How to earn extra money to help pay for your wedding? How do we keep the costs low? Find the answers to these questions and more.
A wedding is usually an exciting and tense event. Traditionally, allocating a budget for a wedding has always been a troublesome affair, and it’s no secret that weddings can get expensive. Weddings are usually full-blown events where money flows faster as you decide upon clothes, invitations, venue, menu, etc.
While the pandemic forced people to opt for intimate inexpensive weddings, changing the wedding ecosystem across the globe, that trend has faded, and people have returned to their old habits of splurging on weddings.
According to the Knot 2021 real weddings study, a decent wedding can cost upwards of $28,000. Whether it is an intimate celebration or a lavish affair, proper financial planning and forethought can go a long way in making your dream wedding unique and financially stable.
If you haven’t planned the finances, you will not have enough money to pay for your wedding. At the same time, if your budget is tight because of monthly EMIs and payments, you will have to find ways to earn more money to save for your wedding.
So, how to make extra bucks to pay for those heft bills? There are many options if you are looking for additional funds for your wedding. Read on to know the easiest ways to make and save money to pay for your wedding.
1. Start saving up well in advance
As they say, saving solves all your problems. Before deciding how much you need for your big day or even thinking about ways to earn extra money, you should start saving money well in advance.
If the wedding will be in the next 12 months, it is better to start saving every month to create a corpus. Do this regularly, and you will have some extra lump sum money in no time. Make a savings plan to avoid a last-minute scuffle for funds.
2. Set up a side hustle
Do you have a hobby or a pastime that you can convert into a money-earning venture? Then go for it! Try to find a little more time on your hands and earn money from your hobbies to achieve your dream wedding. If you have an eye for details and are blessed with artistic talents, try to find clients in need of those skills.
Here are some suggestions:
- If you are good at cooking or baking, send those meals to your neighbors and friends to generate enough business. Although before jumping into it, analyze your options and potential customers. Here is a great resource to learn about the best ways to earn extra money out of your 9 to 5 routine.
- Do you have a college degree, or are you good at teaching? Help someone who needs a tutor in your neighborhood. You can approach tutoring companies to get a job as they always look for recruits.
- If you are good with kids, you can try babysitting. As a babysitter, you will have to take care of children and keep them safe and clean. This can be a great way to fund your wedding. You ask someone within your family to babysit their kids in exchange for some money.
- Another great option could be freelancing. You can try your hands at social media management, copywriting, marketing, and web coding to earn extra bucks. This is also a great way to make passive income. If you are good at something, apply those skills to earn more money.
3. Sell your old stuff
What do you do with the old stuff when you buy new stuff? In most households, the old items are just passed on from one generation to another, or they take up the corner space of your house. In today’s time, when most of the transactions are taking place online, you can quickly sell your old items online.
There are many online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Bonanza where you can sell off your stuff. Make sure you find the best deal to maximize your profit.
You can also lookup your local Facebook Group (beg, barter, trade, sell) to sell anything extra you have lying around. Try selling off vintage DVDs, video games, clothes, shoes, anything you can think of.
You can also raise fundraisers and auctions to sell off your stuff. These are some fast-paced and energetic ways to raise funds for your wedding. If you have the right selling items, you can earn a lot of money through these methods.
4. Ask for cash envelopes
Nobody needs a set of four personalized wine glasses or three Kitchenaid stand mixers as wedding gifts. Just ask for cash gifts from your guests at the wedding, and your guests would be more than happy to give cash envelopes instead of spending hours finding the right wedding gift.
5. Priorities your wedding expenses by breaking them down
There will be many expenses that you cannot do without during the wedding, while there will be many costs that you can avoid. For example, there is no need for an exotic menu or imported flowers at the wedding. Know how much you can afford and what you want.
Cut down on these extra expenses by prioritizing the costs of your budget. Prioritizing will help you keep in check any unnecessary expenses. List down all the costs and see what they cost. Remove things that are not essential. Arrive at a budget. If something looks too expensive (which is often the case), revisit the list of expenses.
6. Hold a game night
Wedding is the most special day of one’s life and therefore, an excellent reason to raise money. A game night could be a great way to raise funds for your wedding. You can earn money by collecting entry charges and selling food and drinks. A simple event like a casino game night at your home with your friends and family can help you earn money for your wedding.
7. Pay few expenses through credit card
Instead of cash for all the expenses, you can also rely on credit cards to pay off some bills. Credit cards also offer you perks that can help you make strategic decisions. The instant purchase without cash can complement your wedding planning if used responsibly.
They also provide you with the options of cashback rewards or travel points that you can use to take your honeymoon or offset expenses. However, avoid making too many purchases on credit cards that you cannot pay back in time.
If you wonder which credit card to opt for wedding expenses, don’t worry! We have got you covered. Check out this article 7 best credit cards for wedding expenses. It will help you find the best card offers according to your needs.
