have those cute mints with your names on them included in your favor bags (just an example).

HTH. Good luck, you can do it.

**MitchV85** · 08-27-2008, 12:16 PM

Wow, Thanks everyone for all of the congrats, tips and good information!

Congrats to you too WannaBeDebtFree. Paying cash for your wedding is quite an accomplishment, and I'm sure will make the wedding all the more satisfying knowing that there will be no bill collectors coming for you afterwards

Thanks again everyone. Looks like it's time for me to start digging around these forums a little more looking for some solid tips/tricks.

By the way...is there any way I can give you guys "points" or JuJu for your responses? Being new here, I'm not sure how the kudos system works here.

**FrugalWitch** · 08-27-2008, 02:36 PM

One of the biggest ways to save money is to not have a wedding. Get hitched at the courthouse and take the money that would have been wasted on the wedding and use it on something useful like furniture.

I married both times for under $50 and was just as married as anyone who blew big bucks on what (to my mind at least) is just an over-priced over-rated party. JMHO

If you skip the honeymoon you save even more to put towards home or furnishings.

Congrats.

**The Muse** · 08-27-2008, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by FrugalWitch

One of the biggest ways to save money is to not have a wedding. Get hitched at the courthouse and take the money that would have been wasted on the wedding and use it on something useful like furniture.

Yep! One of the best financial moves you can make.

We skipped the wedding and instead put that money down on a very nice house.

8 years later, we're living in the house, but an overpriced party would have been long gone.

**peanut** · 08-27-2008, 08:06 PM

Or...another option...have a private ceremony with a JP and immediate family only. Then have a nice backyard reception...BBQ or potluck style. That's done a lot in this neck of the woods.

My own DD#1 decided to be married in a local conservatory where she volunteered for awhile, by a JP she used to volunteer with. It was really meaningful. I made her outfit, and the groom's mom and I provided food for the reception.

DD#2 took a flower arranging course through the city for $30 and did all the flowers for the wedding...for the cost of the greens. We bought flowers from Growers Direct - a discount florist that sells to florist shops.

We picked up invitation kits with 60% off coupons from Michael's and printed them on the computer.

We hit the local craft wholesaler for votive candle holders with hearts and red votive candles for the tables. I think it cost all of $5 for table decorations. The conservatory is used to holding functions like this and supplied tablecloths, etc.

The entire cost of the wedding, including the cost of renting the groom's tux, the cake, paying all the people involved, the dress supplies, etc....everything...added up to $4500. It was a classy splash for 50 people. Of that, over $3000 was gifted to them by their parents. They only paid $1500.

Me? I'd rather have the $1500 as a gift for a down payment on a house. My own wedding cost $600, but that was 28 years ago!

If you belong to a church (or are associated with one through parents, etc.), you can really reap savings for a wedding. Often the rental rates for space are cheap, the minister is affordable, musicians go for a song, and the church ladies will do a lovely luncheon for a very affordable price. The catch is there usually is no alcohol allowed at church receptions.

Jean

**momof2joys** · 08-28-2008, 07:29 PM

Other than the great ideas already here on the thread. Why don't you start buying some stuff for the wedding now, wedding season is coming to a close and things are really starting to go on sale!! Also, try getting married in an off season!!
We got married in December and didn't have to pay much for decorations, because both the church and the VFW were already decorated for the Christmas season!!
Also, just keep trying to pay down any debt that you might already have, so that you can start your new life together without any debt!!

Good luck and congrats on the engagement!!!