Christmas and wedding planning
As I sit on the couch with the glow of the Christmas tree behind me, we are just 11 short days away from celebrating the arrival of jolly old St. Nick and the presents he’ll leave for us under the tree.
When you’re planning a wedding -- and planning to spend a whole lot of money in a short period of time -- carving out a budget for Christmas gifts is no easy task. How can you possibly squeeze just one more penny out of a budget that’s already being stretched to the max?
First, determine a holiday budget. Make a list of everyone you need to buy gifts for and figure out how much money you will spend on each person. If you can, include exactly what you plan to buy for that person. Knowing what you want to get and how much you want to spend will make the shopping process a lot easier.
Next, set money aside. In the weeks and months leading up to Christmas, take a little money out of each paycheck and put it into an envelope especially for buying gifts. Keep track of how much you spend so you can easily figure how much more you’ll need to cover your predetermined budget.
With less than 2 weeks to the big day, it’s probably going to be a little difficult to pull together funds, but fear not. There is a way to get gifts and not go broke: sales and coupons. Pay attention to the ads that come in the newspaper and the mailings that are sent to your house. When you combine sales and coupons, you can save major money and still get the gifts you want.
But what about gifts for you and your spouse to be? What do you say when people ask for suggestions as to what to get you for Christmas?
Kevin and I immediately went to the things we knew would help cut down our wedding costs. We’re getting married at Lakeview, so we asked for Lakeview gift cards. Our wish list also includes gift cards for our photographer, the salon I plan to use for hair and makeup on the big day, and the website we’re using to print our invitations, programs and other stationery. We’ll also gladly accept cash. ;-)
If your location isn’t one that offers gift cards, request gift cards for grocery stores and gas stations. Then, you can take the money you would have spent on food and gas and apply it to your wedding budget.
Let’s be honest: that $400 Coach purse and $900 Tiffany necklace aren’t going to do anything to help you pay for your wedding. Life on a budget isn’t the time to be vain; it’s time to be practical. And, taking the pressure off your purse strings will only lessen the stress you have to deal with later on.
Thank you so much for reading my blog. It’s been an absolute pleasure writing these entries, and I look forward to sharing even more wedding planning tales (and advice) with you in the coming months.
On behalf of Kevin and myself: have a great holiday season and a wonderful new year.
See you in 2012!
