Wedding season is a time of year when the majority of your friends and family will choose to marry their significant other, and bankrupt themselves and all of their guests in the process. If you are lucky, you will receive several invitations for celebrations during the summer months (usually June until September). If you are even luckier, you may even be asked to participate as a bridesmaid, or groomsman for some or all of these occasions. What does this mean for you? It means you better have started saving last season for this because between the bachelorettes, stag parties, bridal showers, dress, hair, makeup and wedding gifts, you are going to need a lot of money; especially if you live alone, pay rent, own a car and have numerous other expenses to take care of. How do you make it through without going broke?
How to save on gifts: There are a few alternatives to buying extravagant gifts for all activities that take place before and including the wedding. Make something yourself. Being creative may take time but it wont dig into your wallet nearly as much and the finished product is always more meaningful when its personal. If your going to buy something new, subscribe to the mailing list of the bride and groom’s registry, you will be the first to know about deals before making your purchase. Lastly, buy in advance to get the best deals; last minute gifts always end up costing the most.
How to save on looks: Buying a dress or a new tuxedo is expensive, especially if your self conscious about wearing the same outfit to more than one wedding during the same season. Why not rent a dress, or a tuxedo, or even call a friend and borrow and outfit. When it comes to makeup, we all know someone, or someone who knows someone would be willing to doll us up for a much more reasonable price than a makeup artist or professional. (make sure this person knows what they’re doing for everyone’s sake).
How-to save on overnight stays: When booking a hotel for the night of be sure to check with the bride and groom first to see if their out of town guests are staying in one nearby, often they will have a discounted rate. You can also ask the couple if they know of another solo guest who is looking to stay in a hotel, and split the room with them. Websites like hotwire.ca can be used to help find the cheapest rates close to the venue, or for last minute deals.
How-to save on destination weddings: Apply for a credit card which offers points that can help you with a flight. You would be surprised how many cards offer a waived first year annual fee; you can use the miles and then cancel the card before the year is up as not to incur the next years fee. You can also use points for flights, hotels, car rentals and gift cards for the wedding registry, not to mention collect points for your next expenditure.
How-to save money by prioritizing: you may receive several invitations at the same time but remember that not all wedding invitations have to be accepted. Depending on your relationship to the invitee, or the timing in your life, you may want to respectfully decline and that’s ok. Some costs cannot be justified either because of the current state of your life, bank account, or relationship status to the couple.
For people in their 20’s to mid 30’s wedding season doesn’t just last for one summer, it lasts for several years. So if you are in this stage of your life that has you gearing up for five years of four weddings per summer, you may want to take note of some of these money saving tips. When a lot of expenses hit you at once it can be extremely difficult to handle, and the thought of missing some of the most important moments of your friends lives is more than heart-wrenching.
Fast Access offers support for times in your life when you need a helping hand, with flexible payment schedules and affordable rates that allow you to back your loan at a more convenient time in your life. Contact us today!