Budgets! Easy Aids You Can Take With You

Having a hard time saving for your wedding or honeymoon? Here are a couple of web sites to help you out.



Video courtesy of Mint.com and YouTube

Mint.com from Intuit Inc helps you track every penny you spend (as well as every penny coming in.) It will let you track if it's a check, cash or credit card purchase. Overspending because you are using you credit card too much? Learn to leave the card at home. Awareness of your spending habits (especially the bad ones) can help you save as much money as a weekly savings plan.

Mint.com lets you set up the app on your smart phone and track your cash flow. But the key to any of these apps is the data is only helpful if you are dedicated to entering each expense (including that burger at McD's or that latte that you swore to give up!) The tablet version of the app has graphs to show you where you've been spending your cash.

Intuit's Mint.com can also alert you by email or text (your choice) to remind you when bills are due or when your bank balance is low. Best of all, because the app is owned by the same folks who own TurboTax, the app is set up to integrate your info with their tax program come tax season.


EEBA Budget Aid from YouTube

If you grew up with parents who set aside cash in separate envelopes for each expense as a way to budget Easy Envelope Budget Aid from Dayspring Technologies may be for you. Like your mom's or grandmom's way of budgeting, Easy Envelope Budget Aid lets you separate money to help control your spending as a way to help discipline your spending habits. The app lets you set up envelopes for each bill or expense and each expense gets tagged as a withdrawal from it's envelope. Couples can register together and sync transactions between two mobile devices and a website as a way to budget together.

Hope these help you budget for your wedding! Everyone has their own system that works best for them.

How Much Will Your Wedding Cost?

Source: dailyinfographic.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

from: dailyinfographic.com

Weddings just seem to be getting more and more expensive. Here's a basic breakdown of weddings in the United States. Read not just the general stats but look for your own state and area and see what it says. Also check the bottom to see where you might be able to shave off some costs (other than not inviting your nearest and dearest).

Garage Sales Can Boost Your Wedding Budget and Ten Items To Sell In Your Garage Sale

Every bride and groom has a budget, most of them are stretched pretty thin and there's always room for a little bit more money in it.  One way to raise money is to have a garage sale.  What should you put in a garage sale?

Ten Things To Sell In A Yard Sale:

1. If you haven't used it in a year, or worn it in a year, there's a good chance it's garage sale material. 
2. If you or your kids have grown out of clothes, it's time to sell them.  If you have some old costume jewelry toss it in the sale, or take it to the local vintage store.
3. Did you just buy a new bike? new lawn mower? new dresser? new lamp? Sell your old ones and add the cash to your kitty.
4. Do you have kitchen gadgets that you don't use?  My last garage sale I sold extra crock pots (for some reason I had three, plus the one I kept), other kitchen electrics, old pots and pans, old microwaves etc.  Please be sure all items are newly washed.
5. Do you have old TVs? There's always a chance that someone will want those, so put them out but be sure you have an electrical hookup so you can show that they work.
6. Too many DVD players? (My husband had FIVE, our next sale at least three are going!) This doesn't count his Blue Ray players.
7. Old tools--when I first bought my house I scoured garage sales for tools.  If you've been to the hardware store lately you know just how expensive those things are, at a garage sale you can snag gardening tools, items for your tool kit etc. for next to nothing.
8. Have an old printer or scanner you replaced just because you wanted a new one? Put the old ones in a garage sale instead of tossing them out.
9. The word 'Collectible' is often used to suck in buyers.  Only use this word if you really have something collectible.  Of course whether this counts old McDonald's Disney figurines--only you can decide.  Yes, some people DO collect these, but I'd list them as toys not collectibles.
10. Toys are always a good selling item.  Keep in mind if you're a bride and groom your toy collection is likely from your childhood and MAY have real collectible value, you might be better off on eBay. With clothing you might get a better return at a local vintage store or on eBay. 

Planning Your Garage Sale:

1. Check with your parents and in laws, chances are they've accumulated even more 'junk' than you have that they'd be willing to 'donate to the cause' as it were as long as you're willing to pick it up and take it away. 
2. Check with your town, some towns have 'Garage Sale Day' where the whole town is out garage sailing--sometimes this will get you more traffic.  Also consider having a block yard sale.  This gives your shoppers one stop parking and a whole street to shop. 
3. Don't forget about posting online.  Consider signage to direct people to your home as well as ads in your local paper.  Be careful not to overspend on ads--the idea IS to make money.
4. Consider having a two day sale.  You've gotten all this stuff together, why not try to sell as much as possible?
5. If you live in a condo or apartment check with the office.  They may have rules AGAINST having garage sales.

Now you're ready to try to add to your budget, it's time to start picking through your 'stuff'.
I'm sure everyone has still more ideas of what to put in a garage sale, or other ways to raise money to pay for a wedding, post in the comments and I can cover it in another post.

BJ's Wholesale Club Rocks For Brides

Start the Celebration with Flowers from BJs!

I just got an email today from BJ's Wholesale Club.  It was promoting everything from great prices for flowers to wedding rings and engagement rings.  This might be a good time to sign up at BJ's Wholesale Club--after all, saving money is the name of the game!

I remember talking to a very upscale florist in Philly about where to get your flowers--he admitted they bought them at one of the local grocery stores! Yikes! I didn't ask what he charged his clients for them! So don't feel bad about buying yours from BJs!

The Wholesale Club also offers some deals on travel, so stop in today and see if they can help you balance the budget for your wedding!