Saving Up!
Scrimping and saving to get the wedding you want is normally high on the agenda, so check out our cheap ‘n’ cheerful saving ideas to increase your wedding budget!
For brides and grooms, scrimping and saving to get the wedding they want is normally high on the agenda. For other members of the wedding party too – presents, outfits and possibly chipping in to help the couple out can take a toll on the old bank account. However, just because you’re trying to exercise a little financial moderation doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun while you’re saving for the big day. Check out these cheap ‘n’ cheerful ideas…
Picture perfect
• Go to the cinema on Orange Wednesdays, when the tickets are half price for Orange users with a special code. Also, check out your local independent cinemas – although smaller, they are often cheaper and even give great deals on movies/food evenings out!
• Rent a good DVD, rather than the one you’ve settled on because everything else is out and the shop’s about to close. Most video stores have their own websites now where you can book new releases in advance.
Explore your area
• Do you really know where you live? Get out and about in your locality and find out what the place is really like. Many areas offer countryside or city walks, where you can find out about the past and soak up the atmosphere of the place, whether it’s a fine hedgerow, Portland-stone square or the bloody history of your city. See your local paper or library for details.
• Visit a museum or gallery. You may not be able to afford the latest Monet or Degas retrospective, but it’s usually free to wander around the rest of the exhibits (and a lot less crowded). Alternatively, it’s cheap or even free to visit local art shows, photographers’ galleries or designers workshops. Don’t be put off by buzz-only entry systems or few signs of life – you may catch the next Damien Hirst or Jackson Pollock conceiving a masterpiece.
• Roam your local park. Organise a game of five-a-side or softball with mates or just crash out on the green with an improvised picnic.
• Discover your nearest library, rather than the bar or restaurant next door. You can hire out CDs and DVDs in many libraries for a few pounds, and many also organise events such as book readings and talks
Get cooking!
With time and effort, you can knock up some relatively inexpensive, romantic meals without having to become a sous-chef.
Invite your friends round for a meal – and ask them to bring a course with them. If you’re providing the snacks, venue and drinks, they won’t mind, especially when they know you’re short of cash. Turn the event into a theme night, with food from a specific decade such as 70s flans and cheese fondues or delicacies from abroad. Top off the festivities with some entertainment: home-made quizzes, board games, karaoke, Twister…
Just for a change
• Relax and forget everything for an hour or two by booking a restorative massage or alternative treatment. Training schools often offer them cheaply or ask around – novices have to practice on others, even if they’re nearly qualified. Or ring the governing body of a therapy for your cheapest option.
• Take up a short evening class to learn a new language – particularly if you’re taking a honeymoon abroad and want to impress the locals (or simply your new spouse). Or you could try a short course in anything from upholstery classes to candle-making.
• Cancel or sell your gym membership on to a friend and take up jogging. It’s cheap, you can buy some trendy sports gear to impress the neighbours, and it’ll help tone you up for the wedding and after. Best of all, it’s a great stress-buster…
• Be a tourist for the day. Travel on the open-top bus around town and snuggle-up on deck, take a cruise down the local canal or river or visit the nearest fairground or amusement park and run about trying the most hair-raising rides.
Find more great information on our Wedding Planning pages!
