Several personal finance bloggers we keep tabs on have gotten engaged – or have recently married. That means exploring some new PF terrain, such as how to merge finances, and how to budget for wedding expenses. Here are a few of their tips on how to save money when the wedding bells toll:
Get Creative. The writer at “Punch Debt in the Face” –who paid off $28,000 in debt in two years – just returned from his honeymoon. Prior to the wedding, he wrote about whether the dollar dance, in which people contribute money for a dance with the bride or groom, was “super tacky or super smart.” The West Coast blogger, who goes by the name Ninja, finds it a good way to balance wedding expenses. He reports upon their return that “we totally rocked the dollar dance hardcore…totally legit and I never got the vibe someone was dancing with me out of obligation or pity.” (he also has an interesting post about merging bank accounts)
Set a budget. Amber of “Blonde & Balanced” (formerly Carrie on the Cheap), is planning a 350-person wedding plus honeymoon for about $25,000. Amber, who recently passed the CPA exam and lives in the Midwest, is also contributing a regular weekly column to a wedding site on “Wedding Confessions: Amber’s Big Day Without the Big Debt” where she writes some finance tips for wedding expenses: “I’ve got my work cut out for me. The good news is that I have my trusty budget to go to battle. Having that little resource by my side has already put my mind (and bank account) at ease.”
Plan for unexpected expenses. The blogger at “My Pretty Pennies” is trying to figure out some interesting residential logistics. She got engaged around the same time that her roommate got engaged. But they aren’t getting married the same month which one of them has to move out prematurely from their North Carolina place. She’s considering getting her own place in January, when her roommate gets married, and living on her own a few months until her own wedding. “It would be the least financially responsible plan, but I think it may be the most sane one,” she writes.
We look forward to following the financial adventures of these newlyweds and soon-to-be married personal finance bloggers. Congratulations to the brides and grooms of personal finance!
By Anna Cearley, Social Media Director at LendingTree/Tree.com
Photo Credit: Jon via Creative Commons 3.0 license
We know there must be other personal finance bloggers getting married - we would love to hear from you in the comments section below:
Yah! Thanks for the shout out! I am always armed and dangerous with my wedding budget when I go out planning! Ha.
Unfortunately the Wedding Confessions series didn’t work out. But, I will continue with my regular wedding/money posts on my blog.
Thanks!
Amber
HI, Amber! Thanks for the update – and we look forward to following your personal finance adventures to the altar and beyond!