Smart Ways to Save Money on Any Event

Ideas for saving money on events:

1 Y Prioritize:

You decide what the most important things are to you: the decorations, the food you serve, the entertainment, the venue ... what matters most? Choose your top three non-negotiable priorities, set aside the money needed for them, and then find ways to cut back on the lower priorities. What those top priorities are will be different for everyone, and that is okay.

If you are planning a wedding, use this as an opportunity to practice working together to make decisions. You can each select your top three priorities and work together to decide what is most important to you as a couple.

2 Y Be Creative:

Give yourself lots of time so you can let things roll around in your mind for a while. That gives you the opportunity to think of or see things you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. You may happen to pass a beautiful greenhouse that you think might be just right for a wedding reception. You might visit public parks and community centers and explore the possibility of holding a reception there. You may see someone selling a great backdrop or other decorations online. If you're looking with time to spare, you can take advantage of more opportunities by joining buy/sell FaceBook groups and watching thrift stores or online yard sales.

3 Y Do it Yourself:

Set aside time to start creating and carrying out some of the work yourself. For example, there are lots of templates for creating your own invitations, and you could put together a playlist instead of hiring a DJ. Pinterest and YouTube are fantastic resources with lots of ideas for designing beautiful decorations. 

Some of these projects can take a lot of time, so be realistic about what it will take and what you have time to do. This is a great time to invite friends to help.

4 Y Be Flexible:

Do the vases really need to match? Could you look for a variety of coordinating used vases?

How about the date of the event? Choosing to rent a venue in the off-season or on a weekday instead of the weekend can lead to huge savings. 

5 Y Look into Renting or Borrowing:

A lot of things like table linens and backdrops, microphones, chairs and other furniture can be rented.

You may have friends with books and old lanterns or other fun decorations who will let you borrow them. Look around your own home for baskets, frames, fabric, and other items you could use.

Another alternative is to sell the things you no longer need after the event. If you list them ahead of time with an availability date after the event, you may not even need to store them in the meantime.

6 Y Consider the Guest List:

A smaller, more intimate guest list can lead to huge savings, especially if you are planning a wedding or other large event. Fewer guests mean less food and a smaller venue.

7 Y Negotiate with Vendors:

Don't be afraid to negotiate with vendors, especially if you are willing to pay in cash, book during the off-season, or make other concessions. Another possibility is to look for independent vendors with local businesses or students who are still learning and developing their portfolio.

8 Y Track your Spending:

Know where your money is going because it's very easy for spending to get away from you. You can use a budget tracking spreadsheet, an app, or even a simple notebook that you carry around. The method isn't as important as the fact that you are tracking.

Save where you can so that you have money to spend where it matters most.

I hope that helps! You've got this!

Christina
Abean Assist

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