Here I will be tracking our total saved toward my wedding. My goal is to save $4,000 (but my goal is to NOT spend $4,000)
January 2012
Total into savings: $558
Had to pay $750 toward deposit on chapel/reception hall (from savings). Paid $136 for Ikea centerpiece items, shoes and necklace – came out of what would have been saved. Credit card rewards are up to $150. These rewards will be used towards wedding expenses closer to the wedding date.February 2012
Total into savings: $2294
This month was fantastic, mainly due to my tax returns. Without the tax returns we still would have saved over $700 on our own. As the wedding comes closer, I’m starting to get nervous and hoping to kick this savings into high gear! Credit card rewards are up to $175.March 2012
Total into savings: $1671
Another good month, thanks to March being a 3 paycheck month. Those months make me happy! I continue to work my part-time contract position and without this extra income, this goal would be much more difficult. We’ve already reached my goal of saving $4,000, but we’re going to continue saving, just in case. Whatever money is left over will either be put toward a nest egg or will be applied to my loan. Credit card rewards are at $204!April 2012
Total into savings: $600
This month we spent a bit of money on the wedding so the savings wasn’t as much The biggest expense was necklaces for my 2 bridesmaids. I found a couple of great necklaces on Red Envelope’s website. I’m not going to share the exact necklaces because I haven’t given them as gifts yet, but I think they’re beautiful! We/ve also bought a few things for my centerpieces. Credit card rewards are up to $226.May 2012
Total into savings: $300
As I mentioned in the loan repayment section, this month was a tricky one as everything seemed to come up at one time. The wedding planning is coming along well and I feel like we only have a few more details to really tease out. With only 4 1/2 months left to go, we’re down to crunch time. I’m confident we have enough money to make everything happen the way we want, but we all know things don’t work out as planned. I’m hoping to save a TON in June before The Mister and I take our trip in the beginning of July. Credit card rewards are up to $259June 2012
Total into savings: $452
I’m actually kind of surprised we were able to save much of anything this month…We had to pay the other half of the chapel fee and we paid for my wedding cake. These two things totaled a little over $1100. But, the good thing is the chapel is paid for now and we’ve got my wedding cake taken care of. The only things we really have left to pay for are my DJ (well, his speaker rental), my dress alterations, decorations and reception food/drinks. There isn’t much left to do really. This month I also dipped into my credit card rewards. I had $289.99 saved up, so I felt okay about dipping into it. I got a $50 Hobby Lobby card (for wedding goodies still needed) and a Sports Authority card to help with The Mister’s birthday present next month. I still have $200 saved in rewards and will keep on earning.July 2012
Total into savings: $O
Big ol’ fat goose egg! The reason we didn’t save anything is that we spent money on the wedding in July. Going into Super Bride Mode meant having to shell out some dough. In July we spent about $340 on wedding stuff, including my undergarments for the day and all the stuff I mentioned in the last post from Ikea and Hobby Lobby. While we spent the money, we didn’t have to dip into the savings. We basically just spent what we would have saved. So it evens out. The Mister’s sprained ankle also set us back some this month, but, stuff happens. With my vacation and getting settled in, I didn’t work as much at my 2nd job so I also didn’t make as much money. Starting in mid-July I’m back on working all my contract hours, which will help immensely. I did earn $47 in rewards this month, so my reward money is back up to $247.August 2012
Total Into Savings: $0
Another goose egg for August. We haven’t put anything into savings, but we also haven’t had to dip into the savings yet! It’s been pay as we go. I will say, we have absolutely surpassed the $4,000 mark, which is a bummer. But, this also includes travel arrangements to go back to my hometown at the end of October for reception #2. I’m finding that this wedding stuff is complicated and I’ve changed my mind many, many times. The wedding I envisioned a year and a half ago is completely different than the one we’re having. I have a feeling that once it’s all said and done, there will be one massive post about everything I’ve learned. No time now though! My credit card rewards got up to almost $300, but I’ve since used them for some jewelry, Hobby Lobby Cards and other wedding related things.September 2012
Total Into Savings: $0Total Spent from Savings: $0
In September, we’ve paid for things as we go and still have yet to dip into our wedding savings. There isn’t much more to buy but we do have a few last things pay for before the big day – finish paying the bartender, the caterer, buy the last of the alcohol, pay for my wedding band & engagement ring resizing, and pay for my dress alterations. The bigger point here is that we will definitely NOT go into debt for this wedding. We’ll come out on the other side with a decent savings started and I’m rather pleased about that. Yes, we have, by and large, spent more than we had originally intended. We’ve had to make some compromises on things we originally wanted to spend less money on. It is what it is, I suppose. In the end, we will not start our marriage off in more debt. Spent a little more than intended but so be it. Here’s to the last 3 weeks of being a Miss!
