I've been a WW user for over a year now, and while I see a lot of "budget" ideas and money saving tips there really isn't one thread with a ton of ideas put together to help each other out! I thought about including something like this in my BAM down the road, but it deserves its own post. I've saved a dollar or two here and there so I'm going to list my hacks below, please post yours in the comments!!
-Take advantage of Black Friday! Tons of stuff go on sale for your wedding that you could use..decor, clothes for parties (bridal shower/engagement/etc.) bridal party gifts (getting ready robes and pjs), stationary, etc. GET OUT AND SHOP! Also, cyber Monday is awesome.
-If you're buying online, leave your cart full for a few days. Most likely, you'll get an email for a coupon code to finish your purchase. Davids Bridal sent me a 15% off coupon code for my order of my tulle overskirt because I left it in the cart for over 24 hours. Saved $20 and got free shipping!
-Subscribe to get emails from places you frequently shop. You can always unsubscribe later down the road, but you'll be the first to know about sales in order to snag up a good deal on something you need. This is how I found out the bridesmaids dress my girls picked was on super sale, ($80 instead of $180, and it was being discontinued so my girls all scrambled to order it, they rock!)
-Again, SALES! Never buy anything full price, including stationary. I bought save the dates, bridal shower invites, bridal shower menus, thank you cards, posters and many many other things during one of Vistaprints 50% off sales. They have them multiple times a year, so I just made up my invites, saved them in my cart and when they went on sale I bought them. (Pro-tip: they'll probably have one again before Christmas, if not a few times before Christmas.) Other websites do this too, I just love Vistaprint.
-Michael's app, thank me later. Need a large photo frame? Need a lantern or two? Need to grab some extra chargers? Flowers? ANYTHING CRAFTY? Michael's app ALWAYS has coupons for at least one item (usually 40% or 50% off), sometimes 20% off your entire purchase. I always use the app to grab whatever I need, even if it means buying one thing at a time, its such a steal.
-Amazon Prime. Self explanatory, but still worth a mention. I'd say 30-40% of my wedding items have come from Amazon. I've placed 80 orders in the last 6 months. (This includes non-wedding orders, too.) It's $13 a month for a membership. If you place 2 orders a month, you've gotten your moneys worth in shipping costs. And its 2-day delivery! Can't beat it! Prices are often lower on Amazon than other major retailers too, and ordering is freakin' easy. Love Amazon.
-If you're like me, you probably know a ton of people getting married, too. Ask them what they're doing with their decor when the wedding is over. Maybe you can buy it at a discount, or if they're really nice they'll just give it to you for free, lol. Its worth a shot to grab a Mr. and Mrs. sign from your friend at a discount before you buy it somewhere else. Helps you both out in the long run.
-Buying vs. renting. I won't get into too much detail but buying is almost always definitely cheaper than renting anything for the wedding. Its often times more of a pain, but the pain is usually worth the savings, esp. if you're on a tight budget. If you can't re-sell items after the wedding, donate them to a friend or somewhere local for others to have the chance to use them, too. (This includes lights, linens, etc.)
What are your hacks? Let me know!
