SeedTime

SeedTime Money (Christian Personal Finance)

Carol

How to Successfully Raise Money for Mission Trips

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How to successfully raise money for mission tripsWhether it’s a vacation or a new roof, sometimes life doesn’t go as expected and we just don’t have the money for some of the things we want to do.

In a future article I’ll discuss raising the money to fund personal financial goals that are not covered by your budget or your savings.

But let’s say your financial need is for a community service project or a mission trip and you know that others would like to help you reach your goal.

Then there are other, more public ways, to raise the money.

Go Fund Me

This program takes the traditional support letter to a whole new level. You know what I mean. Remember going on a short-term mission trip as a kid and writing a letter to all of your parents’ friends asking them to support you

Well, imagine growing that number exponentially with the help of social media and the Internet. GoFundMe.com does just that. This program assists you in setting up your own website that explains your need. You then share this site with others using social media channels like Facebook or Twitter.

Your site is also listed on the GoFundMe main page. From this page, benevolent people looking for a place to give can peruse the list of categories and may view your site. Those visiting your site may donate funds with the click of a button. You immediately receive those funds (minus a 5% fee) in a PayPal or WePay account. And anyone can do it.

You do not have to be considered a nonprofit organization to use GoFundMe. People have set up sites to raise the money for everything from mission trips to medical bills, weddings and honeymoons, business ventures, and college tuition.

Discount Cards

Our homeschool support group does a few fundraisers each year to raise money for its graduation celebration. One of those is selling Domino’s Pizza discount cards. Domino’s Pizza sells our group the cards for $1 each. The kids then sell them for $10 to friends, family, and neighbors. The card is good for 20 buy-one-get-one-free deals. That adds up to 20 free pizzas. Not a bad deal for $10. Plus, our group earns $9 for each card sold.

If you don’t have Domino’s Pizza in your area, try Papa John’s or Papa Murphy’s for similar programs.

Flamingo Flocking

This idea requires a little start-up investment but it is worth it just for the fun. Begin by purchasing a supply of those pink, plastic flamingos that you occasionally see in front yards. You then place the flock in the yard of a business or individual with a note explaining that they must pay you a set amount to have them relocated to another location of their choice. And on it goes for the fundraising period.

Of course when you set up the flamingos, you provide the unsuspecting victims with a written, detailed description of your organization explaining why you are raising money. For more details and ideas using pink flamingos, see the article Pink Flamingo Fundraiser for Nonprofit Groups.

Direct Sales Fundraising

Longaberger, Avon, and Tupperware are just a few direct sales companies that sponsor fundraising for groups or organizations. Generally, it involves hosting a party where the products are sold and your group gets a generous percentage of the sales. The party need not be a true gathering; but can be a passing around of catalogs and collecting of orders. The programs vary from company to company so you will want to contact representatives from several different ones and compare what they have to offer.

There are several websites dedicated to helping non-profits raise the money they need. A simple web search for “non-profit fundraising ideas” brought up plenty of places to look for ideas.

But what about your church, school, or civic organization—what have they done to raise funds? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

What Is AARP And Is Membership Worth The Cost? (Important Facts)

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When my husband started getting membership applications from AARP around his 49th birthday, he was the laughing stock of the family. “Ha, ha, dad,” the kids would jeer. “You’re officially old.” Not wanting to admit his advancing years, he threw the offers in the trash.

A few years later, the same mailings started coming with my name on them. But before I tossed, I remembered a hotel clerk once asking me, “Do you have an AARP or AAA membership?” and wondering – What is AARP? So I opened the mailing to see what the American Association of Retired Persons had to offer.

is an AARP membership worth it? A look at the benefits and why you should just admit that you are now 50 and enjoy the perks!

Publications

Six times a year AARP Magazine brings celebrity profiles, breaking health news, financial advice, book and movie reviews, travel information and more to member mailboxes. (That’s the box on the street, not the one on your computer, ha.) 10 times a year the AARP Bulletin brings even more in-depth information on health, finance, Social Security, and consumer protection in a newspaper format. In addition to these publications, members can access AARP TV and AARP Radio, webinars, and other media channels.

Insurance

AARP members can secure policies to insure everything from home, auto, and health, to credit and identity theft protection. They also provide healthcare tools, resources, and discounts on prescriptions. A few of the great tools they offer are:

Financial Information

Since Americans are living later and later, AARP finds it helpful to guide their members through the financial maze of retirement. With sites for work and entrepreneurship resources, online money tools, investor protection resources, and more, a member is sure to find the answers to their financial questions through AARP.

Discounts

This is the area that drew me to the AARP in the first place. Just a couple trips to Denny’s and my husband and I have covered the $16 yearly membership with the 15% discount we get on our meal. Other discounts include (but are not limited to):

  • Amazon Kindle
  • Angie’s List
  • Carrabba’s Italian Grill
  • Dunkin’ Donuts
  • Hewlett Packard
  • Michael’s
  • Movies Unlimited
  • Outback Steakhouse
  • Papa John’s
  • Reebok
  • Rockport and
  • The UPS Store

Travel

As I already mentioned, I was reminded of the advantages of an AARP membership by a hotel clerk. But getting hotel discounts is just the tip of the iceberg where travel help is concerned. AARP members also receive discounts on select airlines and railways, resorts, cruises and tours, and automobile rentals. You can get information on all your AARP travel benefits at AARPTravel.com.

A few other benefits that are worth pointing out include tax help, legal advocacy, and housing solutions for those 50 years old and older. AARP offers the largest free, volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance organization in the nation. The AARP Foundation Litigation assists members in fighting, through the legal system, consumer fraud and discrimination in healthcare, housing, employment, and more. And lastly, through counseling, education, and resources, the AARP Foundation’s Housing Solutions Center assists older members who are at risk of losing their homes.

For information on all that AARP has to offer its members, visit their website at AARP.org.

Is an AARP membership really worth it? Why you should just admit that you are now 50 and enjoy the benefits

My friend Betty turned 85 last week. Sunday, at church, I asked her when I could call myself old. “You’re not old,” she said. “What are you, about 50?”

“Fifty-one,” I replied.

“You’re not old until you’re 80,” she said.

Whether you consider yourself old or not, what other resources have you found in support of older Americans? I’d love you to share them with us in the comments!

5 Things Teens Should Do with Their Money

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5 things teens should do with their moneyMy nine-year-old never spends a dime.

If we go out, he leaves his money at home.

Consequently, if he sees something he wants, he weasels the funds out of daddy.

When confronted, he always responds with, “I’m saving it, Daddy.”

Imagine my chagrin when I overheard this conversation.

Daddy: I need a job done. I’ll pay you a dollar.

Nine-year-old: Okay, sure.

Daddy: There’s one stipulation.

Nine-year-old: What’s that?

Daddy: You have to promise you’ll spend the dollar.

I share this cute story to say that everyone’s approach to what they do with their money needs a balance. And nothing helps that balanced approach more than responsibility.

The nine-year-old doesn’t have a regular income, so we haven’t required him to meet any financial responsibilities. But our teens are a different story, they need a job with regular income.

1. Pay room and board.

Once our teens have a regular job, we require them to help out with the home expenses. Doing so teaches them responsibility. This can be different for different kids. One son might voluntarily stop by the store and pick up whatever he notices is missing from the pantry. On payday, he may come home with a couple bags of groceries. That boy doesn’t need a parent sticking out a hand asking for room and board money. However, another child might need to be reminded what to do with her paycheck each week. She might rather shop till she drops – for trifles – than help daddy pay the electric bill. How a family implements this custom would depend a lot on the family’s dynamics and the temperament of the teens involved.

2. Pay their own expenses.

We do not pay for our children’s driver’s education courses, buy them cars, put gas in them, or pay for the insurance. As parents, we believe that driving is a privilege that must be earned. The same goes for cell phones. Our teenagers pay their own vehicle and phone expenses. This practice, too, teaches them responsibility.

3. Save.

I have always required my teenagers to put 50 percent of their paychecks into a long-term savings account. This money is set aside for one of three things: college expenses, to purchase a home or piece of property, or to start a business. This money is not for buying a vehicle, Christmas gifts, new clothes, or anything else. It is for their future.

4. Invest.

Since my husband taught the boys how to scrap metal over 20 years ago, all our kids have found different ways to make an income. Sometimes, these entrepreneurial ventures require a bit of start-up capital. When the oldest was 14, he worked dipping ice cream for a full summer to pay for his first anvil. After finishing his blacksmith apprenticeship program, that anvil earned him back the money many times over when he sold his hand-forged items in local gift shops.

5. Give.

Teenagers have a lot of needs. As we’ve already discussed, they need to keep their gas tanks full, cell phones connected, and save money for their education. When you’re working a minimum-wage job, there’s not a lot left over — so the temptation is to spend it on oneself. After all, everyone else is wearing batik scarves or Macbeth footwear. But the scripture teaches that God loves a cheerful giver. Hopefully, we’ve instilled the concept of giving in our children long before their teen years so that this is not such a heart-wrenching issue. Besides giving to the local church, our kids have helped to sponsor children through Compassion, supported their older brother on the mission field, or just generously given whenever a need was made known.

Every family is different. These principles have worked for our family, but I’m sure that you could come up with five different ways you would like to see your teenager spending their money.

I’m open to discussion, so why not share in the comments!

25 Free Ways to Show Your Husband You Love Him

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Several months ago I wrote the post 25 Free Ways to Show Your Wife You Love Her. That post had such an overwhelming response, and we got so many requests for a husband version, that here I am again.

I recently had an exchange with Dr. Harvey Yoder, licensed marriage and family therapist and author of Lasting Marriage: The Owners’ Manual on the subject of love, marriage, and the reasons couples divorce. In that interview Yoder said, “If we want what dating couples have we have to do what dating couples do.” He believes loving behavior sends an emotional message to a partner that, in turn, begets loving feelings.

25 ways to show your husband you love him... /free-ways-to-show-your-husband-you-love-him/...Several months ago I wrote the post 25 Free Ways to Show Your Wife You Love Her. That post had such an overwhelming response, and we got so many requests for a husband version, that here I am again. I recently had an exchange with Dr. Harvey Yoder, licensed marriage and family therapist and author of Lasting Marriage: The Owners' Manual on the subject of love, marriage, and the reasons couples divorce. In that interview Yoder said, “If we want what dating couples have we have to do what dating couples do.” He believes loving behavior sends an emotional message to a partner that, in turn, begets loving feelings....

The Five Love Languages

If you recall, I mentioned in the “wife post” that according to Dr. Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages, people understand emotional messages from others in five different ways. These love languages, as he calls them, are quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Chapman insists that in order for your spouse to understand the feelings that you are trying to convey, you must speak his love language.

So once again I’d like to offer you five ways to show your spouse that you love him for each of those five love languages. Because, as Yoder says, if we want to cultivate those loving feelings, we need to do what dating couples do. And I’m not so sure that dating couples spend their precious few moments together talking about the kids, why the toilet isn’t flushing right, or how much they can afford to spend on a new dishwasher.

Quality Time

1. When the weekend comes, ask him what he wants to do. Leave it wide open with no expectations. Just go along for the ride.

2. Get a sitter for the weekend. If you can’t afford one, call on Grandma or a trusted friend. Turn off the phones and the computers and spend time together. It’s not so important what you do, as long as you are together.

3. Rent a movie for the kids and while they are busy, serve dessert and coffee in your room. See what develops.

4. Help him clean the garage . . . don’t run to the mall! Spend that time together and then it will get done in half the time — freeing up the afternoon for more together time.

5. Establish a regular time to get exercise together. Whether you walk, ride bikes, or visit the gym together, you not only have an accountability partner for your exercise program, you are together.

Words of Affirmation

6. Put love notes in his lunch box or briefcase. A scripture verse to encourage, a prayer, or just an “I Love You” will make his day.

7. Send him text messages or emails throughout the day. My husband and I love to use the smiley emoticons on our phones to make each other laugh.

8. Write your husband an old-fashioned letter. Choose beautiful stationery and the perfect pen. After penning those loving, encouraging words, spritz a little of his favorite perfume on the page. Decorate the envelope with Victorian stickers or rubber stamps. Then mail it to his office. It will definitely make his co-workers wonder.

9. When he has a tough day at the office, encourage him. Rather than pointing out his shortcomings or telling him what he could have done differently, tell him he is the best at what he does. Build him up without offering advice. Let him know you will pray for him and follow-up on the issue.

10. Pray for him. Daily. And tell him that you are. Buy The Power of the Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian and use it.

Gifts

11. Few men will take the time to add music and photos to their phones, so do it for him. Download his favorite music and photos of you and family on his MicroSD card. Then he’s sure to always have pictures of you and the kids to share with others.

12. Make him a gift. Do you knit or crochet? A scarf or socks would be great. Is scrapbooking your thing? Fashion a personalized picture frame, put your picture in it, and give it to him to take to the office. Create something specifically for him.

13. Do you still have your class ring? Put it on a chain and give it to him to wear under his shirt.

14. Make him a coupon book. Include coupons that allow him to choose the TV shows to watch for the evening. Include a few that offer to do his chores for him, like mowing the grass or taking out the trash. Think of things that would really bless him and include them.

15. Frame a memento. Several years ago I found a patent of my father-in-law’s in a box of papers in the attic. For Christmas, I had it framed with a photograph of the invention and gave it to my husband for Christmas. You can do the same thing with other mementos. Does he have any grade-school artwork, his sports jersey from high school, or remnants from a baseball card collection? Have is precious item framed and hang it where the entire family can admire it.

Acts of Service

16. If your husband is responsible for the mowing, mow the grass. If cleaning out the car is his job, do that. Pick one thing every week or so and just do it to bless him.

17. Set up a guy’s night with his buddies. Call his friends and tell them to meet him at the local steak house or bowling alley. Kiss him on the cheek when he goes out the door and tell him to have a good time.

18. Fix whatever is broken. Don’t make a “honey do” list, or nag him to do something that you are perfectly capable of doing yourself. He’s a busy guy. Grease that squeaky car door. Pour the drain opener down the drain. Paint the porch rail. You can do it.

19. While he’s taking his Sunday afternoon nap, clean out his car. Don’t just wash the outside, remove all the trash, wipe down the dash, and vacuum it. When he goes out Monday morning to go to work, he’ll be surprised.

20. Make him his favorite dessert. Keep it a surprise and serve while he’s watching his favorite evening show.

Physical Touch

21. Kiss him good-bye in the morning — every morning. Kiss him hello in the evening — every evening. Kiss him goodnight — every night. (Repeat from the other post, but it goes both ways.)

22. Institute “couch time.” When he comes home from work, let the kids know that his first 15 minutes are yours, on the couch, holding hands. Don’t allow interruptions. After a while, they will get it.

23. Rub his back at the computer. Are you walking down the lane? Hold his hand. Grasp every opportunity to reach out and touch him.

24. Give him a feet rub. What man can resist having all the kinks worked out of his feet? If he’s especially ticklish, do it with the socks on.

25. Move your seat at the table from the opposite end to next to him. That way you can hold hands when you pray, play footsie under the table, or just stare into each other’s eyes.

Those are 25 ways to tell your husband you love him — for free. And I’m sure that you can come up with a lot more. If so, please share them in the comments.

25 Free Ways to Show Your Wife You Love Her

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According to Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages, people understand emotional messages from others in five different ways. He calls these ways “love languages.”

He insists that in order for your spouse to understand the feelings that you are trying to convey, you must speak her love language.

The Five Love Languages

The five languages that Chapman discusses are:

  • Quality time
  • Words of affirmation
  • Gifts
  • Acts of service and
  • Physical touch

In light of this teaching, I’d like to offer you five ways to show your wife that you love her for each of those five love languages. Of course you are free to choose ideas from any section of this list. Because if you are speaking your wife’s love language on a regular basis, the other things you do to show affection will just be icing on the cake.

25 free ways to love your wife... /free-ways-to-show-your-wife-you-love-her/

Quality Time

1. Take a walk—alone—without the kids. Ask her about her day. Do not bring up the office. Do not bring up what you want to get done on the house. Do not talk about your bowling league. Just listen.

2. Send the kids to Grandma’s for the weekend. Turn off the phones and the computers and spend time together. It doesn’t matter if you work in the yard or watch back-to-back movies, just be together.

3. Go to bed early and lay in the dark and talk. Cuddle without expectations of anything more, and just share your hearts. Fall asleep knowing that your best friend is right next to you.

4. Work on a project together. Whether cleaning out the attic or planting the garden, working together can give you the opportunity to communicate in a non-threatening way.

5. Establish a regular date night. Just take a drive, walk the mall, or go to the park and swing. Share babysitting with another couple. You could go on Friday nights and they could go on Saturday.

Words of Affirmation

6. Write her poetry. Handwrite your poem on nice stationery. Put it in an envelope with a romantic postage stamp and mail it the old-fashioned way. If she works in an office, mail it to the office so that she can share it with her co-workers.

7. Send her loving text messages throughout the day. A scripture verse to encourage her, a prayer, or just an “I Love You” will make her day.

8. Sing her a song. Remember the first song you danced to? The song that was playing on the radio when you asked her to marry you? Whatever is your song, learn it and perform it. Even if it’s just for her on the back patio or for the whole family over dessert.

9. When she complains about her day, about how the kids were out of control, the washing machine acted up, or that nothing went right, do not offer solutions. Simply encourage her. Tell her she is the best mother in the world. Tell her you’ll wear dirty clothes if you have to. Just build her up without trying to be in control.

10. Pray for her. Daily. And tell her that you are. In fact, ask her what her prayer needs are so that you have something more than “God, please bless my wife today.”

Gifts

11. Pick her flowers on the way home from work. Don’t pick them out of someone’s garden, like my son did. But pick the wild daisies, the day lilies, or even the dandelions. Every woman likes to receive a bouquet of flowers occasionally.

12. Make her a gift. Do you carve wood, fashion metal, or paint? Create something specifically for your wife. Monogram it. Embellish it. Let her see that you didn’t just give her something out of the workshop, but that you fashioned it with her in mind.

13. Give her one of your T-shirts to sleep in. Let her know that it’s one of your favorites. Or, give her one that reminds her of a special occasion from a place you went together.

14. Ask your mother or sister for a piece of family jewelry (or another heirloom) that your wife would like to have. Give it to her for her birthday or for an anniversary. Have your mother write the history of the piece so that your wife can pass the story on to one of your daughters someday.

15. Again, go to mom and ask if you can raid her picture box. Collect a few pictures of yourself as a child and make a little album for your wife. Write a caption for each picture sharing your memories with her.

Acts of Service

16. See the garden full of weeds? Weed it. Sticking to the kitchen floor? Mop it. Need clothes for work tomorrow? Throw in the laundry. Look for what she didn’t get done that day and do it—without saying anything.

17. Watch the children so your wife can have an evening out. In fact, do this on a regular basis and you will be the most talked about husband on the planet—in a good way.

18. Fix whatever is broken. It doesn’t have to be the big expensive project that you don’t have the money for. Grease the squeaky car door. Re-attach the toilet paper holder to the wall. Caulk the bathroom tub.

19. While she’s away at the grocery store, clean the kitchen. Nothing is worse than coming home to a messy kitchen with a car load of groceries. If you have the time, clean the refrigerator out, too.

20. Cook supper one night a week, or breakfast on the weekends. Even if you just do it once in a while, your wife will love you for it.

Physical Touch

21. Kiss her good-bye in the morning—every morning. Kiss her hello in the evening—every evening. Kiss her goodnight—every night.

22. Walk WITH her. Whether you are walking for exercise or just shopping the mall, walk with your wife, not 10 feet ahead of her. Remember that her legs are not as long and it’s harder for her to keep up. Hold her hand so you have to stay by her side.

23. When watching a movie, cuddle on the couch. No his and her chairs.

24. Give her a massage. You don’t have to be a professional massage therapist to help out a wife’s achy back. After the kids go to bed, when she can relax, put a comfy mat on the floor and give her your undivided attention while massaging out all the kinks.

25. Do not walk through a room where your wife is without touching her in some way. Placing your hand on her shoulder, stroking her cheek, or simply running your fingers through her hair all tell her that you love her.

There are 25 ways to tell your wife you love her—for FREE. And I’m sure that you can come up with a lot more. If so, please share them in the comments.

7 Safe Places to Keep Cash Hidden in Your Home

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safe places to keep cash hidden in your home

I started writing this article sitting in the dark with no power after a storm. Fortunately my laptop was fully charged and I have a little USB powered light that illuminates my keyboard. The next morning the power was still out—for hundreds of thousands of people in my state. I needed to do my weekly shopping but the grocery stores were closed. I wanted some produce from the farmers market, but had no cash. The ATM machines did not work. Sometimes, there is just a good reason to have a bit of cash hidden in your home. I think this is one of them. But where would you keep it? Here are seven places to consider.

1. Taped to the inside of a dresser.

Thieves may look in your sock drawer, but will they dump it and look underneath? Or how about taped to the inside back of the dresser where you can’t see unless you pull the drawer all the way out? Put your cash in an envelope and tape it there.

2. A hollowed out book.

This classic hiding place is not such a bad idea for the book lover with lots of book shelves in his home. Simply choose a hardback book that you don’t care to keep and cut the center of the pages out with a razor blade. Put your envelope of cash in the hollowed-out section and place the book back on the shelf.

3. A fake electrical outlet box.

You can purchase fake electrical outlets that open to reveal a hidden box. It is just the right size to hide some cash and a few pieces of jewelry. This item normally comes with a template for you to use to cut a fresh hole in your drywall, or you could replace an outlet that you do not ever use. If it doesn’t match your other outlets, you can switch out the front plate. If you like this idea, Brick House Security offers a wide range of diversion safes that resemble everyday objects like hairbrushes, shaving cream cans, or dog food containers.

4. A package in the freezer.

Save a frozen vegetable bag. Fill it with a few packing peanuts and your cash in a zip shut bag. Twist tie it shut as you would any other half-used bag. Hide it in the back of the freezer—as though it was forgotten. No thief is going to want your half-bag of old broccoli cuts.

5. The bottom of your flour canister.

Place your cash in a zip shut bag and put it in the bottom of a canister. Then put your sugar, flour, or cornmeal on top. The only downside is that you have to dump your flour into a bowl to retrieve your money.

6. Inside your plumbing access door.

Most bathrooms have a little door that is screwed on the wall at the drain end of the tub. Sometimes this is hidden inside a linen closet. This opens to a shaft that will run the height of your house (attic to basement) to house the piping. You can install a little shelf inside and above the opening so that it is not visible unless someone sticks their head inside. This is an ideal place to hide a little fireproof cash box. If there is not enough room to install the shelf, simply tape an envelope of cash to the inside wall.

7. In the toilet.

Seriously, put your money in a mason jar and submerse it inside the water tank of your toilet. I like this idea because you can always access your cash without everyone in the house watching. Simply excuse yourself to the powder room and slip it into your pocket.

I should mention a couple words of caution to anyone contemplating hiding money in their home. First of all, tell your spouse or someone you trust where it is. If something happened to you, they may need that money. Secondly, do not hide cash in something a thief would steal anyway—like inside of electronics or in your car. Also, don’t hide it in something you might get rid of without thinking—like a suit coat pocket or the inside of a shoe. Lastly, except for the freezer, none of these ideas will protect your valuables in case of a fire or natural disaster. If that is important to you, use a fireproof safe that is professionally bolted down.

What about you? Have any other ideas for stashing your cash? We’d love to talk about it in the comments below!

12 Wedding Ideas to Fit Your Budget

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wedding ideas to fit your budget

My husband asked me to marry him in November and we planned a February wedding. My younger sister, however, had already been engaged for over a year with a June wedding planned. I was accused of trying to upstage her wedding, steal her guests, and use up Daddy’s money. Of all things, I better not use up Daddy’s money.

If You haven’t bought the ring yet, consider Amazon rather than a traditional jeweler. We bought our engagement ring at at Amazon and saved thousands of dollars.

Whatever your reasons for needing wedding ideas on a budget, I have the ideas for you. From the dress to the dip to the daffodils, I did it to save Daddy’s money.

The Gown

Wedding gowns can cost as much as a new car; and you don’t get near 100,000 miles out of them. My mother made mine. But even brides without seamstress mothers can save big on this expense.

  • Borrow a gown. Has your older sister, or a friend, already tied the knot? If you are close in size, that could be an option. As a courtesy, have it cleaned and boxed before returning it.
  • Purchase a used gown. You can purchase wedding gowns in thrift stores for as little as $25. Check consignment shops or the newspaper. One week our paper listed 14 gowns for sale. The prices ranged from $80 to $500 and the sizes from 2 to 22. If you find one you like but it doesn’t quite fit, ask a seamstress if it could be altered. Also, remember that embellishments like beads, sequins, etc. can be changed or added.
  • If you know how, sew your own; or find someone to make your dress. Provide pictures of what you want and get an estimate. I guarantee the price will beat the one in the magazine.
  • Finally, go non-conventional. Anything that does not look like a wedding gown costs considerably less. Plan a themed wedding and dress accordingly, e.g.: a western outfit for a cowboy wedding. Or, if you never wear dresses, wear a nice pants suit and stylish hat.

The Flowers

Every girl likes flowers; but fresh flowers cost a lot of money. Here are a few ideas to save on this wedding essential.

  • Make your own arrangements using silk flowers. If you don’t feel confident enough to do this, enlist the help of your crafty friends.
  • Raid the gardens of family and friends. Several years ago, when my neighbor’s niece married, she came the day before the wedding and gathered arm loads of English Ivy from my neighbor’s garden. Ask everyone you know to donate a vase full of flowers and you will have plenty.
  • Think outside the box. For an evening wedding, carry candles.
  • Grow your own. Another friend’s daughter planned an August wedding. That spring she planted a big bed of Black-eyed Susans. Her attendants carried little nosegays of them, she set vases of them along the aisle of the church, made boutonnières for the men, and used them to decorate the reception hall. Her cost? A few seed packets, ribbons and vases.

Invitations on A Budget

My father owned a print shop. He printed our invitations free of charge. I never realized how much they cost until my son got engaged. With home computers and paper choices at the mega craft supply houses, you can drastically cut invitation costs.

My daughter-in-law bought a package of parchment card stock, another package of vellum, some rolls of ribbon and a box of envelopes. My daughter designed the wedding invitations on our home computer. They printed them on the vellum, punched holes at the top through the vellum piece and the parchment piece and attached the two with a length of ribbon tied into a bow. They used a decorative corner punch on the vellum to dress it up. Under the vellum piece they tucked their engagement photo. Also in the envelope was a card with response and reception information. To save on postage, they had responses come to an email address.

You can also purchase ready-made invitation cardstock for printing on your home computer, but my daughter-in-law found her way to be less expensive.

The Menu

Food cuts another big chunk out of any wedding budget. If you want more than cake and punch at your reception, here are a few ideas to keep it simple.

  • Do it yourself. A young lady in our church married in September. She and her mother spent several weeks prior to the ceremony cooking and freezing for the reception. What you cannot freeze ahead, purchase already prepared at your local warehouse store, e.g.: vegetable platters, fruit platters, dips and salads. Enlist a helper to do the last minute preparations.
  • Order what you need from your favorite grocery store’s deli. My mother picked up the food for my wedding, already arranged on trays and platters, on her way to the church. The preparer? Publix supermarket. They made my cake, too, for a fraction of the cost.
  • Make it a covered dish. This works great for informal ceremonies. For instance, you provide the barbeque ribs and lemonade. Your guests bring the potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans.

The Pictures

To save on photography, ask a friend skilled with a camera to take your pictures. After the wedding, he need only give you the memory card. You can then sort through all the pictures on your computer, add any special effects you want, save them on a CD, and have them printed at the shop of your choice.

I hope these tips help you get going. After all, no girl’s wedding should use up all of Daddy’s money.