Wedding season is well under way and I am excited! But if like me you have a mammoth number of weddings to attend this year then you might be thinking of a few ways you can make your money go further-without compromising on generosity, gift giving and looking good!
1. Go second hand- I know, I know I sound like a broken record but there are some beautiful dresses to be found at a bargain rate in charity shops or on E-Bay. Here is one of the dresses I have picked up for under £10, which would easily retail at at least four times the price. Similarly you can find some amazing accessories, shoes and other items-you just have to look.
2.Swap / borrow clothes from friends whose style you admire (and are hopefully the same size!). This goes for shoes, bags and jewellery too. Or better still, recycle or shop in your own wardrobe. Same dress, a different pair of shoes, accessories and make up will give it a completely different look every time. And don’t worry about whether you’re seen twice in the same outfit (oh the joys of Facebook) it is not a big deal!
3. Go Dutch on wedding gifts if they are pricey! For expensive gifts, why not go halves with another friend? A while ago, I left it until the last minute to buy a wedding gift for a friend even though the wedding gift list had been open for several weeks. All the affordable things were gone, but still committed to buying the happy couple something they actually wanted, a friend and I decided to go halves on one of the items- which was much more affordable.
4.Make a weekend of it– If it’s out of town and you happen to be going with a group of friends, travel down together making the most of group discounts or car pool. Similarly if it’s too far from home for a day trip, book a hotel room sharing with a few friends and again look for discounts. If there is a sizeable group seeking accommodation you might be able to negotiate a deal for multiple bookings-especially if it’s not peak season and it’s not in a popular location. You may as well kill two birds with one stone and turn it into a mini break, as well as being part of the wedding celebration- result.
5. Put your money away! Most people will give you sufficient notice if they are getting married- 3, 6 months or even a year’s notice. By setting aside £20- 30 a month, which you probably would not miss or are likely to spend on unimportant stuff- over six months that is at least £120-180. If you can afford to put aside more do so- for example- imagine putting £50-100 each month? Over 6 months that’s between £300-600 which is more than sufficient for attending multiple weddings (unless you’re going overseas).
What money saving ideas would you recommend for the serial wedding attendee? Love to hear from you.
THE THRIFTY AFROPOLITAN 
Ah! Bargain hunting gives me a thrill, I suppose there’s something so gratifying about paying less for quality items.
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