1 Wedding and 4 Lessons Later

I want to share my money-saving tips (good and bad) on planning a weekend that involved a wedding and a small road trip. Going to be a little expensive, no way around it. First, I looked on FatWallet to save money for the getaway, which for me, is being ahead of the game. Let’s look at what I scored on (pat on the back):

Rental Car- I looked in FatWallet’s travel deals forum and found advice and coupons for the best price on rental cars. I got caught up in the game of comparing deals, and made it my challenge to keep beating the quoted price until I found the best deal possible! In my excitement, I forgot to cancel old reservations and my husband got three calls to confirm reservations. He was a little confused, but I explained. Score one for the bank account!

Wedding Gift- I found a cool gift, received Cash Back and had it shipped. Score two for the bank account!

What I didn’t account for (but, duh, should have):

Mall of America - I love shopping, even though I didn’t need anything. We were steps away from the mall so it was inevitable. I walked in and was a kid in a candy store—all smiles, not enough time. First penalty on the bank account.

Husband- now I should’ve known better to account for this. My husband is very friendly and loves to buy drinks, food (you name it) for new friends, old friends, yet- to-be friends. Even if there’s an open bar, he likes to find the cash bar! Second penalty on the bank account.

So my weekend consisted of that awesome reminder you get after a wedding—fortunate to be lucky in love and to appreciate your spouse even more. The financial lessons are always a little harder to swallow after balancing the checkbook. But with good times all around, here’s what I learned:

-Always check forums for travel advice, deals, coupons and comparison shopping!
-Buy wedding gifts online: cash back and shipping with no in-store registry hassle.
-Avoid mall or (better yet) set aside money for shopping!
-Account for husband’s generosity and remember I can be the same way!