How did you do your budget?

[spuls5]

When I got engaged I started an excel sheet and I had NO clue how much anything cost. I just started typing out items that we would need and estimated the cost. Now I have a column for the actual cost. When I first did the budget I about fell over, because of how high it was. Now that I'm really into the planning I see that I may not be that far off. :bbeek: It's so scary the prices of things.

I'm using excel to keep track of things and I have a plastic folder thing with multiple pages in it that I am keeping EVERYTHING in so I can stay organized.

How did you figure out budgets. Are you going over budget or coming in under?

We scored on the flower girl. The girl we are having they have a dress that someone else wore in another wedding and I guess it's really fancy. We get it for free! score!

[sweetvenus]

I have a spreadsheet on Google Documents so I can update it where ever I am. It has columns for estimated cost (before tax and after tax), actual cost (before and after tax), 4 columns for payments made (Deposit, Payment 1, Payment 2, and Payment 3), total paid, total due, and then a column that compares the estimated cost to the actual cost. (Okay, I'm a bit of a geek, heh.)

We're under budget (by about $4k right now), but I intentionally over-budgeted everything because I assumed (correctly) that I would feel better coming under budget than going over, haha.

[spuls5]

oh google docs is a great idea. I have the file on a jump drive that I carry with me but if I don't have it I can always go to google docs.

[mitch]

Well first of all we looked in our Wallets and saw they were empty LOL.

To keep costs down i shop on eBay. So most of my "costings" are via my Feedback. Everything is then transferred into One Book. Everything from My Dress to Pins for the Buttonhole Flowers.

So far we are just Under Budget. But that Budget never included Rings or Honeymoon. So without those it's coming out to Approx $1,000. And i've even impressed myself because i normally have really expensive taste :D

I suppose that's a lesson learnt from My First Marriage.
Just because it was Big, Expensive and Swanky back in 1992 didn't Guarantee Success.

[acidcookie]

FH and I never made a real budget but we currently have over $4K in savings so whatever we can continue to add to that is what we'll spend. We have a year and I think we can definitely save a few thousand more if we keep at it, probably already have over $5K by the end of this summer. I know our wedding will be more than the $5K than I originally hoped, but well under $10K. The number I see in my head is about $7-8K. I'm not too concerned with the final cost as long as it matches what we have in savings. If we can afford it, then we can do it. BUt no loans or debt!

I too just started a Google spreadsheet. It's nice because with formulas you can have it autocalculate. I have rows for each item, under category headings (Attire: dress, suit, etc.). Then in one column I have what we've paid for so far and in the next column I have anticipated costs and it subtracts these from the amount in our savings to show what we have available after those anticipated costs.

Setting up to calculate automatically is really nice because then if we add money to savings or pay for something or the cost of something changes, we can just change that amount and it recalculates the other totals.

[Scrwballsgrl]

[quote=mitch;304313]Well first of all we looked in our Wallets and saw they were empty LOL.

/[quote]

You are too funny!

I haven't really gotten the budget written down, but guest list, floor plans, decoration assembly directions,cake info, etc. are all typed up on Word Pad (I'm at work, programs are slim pickin's) and divided in a three ring binder.

[Angee]

I am a project coordinator for a local builder in our area and this is exactly how we keep up with job costs!!! The form i made is in excel.... the first column shows my initial est of cost in each category, next shows how much it will cost per square foot per my estimate.... then actual cost and then the cost per sq ft.... last column shows under/over budget!! So simple!
Also, everything i estimate, at the very bottom, i add an additional 20% to total estimate!! That usually makes up for the items over....
Hope this isn't too confusing! ha
Angee

[lillypad]

I am actually using the budget page on the martha stewart website...I know it is kind of embarrassing. Then I have a separate excel sheet just for all the parts of my DIY invitations so I have a running total for all supplies purchased. The site I am using is actually pretty good though, and I can pull it up anywhere with internet which is nice.

[JulyBride09]

We are just using papers for our budget as of right now. With my dad helping us with the rental fee of the reception hall helps alot!

And we are shopping cheaply, the girls offered to pay for their own dresses and shoes, my niece is going to do our hair for free as a wedding present and we bought my gown for 100.00 with tax brand new!

[byrd813]

I had so many people pitch in, I didnt have a budget. It was s great feeling! I wish they were in my everyday life, so they could pitch in with everything else.........

[f77g4]

I did the same thing that you did - just started putting numbers into an excel spreadsheet not knowing any costs. It was shocking.

However, I am doing everything in my power to cut costs - shopping on ebay, not using a regular bakery, no open bar, doing stuff myself.

I am not adjusting the budget downward as I learn the prices cause being an accountant/auditor I like the feeling of coming in under budget...lol...like there is no church fee or officiant fee and my cake is going to be $400 less then I budgeted....it's such a great feeling!

Good luck - if you want to come in under budget you will do everything you can to.

[RosieAngel]

I lucked out because my Dad offered me 15K for the wedding. That became my total budget. If you're not so lucky, I would check your bank accounts and see how much you can spend based on that.

There are many ways to save money! Keeping the guest list small and DIY-ing things seem to be the best ways, from what I've learned hanging out here!

Good luck!

[bridal1]

Many good ideas here. THx. My motto is "Buy few, save much"
So I will buy only thing those I need, save the money for my future.:D

[lovestosmile]

I estimated (on the high end) and put everything in an excel doc. EVERYTHING I coulp possibly think of from our rings all the way down to gas and garbage bags! Then I just started researching on ways to DIY and get the same look at a better price. That is how I found this website! I LOVE it! There are TONS of ideas on here. After reading this, I learned something new... I am now going to look at google docs! Thanks and Happy planning to all! :D

[bridal1]

See...I'm not the only one who agree and love this forum.:D

[tortoisegirl]

My budget started out by listing all of the possible wedding expenses, and then from our guest list approximation and what our dream wedding would be, equating a cost to each item. Thankfully, we have pretty low-budget dreams! I was able to just cut back on a couple things, and I have the desire to begin with for DIY projects, so our budget fits right in with the money available for the wedding. We never imagined a overly-large, fancy, wedding. Reasonable expectations sure do help. Although, we are estimating spending about 25% more than I said was the top I could ever imagine spending on a wedding. The money became available, and I could account that to the high cost of everything in our city...lol.

Besides the rows for expenses in Excel, I have columns for: estimated cost, running cost (for multiple items within a category), total cost, notes, and for when applicable: vendor/store, delivery time, contact info, deposit amount, and balance due. Also have Excel sheets for my to-do list, music selections, wedding day timeline, guest list, what we need to register for, and a breakdown estimate of catering costs (the most complicated part of our budget). Whew! Can you tell I like spreadsheets?

The guest list spreadsheet has min and max number of people for the invitation (date vs. no date), if I have their address yet, save the date sent, invitation sent, rsvp received, number confirmed, names of who rsvped, if we got a gift from them and what, and thank you note sent.

lovestosmile-That's awesome you put in gas and garbage bags! I actually forgot those in my list. Mine is:

officiant fee, marriage license, reception site (incl. chairs/tables/linens), catering/bartending/rentals, snacks and disposable things like cake plates/forks, beverages (we're stocking our own bar), bead bouquets, cake topper, cake, dance floor rental, caricature artist, decorations, lighting, misc stuff like extension cords and emergency bridal kit, centerpieces, favors, dress, accessories like shoes and undergarments, alterations for dress, ties for our wedding party guys (they all own suits), wedding party gifts, save the dates, invitations, postage, thank you notes, lunch on wedding day for everyone setting up, photography, DJ, bachelor party, and rings.

I have people paying separate from our budget for our hotel room for the wedding weekend, hotel room for any of our friends who end up needing help paying for a room and for us to use as a second dressing room, hotel room for a trip into the city for us in substitution for a honeymoon for now, a girl's morning out on the day of the wedding, and rehearsal dinner.

Didn't include the following as we're skipping out on some stuff: honeymoon (doing later for our anniversary), flower girl or ring bearer stuff, programs, guest book, makeup/hair, videography, flowers, boutonnières (fh didn't want for some reason), and announcements.

I don't want to know how much we've spent on gas having to drive around. I have bought as much as I can online because usually there is a money savings that evens out with the shipping costs, especially now with gas prices still high. Also, a lot of our stuff is special to the aviation theme.

I hope to get some of the misc and decoration costs pinned down better soon so I started shopping rather early just to have more known fixed costs and cut down on the list of things to do. Also, some income that I did not account for includes interest the money is earning in the bank! and things I plan to try and sell after the wedding (white mini lights, bead bouquets, maybe my dress). Another reason we decided to delay a honeymoon is so we know how much money from wedding gifts we'll have to put towards it along with money we now have more time to save.

[bridal1]

Wow...nice!
Very long comment. Yes, good idea.:D

[jess&pav27th]

for me well its a very orginised MESS lmao!!
i have little books with bits here and bits there. i have a word document with things i have paid for an things i have not. i have a month to go and i must say everything is everywhere but i have it all well fixed in my head. looking at the paper confuses me more than anything coz i know what my head thinks is rite :)
we went way over :( we started out wanting 10 thousond buget and we got a load for 15thousond an we are now up to about 25 thousond :( lol it is unreal just how much things cost. but its all worth it an FH has been so good about the way over buget issue, he just said look i love u and our wedding will be absolutly stunning and money for him has been like oh well we only gonna do it once! he is lovely

[joraye]

FH has this whole "it's only money" attitude. Yeah, money I don't have!

We're paying ourselves, but we have an Excel spreadsheet.

I think I will definately convert that to Google Spreadsheets, I don't know why I didn't think of that, because I am always carrying around a flash drive between my 4 computers.

We're at a 10k budget right now, but that's subject to change of course......all I've done so far is book my photographer, so I really have no clue how it's all going to add up.

[octoberbride09]

All I know is that I am on some sort of budget haha...I don't really have it set in stone what the budget is but I know that I am not taking out a loan or anything like that..Right now...I have been taking $40-50 a paycheck and spending it on things I need for the wedding( or want)..that way in the end It won't hit me all at once with "OH MY I need to buy gifts, I need to buy favors, etc." I am doing it slowly. I have a little over a year so I am able to do that..We don't have much to anything savings because we just bought our house in April! So we are just going with whatever we can afford at the time..Yes I am lucky that my parents are paying for our reception (hall, food, music, Photography) I just have all the other little things that can add up to pay for. Maybe I Should start up a spreadsheet!!

[EarlyBird]

truthfully, i decided what fh and i could could contribute and when my parents told me what they could contribute, i worked from there by combining them. Then i searched a bunch of sites, emailed other brides in my areas and priced out different venues. Since thats your main cost consuming item, i went from there. I budgeted that my venue including food and drinks costs X amount--- i subtracted that from the total amount we had and was left with dividing everything up. I used another site that has a budget calculator too and it was agood indication on pricing things out. shows me how i am above and below budget on things.