Life, if you want to live it well, can be costly. Happily, saving money on the most meaningful life events is possible. In fact, if you do the hard work ahead of time and learn what things cost and to save, you still do all the things that are most important to you. You can even read our strategic tips on this topic in the post below.
Getting a place together
When you find that special someone to share your life with it often feel as if the next natural step is to move in together. Of course, this usually means getting a bigger & more expensive place, especially if you’ve only been renting a single room or living with your parents so far.
In fact, the amount you can expect to pay for a home can differ wildly depending on the size and location of the property you want. To that end, you must do your research on the areas you want to live in before you start booking viewings. In fact, it’s also vital that you check your merged budgets to see how much you have available to spend on rent as well.
Although it is worth knowing that you can often negotiate a discount on the monthly cost unless you are in a very popular or expensive area. You can also save money by getting a furnished apartment too. You can even buy preloved furniture pieces or even ask friends and family for donations when you move in.
You may even be able to save some money by buying a home rather than renting one. After all, they often cost around the same in monthly fees. While buying is also a great way to invest your money, and earn back a decent return over the long term. Something that can help you cover the other costs mentioned below
Engagement
Once they have lived together for a while, many couples decide to take the plunge and tie the knot. Of course, that means one person has to propose to the other, something that many people expect to come with an engagement ring.
To that end, whoever proposes should budget for the ring ahead of time. After all, it used to be that an engagement ring was meant to cost at least three months of wages! Although as you will discover in this post on budgeting for the perfect ring, this is no longer necessarily the case. In fact, it’s less about how much you spend now and more focused around the style that the other person wants.
Luckily, this is something you can talk about well ahead of time. In fact, if the person being proposed to is happy with a vintage option, you may be able to keep the costs down even more. Also, many couples are now deciding to go and look at rings together, making the entire process a lot easier. Although, when looking at rings, it does help to have a good idea of costs already.
Marriage
The lifetime commitment that is marriage is often celebrated with a large party, something that can cost a vast amount. In fact, some USA couples spend upwards of $25,000 on their wedding day. The good news here is that there are lots of options that allow you to mark the significance of tying the knot without clearing out your bank accounts.
One is to hold a smaller wedding because such celebrations are often charged per head. That means the fewer people you have, the less you will have to payout. Another option is to elope rather than get married in your hometown. Couples choosing this usually go alone, or with just a few members of their families, and so the costs involved are significantly reduced.
That is not the only way you can save money on your wedding though. In fact, many people that want a more traditional big day choose to get crafty and make their own decorations and invites. The latter being something that can cost up to $75 per head, and isn’t even something directly related to the big day itself!
Having a baby
Another one of the most expensive life events is when a couple chooses to grow their family and have a baby. In fact, it’s not just the pregnancy and delivery care that will need to be paid for, but all the baby basics as well. Which often include things such as nappies, food, wipes, strollers, and cribs
One way of ensuring that having a baby isn’t a life event that breaks the bank is to carefully work out a budget of what you can afford ahead of time. Something that will need to include maternity or parental pay for the person taking care of the child, rather than their full wage.
Additionally, there are some smart choices you can make to keep the cost of having a baby down as low as possible. Of course, the first is to get medical insurance that covers the cost of pregnancy and labor care, as this can save you thousands of dollars right away.
Next, don’t forget that breast milk is free. Then once Baby starts on solid food, making your own is much less expensive than buying the individual jars.
You can even get essential baby accessories such as strollers and cribs preloved for a knockdown price. After all, people only use these for a very short amount of time when their baby is young. Something that means they are often fantastic condition, but cost a fraction of the price they would new.
Summary
In summary then, despite some of the most critical events in life being ones that could clearly empty out your bank account, they don’t have to be.
In fact, if you are savvy about planning for them in advance, and educating yourself on the costs involved, you will be in a much better position to find yourself a bargain.
You can also use strategies such as making things yourself, buying preloved, and even getting donations from friends and family to help you keep the cost down. All why still experiencing the most meaningful events in life to the fullest capacity.