Accidental bargains!

ellay864

Just had to say that I'm feeling pretty happy right now. I'm the sort of person who dithers over things, and by the time I make my mind up I end up losing out and miss bargains etc. Or I book something and then find the bargain I'd wanted appears a day too late.
But for this wedding I seem to have had the opposite luck. I nearly booked some wedding cars but when I went to their website to get their number my PC crashed. When I went back on next day I found another company, more local, just as lovely but about 2/3 of the price so got them instead.
My dress was being made a lovely lady working from her house...now it's being made by the same lovely lady from her new studio, who's getting rave reviews in various publications.
And yesterday I got an email from my photographer giving me his new details as he's relaunched his business. Our package is still the same price - just under £600 for day and evening photos, plus 100 pictures in photobook and CD of all photos with licence for us to print, e-mail etc. But his price now for a wedding package would be £1900!!
So now instead of thinking about what I'm spending...I'm thinking about what I could have been spending and all of a sudden I feel very MSE

MrsDrink

my spreadsheet has a few columns to prove how MSE we're being... (or geeky lol).

First comes what the budget is, broken down into each component.
Next is what I've actually spent.
Then I've done a comparison between these - so I know if we're within or over budget.
But then I've also done a 'if I didn't make my own, or shop around to get the best deal' column. Here I haven't put the most ridiculous prices I could find - like for the invites I used the conservative average of £2.25 each, rather than the £5 each I've seen on some sites.
I've then got a column that compares what we've actually spent with this one.

So far we've spent £317.65.
For these items I'd budgeted £370.
I could have spent £536.82
So we're £52.35 under budget, but more pleasingly we've saved £219.17 compared to what we could have paid! (Like for like).

ellay864

wow you've been good! My spreadsheet has a budget and actual price, but I know in a few cases I probably did over-budget deliberately knowing we'd come in under. I did start trying to do it realistically but in most cases there were such wild variations I found it hard, so I went with what we would be prepared to pay for something and then looked ot beat it. On most things I have done so even though our overall budget has crept up (things we hadn't thought of that we're now getting) the cost of most individual items has come in under what we'd planned so I'm still pretty happy

BeckyC

My accidental bargain was the BM dresses - i saw the perfect ones in debenhams window but they were £100 each :O and i needed 6!! so i went home and got a bit upset, walked past again the week later and they were half price so i bought two and was going to have the bridesmaids in two different dresses. walked past the next week and they were £30!! so now all my bridesmaids have perfect dresses and they were a bargain!! plus i got an extra 20% off one of the £30 ones as it had lost its sash! Bargain!

ellay864

You got so lucky there Becky - I assume you've sorted out a replacement sash ok though? You did well to get all 6. I knew my BM dress (which was from Coast) would come down in sales but didn't dare risk not being able to get it in her size when it did. Had to walk round any Coast concessions very quickly so I didnt see it cheap later!

BeckyC

No i didn't get a replacement sash, but i had to buy two in wrong sizes but i just couldnt let them go!! luckily my mums friend is a seamstress so sh'es going to alter the younger two's dresses and im hoping she can make them look good without the sash *fingers crossed* I know i was really lucky though! but when you see the ONE you just know dont you! I would have been devastated if i'd bought them at £100 and then seen them in the sales!

tryingtobetheperfectHW

MrsDrink wrote: »

my spreadsheet has a few columns to prove how MSE we're being...

Is there any chance I could be really cheeky and ask if you could please PM a list of things I need to budget for, I'm trying to do a spreadsheet, and have been trawling the internet for to do list / things to budget for, and everytime, I think I'm done, I find something else to add, or a whole load of things to take off, cos I don't really need them!!

Thank you!

(Sorry for being super cheeky!!)

Hadley1

tryingtobetheperfectHW wrote: »

Is there any chance I could be really cheeky and ask if you could please PM a list of things I need to budget for, I'm trying to do a spreadsheet, and have been trawling the internet for to do list / things to budget for, and everytime, I think I'm done, I find something else to add, or a whole load of things to take off, cos I don't really need them!!

Thank you!

(Sorry for being super cheeky!!)

Hi could I be cheeky too... I have no idea where to start with a spreasheet.

Scotsbride

there are some budget planners on sites such as confetti and the knot and you and your wedding which you can use for free if you sign up

ellay864

The list can be as long or short as you choose depending on what sort of do you want and will vary depending on whether you have church or civil ceremony but some things to think of are:
Church fees
Registrar fees, on the day and notice of intent
Venue hire
Food & drink
Dress, shoes, jewellry for bride and bridesmaids
Hair and make up
Men's suits
Flowers
Photographer/videographer
Cars
Cake
Invitations
Entertainment
Presents
Favours
Room and table decorations
Chair covers
Honeymoon
Insurance
It's scary sometimes to see it all written down!!

MrsDrink

Rather than PM everyone here's my list.

BUT please note my wedding is not typical - we're having a ceremony on a Tuesday at a registry office, and a garden party on the Saturday. I'm not having bridesmaids, we're not doing favours, not having a photographer... etc etc.
So while I don't mind sharing this at all... don't assume this is a full comprehensive list!


Registry Office
Notice
Marriage Certificate
Rings
Wedding Dress
Hair
Makeup
MrD's suit
Seating (Hire Chairs)
Alcohol/Drinks
Catering
Cake & Cake stand
Decorations
Entertainment
Underwear
Flowers
Accessories
Invites & Stamps
Thank you Cards (with writable CD) & Stamps
MrD's shoes
My shoes
Marque

Hen night
Stag night
Photo album
New Driving Licence
New Passport
Flights
Accommodation
Diving
Carpark
Insurance
Equipment Hire
Spending Money


Then like I said I've got (just cause I'm a geek):
Budget..Amount Spent..Budget - Amount spent..Blue Sky Spending.. BS Spending - amount spent.