It starts with a PLAN Spending money is a love/ hate relationship. You love shopping and all of the great pur- chases you make, but seeing the amount left in your bank account afterwards can be disheartening. Spending on your wedding is the same way, but luckily, we have a few tips on how you can start sav- ing more money and have more to spend! Before Your Wedding Collect Your Change – Every penny counts! Ask your friends and family if they have jars of coins sitting at home they’d be willing to donate to your wed- ding. Make sure to roll all the coins your- self rather than using a machine coin counter, as they take part of your savings as payment. Tip Jar – The Tip Jar idea is very sim- ilar to collecting change, except it’s not exclusive to coins. At the end of the day, throw in a few dollars. If you decided to skip your morning coffee run, throw in the amount you saved. Completed your goal of running 5 miles? Reward yourself by throwing in $5! This money can add up quickly and go toward vendor depos- its! Save Every $5 Bill You Get – This is another common money-saving hack, but really only works for those who use cash regularly. Every time you make a transaction or break a large bill and re- ceive a $5 bill back, put it away in a jar, shoebox, or wherever. If you do this with every $5 bill you come across, soon you’ll save hundreds – even thousands! – of dollars. Make and Stick to a Budget – This may seem obvious, but sit down with your fiancé and establish a monthly budget and a savings goal. Write down your monthly bills and how much you owe, how much you plan to pay to- ward credit cards, and what you spend on things like gas and groceries. Then track and record all of your superflu- ous expenses throughout the month. At the end of each month, sit down to re- view and decide what you’re spending too much on, what can be eliminated, and where you need to be more frugal. Adjusting where you spend your money can help you make smarter spending choices, which can save you more money to spend on your wedding! Eliminate Unnecessary Expenses – Instead of getting a gel manicure every month, have a girls’ night with your bridesmaids and do each other’s nails! If you can go without cable tv, consider nixing it for a few months. Do you pay a monthly fee for the gym or a member- ship that you don’t use? Eliminate any unnecessary payments. These cuts can be temporary or permanent depending on the frequency of use. Tips on How to Start Saving Money Planning your dream wedding doesn’t have to break the bank! 1 30 | TODAY’S BRIDE READ MORE AT TODAYSBRIDE.COM