It is WEDDING Season

That's right! It is the time of year that most men dread, and most women love---wedding planning season!!! All the newly engaged, and totally clueless, brides are scouring the internet for ideas, plans, and just general wedding chat.

I know this because I was "that girl" in 2005-2006. I was a little different though. I DID want to know how to have the big wedding, but I wanted to know how to actually do it CHEAPLY. That's right, I admit it. I wanted cheap cheap cheap, without looking cheap cheap cheap.

I must say also, I did it. I managed to have a wedding with buffet dinner, and open bar, for 125 guest for about $10k. It was work, and I did a lot on my own, but we stuck to our budget. Today I just want to introduce you to some of the resources I used.

First and foremost---use The Knot Website . It is very cliche I know, but it works. You can make a profile (or not) and then log in to the message boards. I used the local board for where my wedding was located to find a very affordable caterer and photographer. I liked the boards so much because it is real women and their real experiences. I also used the honeymoon message board to plan a 10 day stay in St. Lucia for less than 3k (and we went ALL out).

I also liked The Knot because I could make a FREE wedding website. Nothing is better than FREE. The site was easy to maintain and easy to change the theme. For example we made our site very winter-like during December and then switched back to the beach theme in January. I also chose to use the RSVP option on my website to avoid the pesky "pre-stamped" RSVP envelope costs with my invitations. Just try it, you will get addicted and become a "knottie".

I also used Stephi Stewart's "Fire Your Wedding Planner" e-book after a friend suggested I look at it. The book cost about $30. She says she saved over $10,000 with the tips in her book. I would say I probably saved close to $800 or so. Worth in the investment in my eyes. She also gives you freebies like a name-change kit and budget worksheet. I loved my e-book and referred to it a lot during my planning. It was nice to have it early on in my planning.

When you go to the site---LOOK DOWN! She has a ton of links to things like FREE wedding websites to more free tips on wedding savings. After you have seen those, enter your email address for "instant access". Don't worry you will just get a newsletter weekly or so with tips (I see FREE) on how to save money. The next page shows you how to get the e-book if you are still interested. I have posted here some of the reviews she has gotten. Good Luck in your planning!

I have saved approximately $7500 so far and I am not even through yet...

...I just wanted to let you know that because of your book, I have saved over $9,000 on the cost of my wedding...

... For the reception alone, I received $2000 off the minimum, free Champagne Toast and International Coffee Bar with no extra fees...

See Stephi's e-book Here

Time to Travel--Fly Cheaper!!

Did you stay home for the holidays? Or maybe you went home and now you need a real vacation? Do you feel like Southwest Says--"Wanna Get Away?"

I love to travel more than anything, and I have made it a goal of mine to travel as cheap as possible so I can travel as often as possible

If you have never booked a flight online (and who are you?) then I have to believe you are paying too much. Personally I have used Priceline, Hotwire, Expedia, USAir.com, and most recently Kayak.com. I would like to tell you today about Kayak, because I LOVE IT.

Kayak is actually just a search engine for other travel companies. This means you don't actually purchase from Kayak, but when you search for a flight, it searches all the major travel sites for you! No more sitting with 18 internet windows open and trying to figure out which site is the best priced on a certain day. Just search Kayak and then click the link!

Kayak makes their money of advertisements, but the engine is totally free to you. The best feature I find is that you can sign up for free fare alerts--remember from ONE SITE. That means you only have to worry about your fare alerts from them and you can stop checking all the other emails on fare alerts. Money saver AND Time Saver. What isn't to love? Oh and did I mention the history it keeps for you when your are signed in so you don't have to remember the airport codes every time you check for a flight.

I highly recommend Kayak.com. Try it today and please leave me a comment if you liked it!

Hello from Me--your not so financial guru

Good Morning, afternoon, evening...whichever may apply. Let me introduce myself. I am a 20-something female who works in a profession that is so far from "financial stuff" that I really have no business writing this blog. I do however enjoy saving money and telling others how I do it. I make enough money at my full time job to live comfortably in the "middle class". For some reason though, I am always looking at new ways to make the extra buck, or save a little bit more.
For this reason alone, I have started this blog. As my URL suggest--this is for petty cash. My tips won't make you a millionaire, but every little bit helps right! I will whole heartedly attempt to post at least weekly about something to help you, the average Joe, save a bit. I have an abundance of websites I have found over the years to help you save money with everything from personal shopping to world traveling.
Just to give you a little faith in my tips you should no the following:
1. I have recently taken my husband to Vegas and stayed at the MGM Grand for less than $700 total (3 nights!)
2. I own an I-Joy massage chair (you know like at Brookstone) that I paid less than $300 for---worth every penny by the way!
and
3. I have made over $250 dollars online without ever paying a cent on those "get paid to" sites....and I am going to show you how to do it without getting spammed to death or any annoying calls.

So this is me and my new obsession. I hope you check back often for more tips on how you can increase your petty cash box savings!