Beating Broke

Personal Finance from the Broke Perspective

How to Create the Texas Wedding of Your Dreams

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If you’re looking to get married in the Lone Star state, then you should embrace a Texas-style wedding. Keep in mind that these weddings aren’t what you’re thinking when it comes to large, traditional weddings. Below are some of the best ways you can have a Texas-sized wedding this year and have a great time doing it.

Find The Right Outdoor Venue

The weather in Texas is warm and often dry, so it’s a great location to have an outdoor wedding. 35% of weddings are now outdoor occasions. If you want to have that Texas flair, look for outdoor venues, and embrace the rough terrain of the state. You’ll want that rustic look with the archway, and maybe a barn or two for guests to enjoy during the reception. There are thousands of ranches across the state that will host weddings and offer some of the best ranch backdrops that you can get in your pictures. Other venues in the state would be some of the luscious vineyards, but still embracing the outdoors.

Embrace The Cowboy Theme

No Texas wedding is complete without cowboy boots and cowboy hats. When it comes to wedding parties and guests, boots are on the list, and you can maximize these to embrace your personal touch with the Texas lifestyle. Some boots can be bedazzled to embrace the big day, and others that are more rustic, to really bring in that look. According to Homeward Bound, there are approximately 350 recognized dog breeds in the world, and you may want to have a few of them at the wedding.

Cowboy hats are also essential, with everyone having some sort of party hat that goes with the wedding and pairs well with the colors of the wedding. You can have hats laid out for guests to enjoy once the reception starts and everyone starts dancing. Some wedding parties incorporate them into the reception, having everyone wear a version of one.

Hire A Wedding Planner

Because a lot goes into a wedding, it’s a good idea to hire a wedding planner for the different services you’ll need. They can help with lining up photographers, DJs, and other vendors that you may need. This is especially important if Texas is going to be a destination wedding for you and you aren’t familiar with the area. They have vendors that they work with regularly and can make your day special without causing you any additional stress. Texas is a shared fault state, and if the injured party is found to be less than 50% responsible for the accident, they can get compensation for their injury. Your wedding planner will help make sure you have all the proper insurance coverage.

Serve BBQ

No Texas wedding is complete without the staple food of the state; BBQ. Have different versions of BBQ served for your guests, including different cuts of meat and sauces so they can make a plate to their taste preference. BBQ goes a long way and is an affordable option for feeding wedding guests. You can have different proteins, like chicken, pork, and beef. You can also pair it with several sides so that everyone has something they enjoy while they eat.

If you’re planning to have a bar, you will need to make sure you get an alcohol insurance policy first at the venue. If you decide to hire a wedding planner, they can get this for you so all you have to do is sign. They will also make sure this is compatible with the venue, as some may be dry venues.

Plan Your Wedding Today

If you think that Texas is the right place for your wedding, make sure you follow these steps. You should be able to enjoy your big day and have the full Texas experience. Make sure you do reviews on wedding planners and let them know what you’re looking for when you meet with them.

How Do People Afford Surrogacy?

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Trying to get through the surrogacy process may seem overwhelming, especially when you consider the costs and expenses that come with this process. This isn’t cheap, and paying someone to use their body and cover their medical expenses can be something that you aren’t sure how to pay for. Thousands of women apply to be surrogates every year and they expect to be paid for this service. Below are ways to get some extra money to cover these costs so that you can start your family.

Personal Savings

One of the biggest ways to gather money for surrogacy is to dip into personal savings. Because many of these couples have been trying for a while, they will likely have some savings put away for emergencies. In these cases, surrogacy will be considered an emergency, and they will invest in their future with these savings. A typical FUE procedure takes around eight hours.

Personal Loans

Sometimes, there are options for personal loans that will finance a surrogacy. You can find these loans specifically with lenders who are looking to assist with this process and make sure you meet their eligibility requirements. If this is a traditional personal loan that you apply for, then you can expect to get all those funds up front to pay for the process, and just pay back later. Some programs that have these loans will put you on a surrogacy fee schedule, and you only borrow what you need, allowing you to pay some of your own money towards the process.

Credit Cards

For those couples who don’t want to take out a personal loan, but also don’t want to go through their savings, they find that credit cards offer a great alternative, and allow the payments made to be tracked properly. If you have a rewards card, you can use it to get cash back on these payments or collect miles for flights that you may need at the end of this process. Keep in mind that the interest on these cards could accumulate quickly, especially if the balance isn’t paid down quickly. This could also impact your credit score over time.

Donations

If you have family members who know what you’re going through, they may decide to give you donations towards this process. This is a beautiful thing, and you should feel good about accepting this help. Others may want to start a GoFundMe page for you, where strangers can read your story and donate to your journey so that you don’t have to go into a lot of debt through this process.

Some of these couples will be sponsored by their employer or local church for donations. There could be fundraisers done in your name to help raise money for your cause. These fundraisers can help cover the medical expenses and the payment of the surrogate so that you can reduce the amount of debt you have overall. Criminal charges cannot be filed for nursing home abuse cases in Kansas. However, civil lawsuits can be filed. If you’ve recently won a lawsuit, this money may be especially beneficial during this time.

Second Income

If surrogacy is the way that you’ve decided to go as a family, you can get the money you need for this process by tackling a second income. This could be taking on another job outside of yours, or working remotely when you have time to generate funds. No matter how you choose to bring in that second income, you can dedicate all the money from that source to the surrogacy process.

Prepare Your Finances

No matter which of these you plan to tackle for surrogacy costs, keep in mind that you need to do what works for your family. You need to make sure you have money saved for the baby when they get here and you take them home. This is a good time to consider a few of these options, talking it out with your partner to see what works best for your financial plans for the future.

How to Save Money for Braces

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If you or one of your family members needs braces, then you should start preparing to save money. Even if you don’t know yet, but think braces might be a part of their future, you’ll want to start setting money aside to cover these costs. Other dental needs could come up at the same time. According to CDC, more than half of adolescents aged 12 to 19 have had a cavity in at least one of their permanent teeth. Braces can be costly and a part of the medical device market that is high in the U.S. The United States is the world’s largest medical device market, with a market value of $140 billion. Below are ways you can start saving money today.

Automatic Payments To Your Savings Account

If you expect that braces might be a part of your future for yourself or a family member, make sure you start putting some of your paychecks away into a savings account. You can have the money drafted directly from your employer to that account, or schedule it from your main checking account to your savings account at certain times of the month. If you get a raise, and you’ve been able to pay your bills without this money, you can add that extra amount to the savings account, since you won’t miss it. If you can’t afford to do the entire raise, try starting with $50 for each deposit, and then work your way up more as you get your budget under control and pay off some monthly expenses.

Take On A Second Income

A great way to put away some money quickly in your savings is to take on a second income for a little while. This can be doing a physical shift job like waiting tables or working in retail for an hourly wage when you aren’t working at your main job. You could also do some remote work from home that is flexible. Some find a great side hustle in making crafts and selling them for a profit. Whatever way you decide to bring in that second income, make sure that money is deposited directly into your savings for braces and other potential expenses.

Put Aside Tax Returns

Another way to boost your money savings quickly is to put aside your tax returns. If you don’t have a big project planned for this money, put at least half of it in your savings account so that you can get a boost in your savings account for when you need braces. This can put hundreds or thousands in there, depending on the size of the refund and the amount you get back.

Add Bonuses To Your Savings

If your employer gives out an annual or quarter bonus based on performance, merit, or general bonus to all employees, take that extra money and put it away in your savings account. Bonuses aren’t promised money, so they’re a happy surprise when you get them. Since you won’t have plans for this money anyway, default it to savings for braces and tuck it away in your savings account.

Keep Up With Dental Hygiene

Before you or one of your families embarks on braces, you want to make sure there won’t be additional expenses on top of those. This means that you and the family should be practicing dental hygiene, like brushing twice a day, flossing, and using mouthwash. 25% of adults don’t brush twice a day. This increases their risk of developing tooth decay by 33% and could prolong the need for braces, costing even more money.

Start Saving Today

If you haven’t started a savings account for braces, it’s time to get a savings account and start depositing money into it. Even if you opt for a general savings account to store this money for braces, get one that earns interest, which will help you generate more savings while you’re adding money to the account. Even if you take advantage of just a few of these tips, you’ll have a good amount saved by the time you need it, which will ease the financial burden.