Growing Your Savings with Positive Financial Behavior

A look at what everyone needs to save for

Wedding season will be in full bloom as we dive into the coming months and plenty of folks are receiving wedding invitations in the mail as we write.  The question many of you are asking yourselves is:  “How much should I spend on a gift”?

We feel your pain, especially if you are traveling out-of-state and rely on a hotel for the night, on top of giving the happy couple a gift.

We believe the wedding gift rules should be:

• Give What you can Afford.  While this sounds reasonable and logical, many of us ignore this rule.  Sometimes we feel cheap if we don’t follow the Joneses.  Remember, you will not win with money if you ignore your current situation – unpaid bills piling up, etc.  Make sure you can afford gift giving.
• Shop Using Coupons.  Visit the couple’s bridal registry.  Search the internet for store coupons. 
• Split a Hotel Room.  If your wedding attendance requires you to travel, you will probably need a hotel room.  Ask other guests if they would like to go in half for a hotel room.  The 50% savings can go towards the gift.
• Theme Gift.  When shopping for gifts we first come up with a theme.  If the registrants have a bread-maker on their registry, the theme would be baking.  You could pair that bread-maker with baking pans/dough roller/cooling racks/oven mitts/aprons/dish towels and iron-on patches with the couples initials.
• Adjust your Budget.  For those that would like to put money in an envelope:  adjust your budget accordingly the minute you receive the wedding invitation.  For example, if the wedding is three months away, redo your budget so that you have cash readily available to set aside for the wedding gift.  This may mean you forego recreational dining out.

Whatever the gift you decide on, make sure it comes from the heart.  A giving spirit allows you to appreciate the things life has given you.