There is only one way to manage your budget and make sure you have enough left for the last bits you want to book or buy, and that is a spreadsheet. Boring, I know, but it will spare you a lot of headaches.
You don’t need anything fancy, just 4 to 5 columns:
- what
- amount still to pay
- amount paid
- payment due date
- budgeted cost (if you have allocated a budget to each item, which I recommend you do)
If you can, do it on the computer and Excel it will do the maths for you. But you can also do it on paper or on a big whiteboard.
Here is a screenshot of what my own spreadsheet looks like (not my actual content ?). Made in Excel:
Once you pay something, you move the amount from ‘to pay’ to ‘paid’. If there is a balance to pay, update the ‘payment due’ column with the new date, otherwise delete the old date.
This way you will see what you still need to pay and you won’t miss any payment dates. (We all love people who pay without needing a reminder.)
If you are a bit geeky or simply got the skills through work, go ahead, geek yourself out! I certainly have and I added a few extras:
- Difference to Budget
- Left to Pay
- Total Actual
Left to Pay: This is the most important of the figures you need to know. This is the total of booked items that still need paying.
Total Actual: this is the total of items booked or paid for. Does it stack up against your budget?
Are you wondering now how for heaven’s sake you would build an excel sheet like this? Well here is a treat for you: When you request your quote, just mention that you would like the Wedding Budget Spreadsheet and I will send it to you.
Have a lovely day and happy wedding planning! x
