I am the definition of "champagne taste on a beer budget." I love designer clothes, going to the spa, traveling to exotic places and staying in luxury hotels, eating at the top restaurants, and so on, but I hate the price tag associated with it. I will splurge occasionally, but I'll rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. I don't mind scouring the racks at Ross to find my $15 Juicy Sweats or driving 30 miles to buy $60 Sevens and Citizens jeans. Finding a $30 SEI scrapbook set on sale for $5 makes me feel accomplished. I live for good deals.Ever since I was old enough to have an allowance, I have worked hard to manage my money responsibly. I've managed to afford some luxuries while keeping my spending in check. I've dutifully tracked every penny earned and spent. I've maintained a good credit score and paid off my student loan to be debt-free.
I am also a cost accountant by profession. I make my living by creating and managing budgets. I monitor performance to plan and compare actuals to budget. I am an Excel freak. It only seems fitting that all of this carry over to my wedding planning as well.
I want my wedding to be elegant -- a nice resort with chiavari chairs, lush flowers, and to-die-for food -- BUT, I absolutely refuse to go into debt for it. Once I started wedding planning, I was blown away by the prices and knew this would be difficult -- $8.50 to rent a chair (times 250-300 people)? $200 for a bouquet that is made out of flowers I could buy at Costco for $30? $80/head for dinner plus $7/drink and a 23% service fee? Eeeek! I'll have to make sacrifices along the way, but I'm still hoping to have my dream wedding at a reasonable price.
What are some of the best budget-saving tips you've come across in your wedding planning process?
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