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I'm sorry to hear you're so frustrated :(
We put aside a set amount of money each pay, no exceptions. Of course in an emergency I understand this would be hard to do... :-S
Did you go to university? Can you get a job as a marker or a TA? I did this a few semesters while I was still in school and it was decent pay for not a lot of work. You could also consider tutoring!
Some things that FI and I do:
-ditch the cable. It kinda s*cks but we save something like $80/month.
-if you rent DVDs, stop and get Netflix. It's like $5/rental at Blockbuster now. Netflix is ~$15/month for 3 movies at a time.
-cut down on takeout/eating out at restaurants
-make a "meal plan" for the week and shop at once for the stuff you need. The little trips to the grocery store add up quickly. Also, bring your lunch to work if you don't already.
-Make coffee at home instead of buying in the morning.
Our biggest saver has been watching our groceries (not just buying a bunch of snacks) and then coupon clipping and buying on sale, which has been about 2k over the last year. Also staying in A LOT! We used to go see a movie or a concert every week or so, and now it's "I'll wait until that's on DVD". I can't wait to get back to having a little bit more spending money after the wedding is over!
For side jobs, I have always wondered if secret shoppers really works and pays you what it says it will. I personally would stick to a traditional job - I've taken receptionist positions on the weekends at a real estate firm and a salon before and they were both low stress, nice hours, and added a good couple hundred a month to the income.
I second the grocery budget suggestion. We have one and stick to it religiously. No exceptions! Any money we have leftover in the budget goes into savings.
Thank you all so much! I definitely try to apply the majority if not all these tips.
We stopped eating out. Entirely, except for very few special occasions (I'm talking vacations, birthdays.) We cut down the Whole Foods trips except for things only WF carries. We don't go to bars anymore. We shop for clothes and books way less. It's no fun but at least we know we're being practical! We never had cable in the first place - starving students, haha - but we don't rent DVDs or buy songs on iTunes like we used to.
We ditched the cable too. We bought an antenna and get all the local stations, which is fine. (I miss bravo and we but that's another story) We also are crazy restrictive on the amount of electricity and gas we use.
@lilyfaith: We haven't had cable in four years. It's so funny because people don't usually think of that as a thing to save money, but it's SO expensive!
@hotchild - I know! Everyone looks at us like we're crazy when they hear that we don't have cable. But honestly, I don't miss it. We still watch shows online, and it sure beats the insane monthly payment... I think it's funny how high of a priority entertainment is in our culture.
@hotchild - I would die without our cable. You're right - it's so expensive, but we rationalize it by saying that we get our money's worth out of it because we stay in watching cable and cooking instead of going out and spending money at bars and restaurants. I think FI and I would rather go without food than cable LOL.
I'm sorry you are having a rough time. I second all of the suggestions here.
It also really helps me to write down everything I spend. I have one of those checkbook registers in my wallet. Instead of just writing Target, I try to write a quick description of everything I bought. Every couple of weeks I glance back through the register and try to find ways to cut back. Sometimes I am amazed and angry at myself.
There are a lot of free websites where you can track your spending, but I'm the kind of gal who has to write stuff down!
Well, if you haven't already I would start by understanding your finances and where all the money goes. You can do this in a spreadsheet, but we have used mint.com Very helpful for budgeting and we were able to see that we were spending a ton going out to eat!
So here are some things we are doing:
-Make dinner menus each week and shop for the things we need. Meals are thought out in advance and we do not go out to eat during the week. We allow ourselves to eat out at work once a week.
-Make coffee at home in the morning
-Ditched the credit cards (except for an emergency). Yup, no credit cards, we are only spending money that we have.
-Bought a Costco membership. It is $50, but I think it's worth it. We also own a home so we have the space to store all of these purchaes. Things we buy at costco that I know saves us money are paper products (paper towels, napkins, TP), frozen meat in larger quantities (a lot cheaper than supermarket prices), personal items (shampoo, conditioner, deoderant etc...)
Do you live by a budget!? Might be a good idea to sit down and look at the numbers (i highly recommend a stiff drink with this one...)
Have you thought about moving in together before the wedding? Great way to combine expenses and cut down on costs. If you aren't waiting for a specific reason it's something to think about... I know that the first few months of adjustment are NOT something I would want to go thru in the start of a marriage anyways :)
I totally feel ya, being a student and trying to pay for a wedding is painful. Good luck!
I know it's only a dollar, but the dollars add up. We were using RedBox instead of Blockbuster or buying. Now, we're checking dvds out from the library where it's free!
Doing the dinner menu thing helps so much. Keeps from buying extra food at the grocery store and makes it easier to come home and just eat.
Do you have a gym membership? If so, when was the last time you went? If it's been more than a month, ask if you can "put it on hold" for a while.
Secret shopping is also a great way to get someone else to pay for your meals or to provide extra income (you're a independent contractor and can say "no" when you want). However, be prepared to have to "front" money for reimbursements.
set up a separate savings account. each of you should put the same amount of money into the account at each paycheck. cancel cable - just go down to the really really basic cable with the network channels like ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS.
Do the lowest netflix plan - $8/month for 1 movie unlimited. Plus then you will get instant play for free and you can watch many of the shows from cable tv on there for free.
Limit going out to once a week. Just go out for one meal, or less if you can!
Don't go shopping ever! I barely went shopping for anything besides wedding items.
dinner menus are SO important if you're trying to save money! FI and I buy meat in bulk and freeze it. We also get things that will work for more than one meal (like making chili and eating it one night, then having nachos with chili the next, or having it for lunch). We're also big on freezing meals- it helps us eat less, too!
What we're doing:
packing lunch everyday (buy sandwich supplies at Costco)
setting aside a set amount of money every month into a savings account that we can write checks from
limiting the times we eat out each week
not buying anything new for the house
FI started taking his own coffee to work instead of stopping at Starbucks and packing his lunch instead of going out which EASILY saves $300-$400/month (my meals and drinks are all catered for free at work or I'd be doing the same thing).
We limit going out to dinner to once/month and ordering take out to once/wk (and usually don't even hit that). We also try to take advantage of Groupon deals (awesome site to check out if you haven't already!) which has saved us 50% on massages, mani/pedis (for me), Freshdirect deliveries, an afternoon at Color Me Mine...pretty much anything!
We went to Disney for our anni/my bday in Sept and have not/will not be taking any other vacations till the honeymoon.
In addition to saving for the wedding, try getting creative with regards to where you're spending your wedding money! Money's really tight for me too, but I still have grandeur dreams of an elegant wedding. Some of the ways that I have saved a ton of money already are as follows:
- Search for deals on Ebay! I've purchased two authentic designer wedding dresses for $300.00 for both of them; DIY wedding invitations for $30.00 for 100; 150 favour bags for $13.00; brand new After Six bridesmaids dresses for $60.00 a piece; to name a few of the deals I've found!
- Look for photographers who haven't broken into the wedding industry yet. A lot of the time you can get very experienced photographers that are will to give you a phenomenal deal so that they can expand their portfolio (but be sure to check out their work, or have an engagement session done!) You can also try going to your local newspaper and ask to speak with their photographers; they have tons of experience, and might be interested in making a bit of extra cash on the side.
- Be sure to ask if your venue has any affiliations with other vendors (bridal boutiques, bakers, transportation) that will give you a discount for being referred.
- Go to your local department stores with makeup counters and ask any of the consultants there if they are willing to do some side work. A lot of the time they would be happy to come right to your home to do your entire bridal party's makeup for much cheaper, just to make a little extra cash on the side.
Good luck to you, I hope that your day turns out just the way you have imagined!
We got rid of cable too but hooked up our laptop to our tv so we can watch Hulu or stream from the network site (the Mister is a techy). So we see things a day or two later but we are still caught up, for the most part.
We are planning our dinners each week BEFORE we go shopping. It helps us stay focused and try to plan meals using sale items. Our next mission is coupons.
Making coffee each morning is very helpful but I treat myself on Fridays... I can't help it!
Oh, and for side jobs, try Sephora, a receptionist at a spa or salon, craft store, furniture store, etc. Something where the discount might help you as well as the paycheck!
Ditto the cable, the menu plan, Netflix, moving in together (if that's an option that doesn't go against your morals or religion) & "brown bag" lunch. Other ideas that we do:
HTH! And good luck!
Wow thank you guys SO much. I have not been doing alot of these things and I am cracking down big time! You guys are great.
I truly appreciate all of your help.
I created a spreadsheet (he has one too), this tell me where every dollar of my pay check goes every 2 weeks. From credit cards, utilities, loans, groceries, and spending cash.
i set up an online savings account and when i get my paycheck i transfer a chunk to the account. it takes 2-3 days to get the money back into your checking account, so you can't spend it without planning ahead. if i leave it accessible in the bank, i will spend it on nothing!!
What I did was post my ad for babysitting on Kijiji. I just moved to a smaller city outside of Calgary, Alberta, and it's FULL of young families with young kids. I babysit at least once a week, and a family with a teenager with learning disabilities contacted me as well. I get paid $18 an hour to hang out with him.
All the babysitting money goes straight to my savings account.
Also, from each paycheque, I have been automatically depositing $115, so I don't even notice it comes off.
Another thing I just did was switch my car insurance. I ended up paying $50 less a month, so that extra $50 is going to the wedding fund too.
AND last but not least, I started carpooling. Luckily the lady I'm carpooling with lives very close, and works only a block from my office, and she's paying me half of my gas and parking a month, so really it's no skin off my back to pick her up/drop her off and of course, that money goes to the wedding fund.
It's only been less than 2 months, and I've managed to save $1000 just doing those extra little things. Hope some of my ideas helped!
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I'm feeling sad and depressed today. I'm trying my best to save money for wedding and home (Fiance and I don't live together yet) but it feels like as soon as I get money I have to spend it. For example I just had to pay $900 for my car recently!
My fiance and I are both trying hard to save and get higher paying jobs but sometimes it takes a toll on our morale. Thank Goodness for our Families and all their help.
How are you Bees saving for your big day? Any side job ideas?