Archive for Wedding

March Progress Updated

6 Apr 2012 / Emily / 2 comments

Progress toward the wedding savings and loan repayment has been updated.  Things are moving right along…

Wedding Savings

I’ve reached my $4,000 savings goal already, but I’m going to continue to save.  I’m really working hard to find ways to cut costs and spend a little as possible (also avoiding all the non-essentials). I continue to save to make sure we have enough money to cover anything that comes up and to avoid any future debt.

The wedding savings is not only going to be for the ceremony/reception only, but also the travel costs that will inevitably be involved.  In May I’m making a trip to my hometown for a bridal shower (and to say hi :) ).  Then after the wedding in Denver, The Mister and I will head to my hometown for reception #2.  Perhaps we can have a little honeymoon in there too…

The Mister and I met with the Minister and owner of the chapel last week to discuss some of the details.  I thought I had a lot planned already, but there are definitely some decisions to be made still.  More on those details at another time…

Loan Payments

Geez Louise, it seems like it’s been forever since I’ve seen any movement on the loan!  It’s finally below $18,000.  I’m actually looking forward to the day I can re-direct my money toward the loan.  I never thought I’d say that.   I watched it disappear in leaps and bounds last year and all of a sudden it’s at a slow crawl.  It’s a little frustrating, but I know that the money is best used for the wedding now.

All Things Life

Aside from the savings and loan payments, things are going relatively well.  I’ve definitely loosened my belt in some ways and I continue to keep it tight in other ways.

I’m still catching up on the clothing issue.  With every new season comes a closet of clothing that doesn’t fit.  I made a trip to Kohl’s last month and got some shirts and undergarments that fit (with the right amount of coupons, of course!).  I’ve made a couple of trips to Ross for undergarments, socks and a couple of other pieces of clothing.  I finally have everything I need in the way of work out clothing, so I’ve cut myself off there.  I will probably be hitting up the thrift store soon for “new” skirts, as my skirt supply is shrinking with my waistline.

I actually just put my favorite skirt in the donation pile yesterday.  After hiking it up all day, I came to the sad realization that I can no longer wear it.  It’s bittersweet really…

I took the plunge and purchased an entertainment book last month. (I really wanted one last year, but since I wasn’t spending money, it made no sense). I found a deal to get it for $17 (+ free shipping).  I also purchased one for New Orleans, to help with some of the costs while we’re down there.  In total, I spent $27 for both, plus, I’ll be getting $10 cash back since I went through Fatwallet. The cash back made me feel a little less guilty about the purchases.  I’m excited to take advantage of some of the coupons in there, especially the BOGO coupons for museums and such.  Come hell or high water, I WILL go to some new museums in Denver this year!

I’m really excited about the nice weather.  The Mister and I took our first hike last weekend and we’re planning another one this weekend. With the nice weather comes playing outside and I love getting out!  I’m also looking forward to all the festivals around town this summer. I inevitably come away from festivals with free stuff and there is no admission fee.

I have to say that I’m rather proud of myself.  At the end of month 3, I’ve still been socking away a good bit of money without completely depriving myself of experiences or the little things that aren’t quite necessary but that make life a bit more comfortable.

How have things been going for you?

Category: Home Life, Progress, Wedding / Tags: , , , ,

The Wedding Machine

4 Mar 2012 / Emily / 7 comments

Lately I’ve become very disenchanted with the wedding industry.  In my humble opinion, it’s a racket!  According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding these days is $27,800! Oy!

In the excitement of getting engaged, I signed up for all the big websites and now my email is littered with emails from them, daily.  The emails are always telling me the great deals on stuff that I don’t actually need…

Part of an email I just received.

 

 

I enjoy the wording on all the emails I get from the big bridal sites and companies selling wedding stuff.  Everything is a necessity, a must-have, or essential.

I’m  not sure I’ve really seen anything on the emails I get that I would consider essential.  Personalized napkins?  While they’re cute, I don’t feel like my wedding or reception are going to fall apart without them.  I’m also not sure that anyone at the reception would notice they’re wiping their mouths on my name (or aren’t wiping their mouths on my name…)

It seems like it’s easy to get wrapped up in all the wedding stuff.  There are tons of companies out there looking to make money off of “my big day.”  I’m realizing more and more that the wedding industry is such a big business.

Just google “wedding” and you’ll see what I mean. (As of now there are 246,000,000 hits…)

With all the hullabaloo around a wedding, it’s easy to lose sight of what the root of a wedding is.  It’s a celebration.  It’s two people (usually with family and friends) celebrating a commitment and a partnership.  PERIOD.  All the other stuff is optional.

Recently I came across a fantastic book that seems to be bringing me back down to reality.  Miss Manners’ Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding.

I have absolutely fallen in LOVE with this book.  I highly recommend it for any bride-to-be.  She has some very strong opinions of the wedding industry and how they’ve made a circus out of modern weddings.  With all the messages I’ve gotten from different people, websites and books about weddings, my head was spinning.  I’ve decided to forget most of what I’ve read and concentrate on having a pretty simple, meaningful wedding for me and The Mister, our family and close friends.

As I continue down this crazy road of wedding planning, I’m sure there will be many more rants to come.

You’ve been warned.

Category: Wedding / Tags: , ,

Happy Leap Day – Monthly Update

29 Feb 2012 / Emily / No comments

February 29th, eh?  This only comes around once every 4 years.  I would like to say that I have something fantastic planned for this extra day, but alas I do not. It’s just another Wednesday on my calendar.  For some reason, I’m kind of kicking myself for not getting married on a leap day.  That just sounds fun.  Don’t ask me why – I couldn’t really explain why I think so.

For all the leap day babies out there – Happy Birthday!

I’ve updated the progress on my student loan payment and my wedding savings.

I have to admit that last year I felt like I was giving my student loan debt a roundhouse kick to the face.  Illustrated it would look something like this…

I realize that the loan debt isn’t my main focus now, but it’s still kind of a bummer that I’m not making the progress I was last year.  Now it sort of feels like I’m running up to my student loan debt, kicking it in the shin and then running away. It’s more like this…

Click image for source

When I take a step back and quit comparing this year to last, I do realize I am still making progress.  I’m not squandering my money like I used to and for that I am proud.  When I think about the fact that I paid off $14K in debt last year and I still have $47K left before it’s out of my life completely, it’s a tad discouraging.  I will keep going and eventually I will persevere.  Damn it.

I am pleased with the progress I’m making toward the wedding fund.  This is coming along nicely and while I still have anxiety about the possible cost of the wedding, I feel like I’m finding more and more ways to cut costs where I can.  And in the end, I will still be married, regardless of how much I do or don’t spend.

I feel like this last month I did better with controlling my spending.  Last month I replaced a ton of clothing and felt somewhat guilty about it.  This month I replaced a bunch of undergarments and I have no guilt about that.

I took a big leap and signed up for a 5k run.  I’ve never been a runner, but with my weight loss goal so close (another 20-30 lbs to lose), I feel like I need to start doing something different.  I’m learning that the closer one gets to being a “normal” weight, the harder it is to lose.  Not only because I burn less overall calories because I’m not bearing as much weight, but also because our bodies tend to want to hold onto some of the extra weight.  You know, in case of famine or something.  So, to keep myself motivated and focused on a shorter term goal, I signed up for this 5k.  It’s also a week after my 30th birthday, which can provide a little added motivation to do it.  I found a daily deal for this 5k, so I got 1/2 off the price.  That just makes it even better!

Overall, I think it’s been a good month.  We’re heading into Spring pretty soon and that just makes me happy.  The Winter tends to be a bummer because it’s cold and dark, but with Spring comes flowers and trees, more light, and warmer weather.  It can’t get here soon enough!

Do you have any successes to share?  Is there anything you’re feeling proud of? Any milestones met?  Debt paid, gratification delayed, habits changed?  Please share! :)

Category: Progress, Saving, Wedding / Tags: , ,

Wedding: The Shoes

23 Feb 2012 / Emily / 2 comments

Back in January, I took the plunge and bought my wedding shoes.  My mom and I were on a marathon shopping spree, with nothing but the wedding in mind.  We went to a few different stores and left with nothing but disappointment.

Then we walked into DSW and the clouds parted.

There they were!  The shoes I had pictured.

The funny thing is I had a very specific shoe in mind.  I wanted them to have high heels, to be peep-toe, and to have some sort of embellishment on them.  I’m really not sure why, as I’m not much of a shoe person.  There are a lot of wedding details I could care less about, but I was set on what kind of shoes I must have.

So, back to the clouds parting…

I was so excited to find them!  Then I looked at the price tag – $50.  This was discouraging as I really hate to spend that much on a pair of shoes I may only wear once or twice.  I grabbed the only box they had in my size and headed for the clearance section.  I found a couple of pairs of shoes in my size that would work, but wouldn’t be the shoes I wanted.  The shoes on clearance were half the price of the shoes I wanted.

It’s time to make the tough decision – shoes that are okay and a price I like or shoes that are perfect but more expensive. 

I took the dream shoes out of the package and examined them.  My mom quickly noticed they had a few small dirt smudges on them.

“These are dirty.  I think they’ve been worn before.  I wouldn’t get them” my mom said.

“But they’re perfect Mom!”

“Or,” she said, “I would ask to talk to a manager.  You could get a discount.  You might even get them for 1/2 price.”

I gave her a funny look.  ”Really?!”

“I’ve done it before.  They want you to buy the shoes and they’ll give you a discount if that’s what it takes.” she tells me.

The prospect of doing this made me very anxious.  For some reason I can haggle at a flea market, but the thought of doing so in a regular store feels very different.  But then I thought of the possibility of having the exact shoes that I want for a price I can live with.  I charged toward the front of the store.

I told the sales clerk they were dirty and I thought they’d been worn.  She inspected them, told me she didn’t think they’d be worn outside of the store and she could give me 10% off.  ”Or, I could ask my manager and he may approve a deeper discount.”  I chose the 2nd option.

When she came back from talking to the manager, she told me he approved a 50% discount.  SOLD!

I gleefully left the store, with my perfect wedding shoes in tow for $25.  As for the dirt my mom spotted – it really isn’t much at all and nothing that will be noticed.

 

Category: Wedding / Tags: , , ,

The Wedding Dress

12 Feb 2012 / Emily / No comments

When my mother visited Denver in January, we had a long list of to-dos to accomplish in the 5 days she was here.  There were some pretty lofty goals and some not so lofty goals…

The biggies were to go dress shopping and hopefully find a dress and to look at venues.  We also had to talk about guest lists, time lines, entertainment, food and the list went on.  I’m glad to say, we accomplished most of what we set out to while she was here.

I was less than enthused to go dress shopping, for a couple of reasons.

  1. Wedding dresses are EXPENSIVE.
  2. Wedding dress shops are (in my opinion) pretty boring.
  3. A lot of wedding dresses (in my opinion) are UGLY.
  4. People who sell wedding dresses seem to be pushy.  Shall I continue?

I was actually dreading this task.  I didn’t know what I wanted, but I did not what I didn’t want.  I didn’t want anything too ornate (nix the sparkles, embellishments, and absolutely no lace).  I didn’t want a big ol’ gown with a long train.  I didn’t want to drop more than $200.

Side note: Originally, when we were going to get hitched in Vegas, I was going to get what I call a “floofy party dress”.  I wanted something fun that isn’t a gown.  I had actually picked out this fantastic dress.  But, when we decided to get married in Denver, in a church, I felt like I should go for something a bit more modest.  Especially since we’re getting married in late October.  Who knows what the weather will be like – it could be 80 degrees or we could have a foot of snow.  You never know what the weather will be during that time of the year.

My mom and I have differing opinions of what a beautiful wedding dress is.  My mom’s expectations were along the lines of what I don’t want.  She seemed to go for the dresses that had sparkles, embellishments, straps/sleeves and long trains.

I was also dead set on finding my dress at a bridal consignment shop and I don’t think she was too enthused about that.  I figured, why spend a ton of money on a dress I’m going to wear once? There are so many wedding dresses made every year, so why not get mine at a discount because it’s been worn only once?  I mean, I barely buy new clothing period, so why would I start with my wedding dress?

I looked around online to see what Denver had to offer for bridal consignment shops.  I found a few shops that looked like they would meet my need and budget. My mom and I went to two of them.  (You can check out the Top Bridal Consignment Shops in Denver)

At the first shop, the woman asked me how much I was looking to spend.  I told her about $200.  She then went through and showed me gowns and picked out ones she thought I might like.  None were in my price range.  I noticed a clearance rack, which she didn’t even bother to look at.  I tried on many $1000 gowns and none really suited me (or my wallet).

On to the next shop…

We went to The Altar on West Colfax.  If you’re from Denver, I know you’re probably thinking You went to West Colfax to find a bridal gown?!  I absolutely fell in love with this place!  We walked in and were greeted kindly.  The woman working told us to take a look around, gave us the general layout of the store and told me to try on what I’d like. She didn’t insist on handling the gowns herself, she didn’t hover near the waiting room and she didn’t insist that I try on any gowns. That’s my kind of dress shopping!

I am happy to say I had my OMG, that’s my gown! moment.  It was perfect (my mom even liked it!).  Not only did my mother and I both like it, but it was also brand new, which seemed like a good compromise for the both of us.  I got it at a consignment store, meaning it was discounted and it had never been worn, meaning my mom was happy that I wasn’t wearing any hand-me-downs.

The other wonderful thing about it’s new status, is that it’s never been altered.  This gives me some wiggle room.  Of course I did what they say not to – I bought it even though it’s a little too small.  Because it’s never been altered, it can be taken out quite a bit and I’m confident that I will lose most, if not all, the weight I intent to by my wedding date.

My dress ended up being $400.  My mother graciously (and awesomely!) offered to buy it for me.  Honestly, I probably would have ended up buying it regardless, but her offer helps a ton.  I’ll be taking care of the alterations, which I’m sure won’t be cheap.

I wish I could share a picture of it, but you know the rule.  I guess I’ll have to wait until after the wedding, when we get some pictures back.

If you google “how to find a cheap wedding dress” you can find a ton of hits and tons of ideas.  I found this article, which seems to sum it up pretty well. One resource they don’t mention is craigslist.  If you search “wedding” in craigslist, there are TONS of listings for dresses, decorations, etc.

I’m relieved that I got one of the bigger tasks taken care of so early and quickly.  Now I can focus on the little wedding tasks at hand.  I’ll continue to give updates on the wedding planning and details as they come about.

Category: Shopping, Wedding / Tags: , ,

Fun At The Bridal Fair

10 Jan 2012 / Emily / 2 comments

Since this year I’m focusing on spending a little bit of money on experiences, I decided to give in and go to a bridal fair.  I got a coupon for $2 off attendance, making the admission $5 per person.  I bought my friend’s ticket because that only seemed fair.  So, I spent $10.  I figured that was reasonable enough.  I also figured I might as well have this experience, at least once.

I thought if nothing else, I’d get to sample food and make fun of bridezillas.  Unfortunately, I didn’t see any raging bridezillas, but I did eat a LOT of cake and a few other samples of food.

I also came away with a free oven mitt and a tube of chapstick.  Sweet!

The best part of the bridal fair was all the photo booths!  There were 5 total and my friend and I hit ALL of them.  We thought about going for a 2nd round, but we were afraid the photo booth people would recognize us.

I did get my friend’s explicit permission to post the following pictures.

Side note…I totally want a photo booth at my wedding.  They are so much fun!  I’m looking into some DIY methods currently.  I’m also weighing the cost to fun/memories ratio to see if maybe going for one would be worth it in the end.   Eyes are peeled for a groupon too.  If you happen to be (or know) a photo booth owner and want to throw the ol’ Thrifty Social Worker a great deal, hit me up :) (hey, it’s worth a try, right?)

 

This will be the cover of our first indie rock album

 

Category: Fun & Entertainment, Wedding / Tags: , , ,

Wedding: Ikea Candles & Centerpiece Idea

10 Jan 2012 / Emily / 5 comments

Click image for source

I have to preface this post with this: Originally I wanted nothing to do with having candles at my wedding reception.  The main reason is that they tend to be expensive.  I didn’t want that added expense, when I could find plenty of ideas for non-candle based centerpieces. There was one problem – my mother is hellbent on candle based centerpieces.  I’ve gotten her to compromise or change her mind on a lot of things, but candles were not one of them.  It seems like the reception is as much my mother’s party as it is mine and The Mister’s party, so I compromised…

I’ll get candles, but on my own terms…

  1. They CANNOT be white.  I’m not a fan of white, in general.  My wedding is in the fall and I LOVE rich fall colors.  White just doesn’t jive with that.
  2. They CANNOT have any scent.  If we’re talking 20+ candles, that would be overwhelming.  Mix a scented candle with the smell of people, alcohol and food and we’re looking at a barf-fest!
  3. They WILL NOT be on little mirrors.  That’s been done, a lot.  I’m over it.  I also don’t want the added cost of it.
  4. They WILL NOT be little floaty candles.  I really have nothing against this, per se, I just don’t want the floaty candles.

With these terms in mind, I have been searching high and low for unscented, colored candles.  I had no idea it would be such a difficult task!  It was looking hopeless, until I decided to take a look at the Ikea website and I’ll be damned!  Ikea has a whole selection of unscented candles, in color!

When my mom and I went to Ikea, I cleaned them out of their green unscented candles.  I actually have to go back and buy 2 more.  Each candle was $2.  I bought 18, which came to $36

This is actually one of my favorite colors, which makes it perfect. My friend who got married last year is going to donate the vases she has left over, which should be about the amount I need.  If not, I will go to Dollar Tree to buy the rest. This candle fits into the vase perfectly.

I also bought some smaller block candles.  I guess I’d consider them larger square votive candles.

These candles came in packs of 9, for $2.99 per pack.  I bought 9 packs of these, for a total of 81 candles.  This totaled $27.

I also bought candle holders for these small square candles.  The candle holders came in packs of 3 for $.99 each.  I bought 27 of these (total of 81 holders) for a total of $27. 

The rest of the centerpiece items have already been purchased… I spent $46 on 10 (or so) 6ft long fall garland a few months ago.  This was on clearance at Michael’s.  All the garland is different – some are just leaves, some have berries, some have flowers.  I’m going to make candle rings out of this garland.

Sort of like this…Click image for source

I also have a gigantic trash bag full of fake fall leaves, which I bought from a woman on Craigslist months ago.

For $50 I got the bag of leaves, 2 fall wreaths and more fall garland (which seems to be of higher quality).   I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the wreaths yet, but I’ll probably use the garland for the archway at the reception or make more candle rings out of them.

I also bought 30 green satin table runners from a woman on craigslist for $30 months ago.

Mine are a little darker color click image for source

 

Here’s how it’s going to go down…

Green table runners will be laid down.  Tall candles in the vases, candle ring around the vase in the center of the table.  2 square candles on either side of the vase, spread out.  Fall leaves spread out between all the candles.

My mom and I made a makeshift candle wreath and laid everything out on the coffee table to see how it would look.  I took pictures, but they really do it no justice.  I think it will look great.

I’m really relieved I have all of this figured out…

To sum it up: Total spent at Ikea – $96.  For this $96 I got 18 large block candles, 81 small block candles and 81 candle holders. As far as I can tell, I think I did pretty well for myself :)

Category: DIY, Wedding / Tags: , , , ,

A Week With The Mom

8 Jan 2012 / Emily / No comments

mama and baby…

Well, the week with my mother came to a close Friday night.  Overall it was a great week.  We spent a TON of time talking about the wedding, planning the wedding, shopping for the wedding, wedding. wedding. wedding.  I’m a little weddinged out.

The Mister’s been a great sport with all the wedding talk around him!  I’m super proud of him!

I’ll be writing individual posts about the different aspects of the wedding and the shopping we did.  I’ve also come up with some great DIY projects for myself over the next 9 months, which I will be blogging about as they happen.

It was kind of weird knowing that I’m not longer on the official spending fast.  I felt uninhibited this week, but then again, I felt strangely inhibited.  This is where I would say ”Old habits die hard”, but I guess it’s more like new habits die hard.  We went to many stores this week and I picked up a lot of stuff in the stores but I ended up putting it all back.  The most I bought was a couple of meals out, because I didn’t feel it would be fair for my mom to pick up the tab every time.  I think my biggest splurge was $36 for a dinner out to Red Lobster (yum!), the night before my mom left.

At one point I said to my mom “A year ago, I would have probably spent $200 by now!”  I think I even guilted her into not buying things she normally would have.  I seem to have that effect on people these days…

When my mom and I weren’t out shopping for wedding stuff, we did free stuff.  I was excited to show her the main library branch here – you know, the big city library (!).  I also got to show her where I did the first Fresh City Life gig and where I’m doing the next one.  She’s so excited about the whole thing.

The last day she was here, we had run out of official wedding business, so we went to the Hammond’s Candy Factory and took the free tour.

If you live in the Denver area and you’ve never been to Hammond’s, it’s a great (free) way to spend 45 minutes or so.  If you’re not from Denver and you find yourself here, why not take in some good old-fashioned (free!) candy making knowledge?

We also took a tour of the Colorado State Capitol building.  I can’t believe I’ve lived mere blocks away from this building for 5 years and have never taken the full tour.  Heck, I can see the capitol dome from my apartment!  It was a pretty interesting little tour and best of all, it didn’t cost us anything!

It was such a great week and I can’t wait to share the great things I found!  I hope I can help others plan cheap(er) wedding(s) in the future!

Category: Home Life, Wedding / Tags: , , ,

Free Magazine Subscriptions

19 Nov 2011 / Emily / 3 comments

Last night I found a bunch of new points for RecycleBank on Fatwallet.  After gathering up another 100 points for taking various pledges, quizzes and challenges, I decided to take a look at what rewards are available.

I perused all the rewards and nothing was really catching my eye, until I saw this:

Fan-Tastic!  Being a frugal soon-to-be bride, I have resisted the urge to buy any wedding themed magazines.  I realize that these are largely unnecessary, but fun, nonetheless.

This isn’t the first free magazine subscription I’ve received in the last year.  It amazes me to see how many opportunities exist  to get magazines absolutely free.  

Here are some of the other magazine subscriptions I’ve received in the last year.

  • Shape Magazine – 4 free issues found on Fatwallet
  • Maxim Magazine – 1 year subscription found on Fatwallet (for The Mister)
  • Family Circle - 4 free issues found on Fatwallet
  • Cooking Light - 1 year subscription for renewing my subscription to The Denver Post

I want to say there are others that I’ve received, but these are the ones I can remember.   Sometimes I can score full subscriptions and sometimes it’s only a few issues.

I’ve never really been a faithful magazine subscriber.  I’ve never wanted to spend the money!  When you read articles on cutting your budget back, the first thing they say is to cancel your magazine subscriptions.

So here is one way you might be able to get the best of both worlds.  Fatwallet has always come through for me for a magazine subscription and now I’m excited to see that RecycleBank also has magazines subscriptions available with reward points.

Do you have other ways you’re able to get free magazine subscriptions?  Are there certain magazines you can’t seem to live without?

Category: Fun & Entertainment, Wedding / Tags: , , ,

The Mystery Box

18 Nov 2011 / Emily / No comments

Yesterday when I got home from work, The Mister was super excited to show me the mystery box he got in the mail.  What the heck is a mystery box, you ask?  Well, it’s a random box of unknown stuff from midnightbox.com  that he ordered for $8 + S&H.

Midnight Box is one of those daily deal sites, but it’s all house hold stuff and usually electronics.  The Mister LOVES this website and checks it religiously.   He’s ordered a lot of stuff from the site over the last year. Sometimes what he’s bought was truly a great deal, sometimes not so much.

Once in a while they offer this “mystery box”.  You pay the money and they send you a box full of stuff.  3 lucky people receive a box of really awesome stuff and the rest receive randomness.  The box he got yesterday included a t-shirt, a wooden toy plane (which I had a TON of fun with last night :) ), a magnetic square with various shaped magnets, a post card album, some comics and…

RUBBER STAMPS!

I was so excited when he showed me this!  Of course, I get to keep the rubber stamps as he’s not really a rubber stamp kind of guy.

Can you guess the first thing I thought when I saw the “Thank You” stamp?  Looks like I’ve got my [wedding] thank you cards figured out! 

I’ve resisted the urge to buy rubber stamps for a year now.  I’ve really wanted some, but couldn’t justify purchasing any.  This further expands my theory that if I want something I just have to wait long enough and it will be presented to me.  This has happened with all sorts of things in my life over the last couple of years.

I guess I’ll have to put out the ink pad vibe to the universe and wait for it to deliver.

Category: Home Life, Wedding / Tags: , ,
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