Dear Bridesmaid, You're Getting Ripped Off

You might not even realize how much you have to spend as a bridesmaid until you are over $1,000 in, realizing that you don’t know when the spending will stop or how much money you’ll have left over in your savings account when the whole thing is over.

There are many things a bridesmaid will be asked to spend money on in the wedding adventure , everything from a bridesmaid dress, to travel to and from the bachelorette party, bridal shower, and actual wedding, and of course, gifts.

Here are three things to do to make sure that you are not getting ripped off the next time you are a bridesmaid.

1. Buy Your Dress Somewhere Else

An easy mistake you can make is buying your bridesmaid dress from the bridesmaid dress store the bride finds it in. It may be overpriced there and no discounts may be available. Instead, take the style number of the dress and search for it online. Find it somewhere that has it on sale or see if you can buy it used, or rent it if possible.

2. Say No to Things You Can’t Afford

As a bridesmaid, you’ll be invited to a lot of pre-wedding activities, and unless those activities are local, you may be finding yourself spending a ton of money to get there and get back home. Instead, be picky about what you can attend and only go if you can afford to go. If not, tell the bride it’s not in your budget.

3. Don’t Buy Direct Off the Registry

If there’s something on the bride’s registry that you want to buy her, don’t just click add to cart and call it a day. Instead, search for that item some place else and see if you can get it for cheaper. You can also search for coupon codes to see if you can add that to the cart before checking out and save some cash.