Many people delay becoming engaged because their personal finances are in disarray. They can’t even begin to contemplate financing a wedding when they’re struggling to make ends meet.
Although this blog can’t solve all of your personal finance problems, we ran across some doable ideas in a website called The Penny Hoarder that can save you some serious dollars each year, opening up funds for your future wedding celebration.
Idea #1: Know where to ask for help.
There are a lot of services available to help people struggling financially. Is there an easy way to find them? Yes, thanks to the United Way. They’ve put together a website called 211.org with a clearinghouse of helpful resources to help you with food, housing, utilities and employment. Or simply pick up your phone and call 211.
It’s that simple. One of their clients said,
“This phone call has given me more hope than I ever thought possible. I have been beaten down for so long and told that I could never be anything. Just talking to you meant even more than all the resources you gave me.”
If you’re feeling down and out emotionally or financially (or both), don’t wait. Pick up the phone and call 211 or go to their website.
Another one of their clients just couldn’t make ends meet. They picked up the phone and let United Way go to work on their behalf. Here’s what happened:
“I have had anxiety since all of this started, I was barely making it before, but I was ok. I feel so much better now knowing that I am receiving this help. I knew if I could just get a little help, I could stay caught up.”
This is a great starting point, but there are more ways to get your personal finances in order.
Idea #2: Consolidate your credit cards with a low interest rate.
Credit card debt can be a major source of stress on your personal finances. One way to save money and reduce your stress is a credit card consolidation loan. Many companies provide these services. You can check out one online resource right now called Happy Money.
You can quickly check what your rate will be with them, and checking won’t hurt your credit score.
Idea #3: Save money when you shop on Amazon.
If you’re one of the millions of people who shop online on Amazon, you may be paying more than you need to. You see, you may not know about coupon codes available for the product you want to buy.
A number of services are available that automatically comb the internet to quickly find and apply these codes to your purchases. Capital One provides one if you use a Chrome browser. Or check out another one called Honey. Either service is free, so you can’t go wrong, and in fact you might be able to save hundreds of dollars per year.
Idea #4: Shop your car insurance.
The average person between 30 and 45 pays $1652 per year for full-coverage auto insurance. The advent of internet shopping has ushered in a number of good services that allow you to easily shop your car insurance. They spend a ton on advertising, so you’ve heard of many of them:
So if your personal finances are problematic, these 4 ideas are practical ways to right the ship. Then you can start dreaming again. And the ultimate dream is your wedding celebration.
We can help you save on the wedding entertainment, because our wedding entertainment packages run a half to a third of a typical local band. Don’t let your personal finances stop you from dreaming. Solutions are at hand.
