When planning a wedding you’re probably tired of hearing how the average wedding now costs more than £25,000. We know it’s going to be (probably) the most expensive day of our lives, but it will all be worth it?
Figures suggest that a quarter of couples get into debt to pay for their big day, and almost half of those live to regret it. Read our six top tips for breaking those bad money habits.
It’s so tempting when planning your big day to want the absolute best, and that usually means hefty price tags. But it soon mounts up and, once it’s all over, it’s likely nobody will remember that the table decorations were made by a trendy designer.
Try This: Get creative and tap into the crafty/vintage vibe instead. Ask friends to help make unique decorations, or have a wedding bake-off instead of calling in the caterers, and beg and borrow what you can instead of buying everything brand new.
Some brides are super-organised, with a detailed budget planner updated daily. But most of us are guilty to some extent of letting costs mount up, and not knowing exactly what’s going in and out. The longer you let this go on, the harder it will feel to sort it all out – so it’s crucial to address budgeting now.
Try This: If you don’t like spreadsheets, ask a (reliable) friend to help put a budget planner together, and get her to nag you to fill it in every day.
Most people are guilty of impulse buying, and brides-to-be are arguably even more susceptible. Whether it’s a piece of jewellery, or a new pair of sandals for the honeymoon beach, you see it, and you have to have it – because it’s PERFECT. But let’s face it, most of us have something in the wardrobe that we thought was fab at the time but have never worn.
Try This: Instead of buying it there and then, have a cooling-off period. Go home, add it to your wedding budget planner and see in a few days whether you think it’s really worth it.
If you use cards all the time, it’s easy for spending to get out of control – and especially if you’re using credit cards. If you’re not having to take a physical trip to the cash machine or hunt for notes in your purse, you can lose touch with the actual act of paying.
Try This: Instead of taking cards with you when you shop, leave them safely at home. Take out just the cash you think you’ll need and no more – and see how much you save!
