Attending a wedding should be a happy occasion. After all, it’s a celebration of love! Yet often, these events can also be a source of stress. The wedding couple aren’t the only ones who have to budget their expenses. The wedding guests have their own plans to arrange, too.
Want to Save Money as a Wedding Guest?
If you don’t want to splurge for the next wedding on your calendar, there are a handful of ways to stay a little more conservative with your expenses. Whether you’ve just finished attending three summer weddings, or you’re getting ready to book your travel details for a friend’s New Year’s Eve ceremony, following these tips can help guard your wallet.
Share Your Expenses as Much as Possible
Whenever travel is involved, you want to explore your lodging options as far in advance as possible. You can get better deals when you book a few months out. It’s even better if you can share the expenses with other wedding guests.
Are your parents also traveling for your cousin’s wedding? Or do you have friends from college meeting up for the event? Maybe you can look into a home rental option together. Staying in an Airbnb might be more affordable than the hotel down the road from the wedding venue. Then, since you’re all together, you can also share the cost of a Lyft or rental car.
Limit Spending with Attire and Gifts
If your closet isn’t already stocked with formal wear, it may not always make sense to go out and buy a brand-new suit or dress. To save a little money, why not look at some rental options? Maybe you can borrow a pair of heels from a friend—or grab a tie from that co-worker who has a massive collection.
Being able to “recycle” your wedding attire is a great way to save money, but you’ll still need to consider your wedding gift. Ideally, the couple’s registry will have a range of price points for you to choose from. If not, you might need to get a little creative and communicate with some of the other guests. You should easily be able to split the cost of a larger gift with a small group of people.
Be Realistic about Your Budget
When your budget is tight, it’s important to stay realistic about what you can comfortably spend as a wedding guest. Have you been saving for a trip of your own? Are you still chipping away at some debt? Maybe attending that out-of-town wedding for a distant relative or that old friend just isn’t a priority for your finances right now. It’s okay to politely decline the invite.
We always want to encourage our clients to do what’s right for their bank account. If you aren’t exactly sure where you stand with your monthly budget or your estimated tax expenses for the year, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at NSO and Company. We’re here to take the worry and guesswork out of your budget. Give us a call at (317) 588-3131 to set up a consultation.