Just lost £2500 of the budget

100%

I think getting a 'reward' for finishing is the stupidest thing ive ever heard... EVER lol

im mean come on 'congratulations for finishing a course to improve your job prospects and better your own life here have some money for working so hard on something that is to benefit you'

also I dont know anyone who has ever got one of these 'rewards'

the government arnt your parents ffs they dont reward you, that's like finding the government has put £1000 in you account and instead of saying that's an error thinking ill go on holiday its a reward for all the hard job seeking/tax paying/helping my local whatever ive been doing

Advice.

Invite fewer guests

Choose a cheaper venue

Buy a second hand dress

Don't have bridesmaids

Forget favours

Have a cash bar

Wear some shoes you already own

Make your own photocopied invitations and orders of service

Have a quickie wedding in a Register Office

And as for the "us ladies should stick together" comment - words fail me. Sweeping generalisation there that I am not party to.

You have to earn close to £40k before you are a net contributor to the UK pot. Up to that threshold, you get more back than you pay in tax. Might be food for thought for those who feel they have "paid in enough"?

I assume those who think people should spend government-issued cash on whatever they want hold those principles when they see benefit recipients buying tabs, booze and big TVs.

Do people really get a cash reward for finishing a degree and going on to PG education these days? I was born too early...

Well I'm just totally offended that no-one (including OP) has seen fit to comment on my comprehensive list of budget savings.

they're not rewards they are down payments to your post grad and are expected to go on education fees to replace the tution loan you get for BSc

also as someone doing a chemistry degree and have a second career choice in teaching I would love to know where you pulled the £20,000 'reward' figure from, you get you tuition paid with pgce courses as they are under-subscribed by graduates and some living expenses but you certainly dont get £20,000 as a 'reward'

I agree with elements of this, but I don't see anyone going around their local city raving at students to stop spending their grants on cheap beer and takeaways, because as a current student I know this is exactly what the money goes on!

I don't know a single person at my university which has spent the whole of their grant/loan on education.

What I don't understand is why these students are getting grants when they can afford to spend it on things like cheap beer and takeaways? My housemate had a £2,500 grant each year we were at uni, she had to spend this on her rent/bills, and had a maintenance loan for 'living expenses' (ie drink and food) like the rest of us. I admit I p*ssed my loan away on food/drink/clothes/going out, which is how I managed to spend it all ie £100 a week (which would be a friggin luxury now, I was better off as a student than working full-time earning £22k!). However this was a LOAN, which I will pay back in full, so it was absolutely up to me how I spent it.

If you need a grant surely you should be in a position where it HAS to go towards education fees/basic living expenses like rent and bills? Otherwise it's unfair on those who don't get the grants, just because they're from higher income families?

It must have been different when I was at uni then tbh, and I only graduated in 2009! My rent and bills came to about £1k a term, which would have literally taken ALL my maintenance loan, and like you I would've had to work just to live and buy books - this wouldn't have been feasible for me, and I don't think it's right that any full-time students have to work a lot of hours. I was lucky enough that my parents paid my rent and bills each term, so my maintenance loan was purely to live off. My parents didn't HAVE to pay my rent though, and what if they hadn't? Stupid really.

The op diddnt comment on any money saving posts before the 'scary' (your opinion) posts happened.

blumey- if you think this is scary you wouldn't last 5 mins doing my job.

I disagree that it's nasty. If you offer details about yourself and your situation on a public forum, you invite comment. If those details are controversial, some people will object.

It is NOT nasty to query the use of an educational grant to pay for a wedding. I suspect some may underestimate the depth of feeling on this issue. For me, it has been the major pet political issue of my adult life and is pretty much singlehandedly responsible for the way I vote. I have actively petitioned and campaigned for free education and help for those in need, I have marched countless miles and waved many placards, I have attended rallies and conferences. As I said in my first post, this is not what I was fighting (and will continue to fight) for. Money that was allocated to the OP's wedding could have been used to help someone genuinely unable to attend university.

If people aren't prepared to have their posts picked over (which is standard practice for most internet forums, to be honest), then they should offer only relevant information. I don't expect everyone else to feel as strongly as I do on this particular issue, but if a poster wishes to tee me up for a rant (any rant), I am happy to oblige ? Having said that, forum discussions meander from the specific to the general and, as we have moved onto the use of maintenance grants to buy kebabs, I would encourage the OP to return and see the genuine advice given here, especially the excellent tips given by AmnesiaCustard.

"Help, I need to shave £2500 off my budget, how can I do this?" might have, on reflection, been received more kindly.

Completely agree with FTLOMB.

And like I've already said a few times now, I DID offer advice as well as my opinion!

No sympathy from me either.

You shouldn't have set your budget relying on this money. Cutback or postpone and save, I think your attitude takes the piss.

I can understand that some people are upset at how you're using your funds but in my mind it just means that you are having to cut back in other areas of your life to fund whatever this grant would have funded.

My advice would be to look at delaying the start of your wedding from 12 o'clock to later, say 2-3pm in the afternoon. You could then possibly save by having a buffet rather than sit down meal & might be able to save on drinks & entertainment as you've not got guests to entertain for as long.

Please remember that the most important factor of the day is that you get married & everything else will, i'm sure, melt into the background. Your family & friends will understand & they just want you both to be happy!

Have a good day & good luck! x

Congratulations!

I am getting married on 28th December & saved over £1000 on the venue because of the date as it tends to be very quiet between Christmas & New Year. It might be worthwhile asking your venue which date is cheaper. We plumped for that date as we thought alot of people tend to be off work & at a loose end during this festive period.

Ditto. However I'm too smug to be of any use do in guessing that's why she's not come back to thank me

But... we do know the circumstances, the OP told us she would have been using an educational grant to help fund her wedding, this is what people have formed an opinion on. I don't know how that isn't knowing the circumstances?

I also agree with others that nothing nasty has been said but lets be honest this is going to spark a fairly heated response from people that are potentially cutting back on a lot of things to pay for their own weddings or are tax payers (or both!)

Ah I wondered when this phrase would get mentioned!

Can't respond any further as it's a struggle to reach the keyboard from up here....

I was still at uni when OH proposed to me.

We thought about getting married within the year, but I didn't want to cut back on certain things so we opted for a longer engagement. Is this not an option for you? As long as you use the same suppliers but delay it till you can afford it?

I haven't found any of the comments nasty, but like someone has said, when it comes to discussing using tax payers money to fund a wedding it will spark debate.

Oh for gods sake. Disagreeing with someone isn't ganging up on them. You post on an Internet forum, people will have an opinion on what you've said, whether you like it or not. If you don't want an answer you don't want to hear, don't ask a question on a forum!

People argue and frown upon a lot of things that aren't illegal, but it doesn't make their opinion any less valid.

as for saying 99% of us would do the same....now who's judging people. I can vouch for lots of people on here, who would definitely NOT do this. Sweeping statement!

'How pathetic you sound'

and we are the nasty ones?

diddnt take long for your true colours to show. As soon as you resort to insults you have lost in my book.

Sorry it's evident from what she said that she is spending above her means! If you can't afford a wedding don't have one it's has simple has that!

where I went to uni a friend who genuinely needed a grant was turned down after having a expenses assessed after reviewing bank statements she was told she couldn't have the grant due to evidence of partying.... This referred to one night out to celebrate her birthday! She is a student midwife.... The course is hard going hardly time for regular nights out partying!

yes it's up to people to do what they want with the money they are given but my thing is you can't make plans with something that isn't already yours it's silly and irresponsible and the OP learnt this lesson the hard way... Too bad!

if I was her I would have budgeted differently and used the money has a bonus!

lets flip the coin though those so for her spending 'free' money and accusing everyone of ganging up on her would you all be of the same opinion if she said the money was promised to her from a relative or friend? Same money, different circumstances, same attitude...

At what point did anyone say it's not fair? Lol 7500 grant or 20,000?

Wow... I am so shocked by this thread.

I am a final year student at uni and not a penny of my loans/grants have gone towards our wedding. It goes on things I need like fuel to get to uni (as I commute), books (as they are BLOODY EXPENSIVE) and living costs. All of which are what it is meant to be used for!

If you can't afford your wedding without loans ang grants which aren't meant to be spent on things like that then the only advice I can give you is to wait until your degree is over and then work for your money like everyone else does.

If you stopped going back and editing your posts it would make your arguement hold a lot more water.

Well this would be on example of an edited post. Jjkcb also references you talking about the £20k grant too. Let's not forget the post where you tell us you are the op.

The OP chose to disclose that the money was an education grant, therefore it's not unreasonable for people to disagree with her using that money for her wedding.

If the OP can't afford it, then cut back or save up like everyone else has to, and stop with the entitled temper tantrum.

Not really been on here for a few weeks and god have I missed this place!

Did I miss a flounce? This thread now makes no sense now posts are missing...

Did I miss a flounce? This thread now makes no sense now posts are missing...