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Another year is almost gone and a new one is on the way. It's hard to believe, but I'm happy to see what 2012 will bring. One thing that I do know is on the horizon is my wedding, which I'm very much looking forward to.
2011 has been all about saving money for my 2012 wedding and paying off debt, so that my soon-to-be husband and I won't start our new life together in the proverbial hole.
Some new ways I learned to save this year:
Saved Change: My fiancé and I have been saving change for the entire year and so far we have over $200! The $200 will be going towards the wedding favors. After the wedding, we plan to continue to save, so that we can have extra money for vacations, holidays, or an emergency. Knowing you have a safety-net, though small, is a comfort.
Cashed in My Habits: This year, I tried something very new and started cashing in my bad habits. Every time I indulged in one of my bad habits I added money to the jar. It was always at least a quarter and no more than a dollar. I saved $34 so far and have learned to control my bad habits. I feel this is a win-win. By the time the wedding comes, I figure I'll have just enough money to buy some thank you cards.
Paid My Bills on Time: So far this year I have not been late on one bill. This is such an amazing accomplishment for me and it feels awesome to not owe any late payments, extra finance charges, or over-draft charges. Paying my bills on time has probably saved me close to $100 a month, which has enabled me to put extra money aside for the wedding. To make sure my payments are always on time, I signed up for direct-pay, which automatically takes the payment out of my account on the due date. I always make sure I have enough money in my bank account each month, so that I don't over-draft, but other than that, it's a worry free process and very rewarding.
Worked Over-Time: Over the summer, my fiancé and I both worked side-jobs to make extra money. My fiancé started offering guitar lessons, which he still continues to do, and I pet-sat while many of my neighbors went on summer vacations. Working extra hours brought in a couple hundred dollars extra a month, which has been very helpful for paying down payments to all of our wedding vendors.
Financially, 2011 has been very good to me. I started a new job and began saving money like never before. All of the ways I have been saving have actually been working and the extra money has really helped my fiancé and I pay for our wedding.
I still have six months until the wedding, starting the New Year, which gives me six extra months to save and I feel very confident that my wedding will be paid for by July.
What are some ways you saved in 2011? Did you meet your saving goals? Please, share all of your ways to save, stories, and goals.
Happy New Year!
Related Posts:
Straight Talk on Debt: The Three S's of the Holidays
Tis the Season to Save
Mary Stolarik
Mary is a contributing writer for the CareOne Debt Relief Services blog, A Straight Talk on Debt. She is a recent college graduate, with an English Writing degree from the University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg, and she's in debt. Mary shares her experiences whils job hunting, managing her finances while only working part-time and saving for a wedding! Compensated Blogger for CareOne Debt Relief Services. Read more posts by Mary under the Just Graduated & Starting Out blog.
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