9 Gift ideas For College Students
Some concerns about Generation Y are their priorities and their ambitions especially when it comes to saving money. However, thanks to the internet there have been many incentives to help them with such concerns. For example, the internet provides great deals for shopping and it holds a slew of information regarding techniques that will save you money. Depending on how lucky you are, some may graduate from college with debt, if that wasn't enough guys, you may have to save for a house and a wedding on top of that. Well for those who were born toward the beginning of the Generation, it is becoming time to "Tie-the-Knot" so to speak.
If you haven't heard, the average amount of money spent on a wedding these days is $27,000 nationwide. As for you love birds out there it can be very easy to over shoot a budget for your special day. Well below you should find 10 helpful tips that should save you some cash on your big day.
Start Planning. As a couple, sit down and get a list together of your dreams and ideas for your perfect wedding. Then go through together and hash out the ones that aren't feasible. Ladies, be reasonable and understanding because in most cases your dreams aren't affordable. However, keep them in mind and think of ways to accommodate them. Find out your top 5 must haves in the wedding and go from there.
Taylor the guest list. Again as a couple, after you come up with your list that is hopefully balanced between both families, figure out who you absolutely want there. If you want to save a decent amount of money limit the guest list to 100-150. You will find that most caterers charge per head so the difference between 200 and 150 is significant. A good rule of thumb, don't invite more guests that you can spend a minute of your time with, 200 guests totals to about 3 and a half hours.
The Grub. Food is probably going to end up costing the most out of all the wedding expenses. You may want to consider a buffet style meal instead of sit down meal. Furthermore, it may be feasible to have to caterers drop off the prepared food and set it all up and then leave. Or if you're really ambitious, do the catering yourself.
Locations. There are so many options that require little cost or no cost at all, such as local or national parks, even a backyard (of a willing family member or friend). Another option could be an all-inclusive getaway, where the wedding, reception and honeymoon are all included. One of the biggest ways to save on your wedding would be to have it off season, also, a wedding on any day but Saturday is much more affordable and easier to book.
The Wedding Dress. From experience, I know how you ladies look at all these bridal sites like David's Bridal or Alfred Angelo but these dresses are very pricey. Depending on how fashionable your mothers wedding dress was you may want to try re-do it. There are also tons of options such as auctions on the internet through eBay which may help you save and find the dress of your dreams.
Wedding decor. You will find huge savings if you can find a location that is already decorated such as a garden on a nearby college campus. Another option is to plant your flowers in advanced and then decorating yourself once they bloom.
Invitations. This is an area where you have the option and recommendation of doing it yourself. This allows you to show your skill and save a boat load of cash. There is a plethora of websites that offer personalized announcements that let you customize your invitations anyway you want. It may be wise to send out a newsletter to those family members out of state so they can plan some type of vacation in advanced or reservations.
Music to my ears. Some marriages find it a must to have a live band at their Wedding Locations others may suffice with a DJ. I can assure you that if you want a good live band it will cost you about 2K or more. If you want a live band, find a musically inclined friend that will do it for cheap or even free as a gift. If you really want to go cheap, find a play list online and download the songs to your iPod and use an amplifier to play it.
Say "Cheese". A photographer is another place where you can save a decent penny. If you know of a friend or family member that specializes in taking pictures ask them to take photos of your special day. They may also do it for free as a gift. As a college grad you may know more people than you think, use Facebook if you have too.
Lastly and in some cases most importantly, the Booze. Instead of an open bar, try a beer wagon and a wine bar which will really cut costs. If your families aren't drinkers then maybe you want a dry wedding or just serve champagne during the toast. Obviously depending on your local laws and rules of the reception hall, you may want to buy the liquor yourself and hire a bartender.
