Living With Your Parents at 25, or Any Age

Living With Your Parents at 25, or Any Age

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Hey All!

I feel like this is a great topic because it is one that I have stressed about for the past year. As some of you may know I am engaged and recently decided to move back in with my parents. Prior to this my now fiancé and I lived on our own for 3 years, so this was a hard decision. Since we were not sure where life was going to take us in the next year we decided to move back home to save money. So here we are 8 months later, almost 26, living with my parents.

There is nothing wrong with living with your parents at any age. Honestly, the longer you can stay with your parents the better. Living on your own is extremely expensive, especially when you have other bills and loans to pay. Why not try and save as much as possible?

For me, I felt like I wasn’t as good as other people because they were buying houses or living on their own, but now I am questioning why I worried. The whole point was to live with my parents and save money so we could buy a house in the future. If I could go back to right before deciding to move out I would have made a totally different decision. I would have stayed with my parents for as long as possible.

Moral of the story is if you are able to live with your parents DO IT! Do it as long as you can. You may not want to but you will thank yourself for the decision in the future.

After eight months of living with my parents, I was able to save enough money where I was able to pay off all my bills and get approved for a home loan! I am so excited I decided to move back home because I would not be at this point if I would have gotten an apartment.

As always don’t forget to comment below with ideas for future posts!

Thanks All!

Carissa Ann

3 Things I Wish I Knew in my 20s

3 Things I Wish I Knew in my 20s

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Hey All,

Your early 20s seem to be the time in most people’s lives where you are making big decisions for your life. For me, there are many things I wish someone would have told me to help me save more money and get through life easier.

Here are some things I wish I would’ve known, hopefully, it will help others in this time of major decisions.

  1. You do not need to shop at big named stores to find cute clothing items.

I always was that person who thought I needed to get everything from big named stores. The problem with this is that I was spending way more money than I needed to be spending on clothing. Well, recently I started to do a lot more shopping on Amazon, Shein, Ali Express and more wholesales websites. These are places you can find cute, trendy clothes for a fraction of what you would spend in big named stores.

Now that I know about these sites that have been my go to places and have saved me so much money over time.

  1. You do not need to know what you want to do for the rest of your life.

Statistics show that most people will change careers 12 times in their lives. When I was in college I felt as I needed to know exactly what I wanted to do with my life, and I was 110% wrong. I didn’t need to know, I have so much time to figure that out. There is nothing wrong with changing careers throughout your life. Sometimes it will take you doing something to realize it is not for you.

  1. Just because your friends are at a place in life, doesn’t mean you need to be there too.

I thought just because my friends were buying houses and new cars meant that I was failing because I wasn’t. This is so far from the truth. You do not need to always be where your friends are in life to be successful in life.

My friends may have been buying houses and cars, but I was moving 500 miles away and living without any support close to me. Both of these things are signs of succeeding.

Really the best thing with this is DO NOT compare yourself to your friends or family. You will only tear yourself down if you start comparing yourself to others.

 

These were some of the big things that once I realized it relieved a ton of stress from my life.

If you have anything that you wish you would have known in your 20s feel free to comment those below!

Thanks All!

Carissa Ann

Life After College

Life After College

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Deciding your life after college is not easy. Trust me, within the last 3 months before graduation I had at least 5 breakdowns because I had no idea what I was doing after graduation.

You spend tens of thousands of dollars on your education and at least four years studying, you would think you would have some idea what you wanted, right?

Well after taking two victory laps during college I still had no idea what I wanted. It did not help that I am very indecisive on any decisions. Even knowing that I am indecisive, it did not help with me thinking I was never going to find something. My friends already had jobs lined up after college and here I applied for everything under the sun, hoping someone will just get back with me.

In case you needed the peace of mind, this is completely normal! Not everyone finds a job right out of college, and not everyone knows what they even want to be after college. Hell, I graduated two years ago and I am still trying to figure out what I want to do!

The best thing to do is to remember, you will figure it out at some point. Even if it means you need to work in retail for a few months while searching for a job, do it! You do not want to settle for any job you can find, because then you will just make yourself miserable.

Just because your friends are doing things one way does not mean you are failing yourself. You will get there I promise.

I hope this helps some of you with life after college as you are getting closer to graduation! Like always don’t forget to comment below with tips or questions you may have!

Thanks all!

Carissa Ann

Saving on Decor

Saving on Decor

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Hey all!

When it comes to planning, one of the biggest things for people is how can you save money?  There are so many ways to save money, but the best place to start is finding online sites where you can purchase items.

I wanted to go through and share my top websites to help you save money and still have you’re over the top day.

All of the websites will be linked below so you can check them out and see what they each have.

Amazon – Obviously they have everything, but you would be surprised how many people I know who never even thought about looking on Amazon. They have so many options you can choose from. You can find linens, centerpieces, flowers, you name it, they probably have it.

Wayfair – This one actually was a big surprise to me. They have a very large selection for décor and even gifts. Also while you are here looking for decorations you can also start a registry.

Ikea – Again here is another one that I would have never thought about, but if you are crafty this is the place to start. They have so many items that you can put vinyl on, or use for centerpieces. Plus if you have ever been to Ikea you know it’s a pretty cheap place to shop!

Michaels – Obviously if you have a creative bone in your body then this is the place for you. Online has so many more things than you will find in stores. You can pretty much craft up anything you can think of with things from Michaels.

CV Linens – This is a site I actually heard about while at a wedding show. If you are like me and want to save money anywhere you can then this is the place for you. You can buy linens, centerpieces, silk flowers and anything you can think of. I know renting linens can get expensive, so why not buy them and have the ability to sell them after?

TableclothFactory – I think this one is pretty self-explanatory as to what they sell. Again as previously stated, why rent when you can buy linens for the same price?

Facebook – I will be doing an entire blog post on finding things on Facebook, but thought it would be great to add here. Obviously, people want to sell wedding décor, and Facebook is the easiest way these days. This can either through the Marketplace or through groups.

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/

Wayfair – https://www.wayfair.com/

Ikea – https://www.ikea.com/

Michaels – https://www.michaels.com/

CV Linens – https://www.cvlinens.com/index.php

TableclothFactory – https://tableclothsfactory.com/

 

Like always don’t forget to comment below with any ideas or websites you may know about!

Thanks all!

Carissa

Lets talk Bridal Shows

Lets talk Bridal Shows

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So just like the title said today I am talking about BRIDAL SHOWS!! I say it like that because well this is one of my favorite things so far.

If you don’t believe me and need more evidence ill put it this way, I have already been to 4 bridal shows and my wedding isn’t until 9/5/2020. So I am excited about this topic.

So let’s jump in!

To start out some people are probably thinking “why are you so excited about this topic”, well here we go.

If you don’t know what a bridal show or wedding show is, it is a giant (I’m talking giant) show where different vendors will come and showcase. They will all have booths set up with flyers and testers to help sell themselves for your wedding. You can find things such as venues, caterers, photographers, tux rentals and the list goes on. At these booths, the vendors will tell you about themselves, give you pricing (most of the time), sometimes give you a discount, and also will sometimes do giveaways. Who doesn’t love free things?

When it does come to bridal shows they can be a little overwhelming if you are not prepared. Here are my best tips to get through in one piece and feeling accomplished.

1. Know what you want

Make sure you are going with knowledge of what you are looking for. You usually can look through the vendors beforehand which will help. If you do not need a caterer than why go to all of the caterers? You don’t want to spend time places you have no need for.

2. Be early

Not only do some places give out things to the first brides, but also it will give you more time without tons of people. You want as much time with the vendors as you can because it will get busy and crowded fast.

3. Bring a friend

You should definitely bring someone with you. This could be a friend, a bridesmaid, a parent or your fiance. You will be making so many decisions or getting ideas while here so why not have someone to talk them over with.

4. Sign up for all the giveaways

I said this before, but want to stress it again, SIGN UP FOR ALL GIVEAWAYS! You are hopefully putting your wedding email address so if you get spam mail it won’t be too hard to spot and delete. Why not try and win as much as you can and save some money?

5. Talk to any vendor your interested in

I believe this is important because you want to make sure you feel comfortable with your vendors. This is the perfect place to find out if they will fit well with what you are looking for. You also have the chance to ask any questions you may have for them. Another thing when talking to them is they may give you special discounts for coming to the show.

Obviously, there are many other things to help you through a bridal show, but these are definitely great tips!

Hopefully, this will help you have a fun and stress-free time at your bridal shows! Like always if you have any questions or tips don’t forget to leave them below!

Thanks all!

 

 

 

 

Keeping Emails Organized

Keeping Emails Organized

by Life Lessons With Carissa ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This may seem like a weird topic to have an entire post on, but to me, it is the best way to stay organized when planning your wedding.

To me the best advice I was ever given when planning was to make a separate email for your wedding things. I feel like it is not something you think of when starting your wedding planning, but seriously It is a lifesaver!

If you are anything like me you have multiple emails. The ones you have not used in who knows how long, ones for work, ones for school and the main one that has 90,000 emails. Could you imagine going through all of those just to find one email you need for your vendor? It will just add to the stress of the planning process which is what you do not need!

When you start looking through vendors or going to wedding shows you want to have one place where you can view all of those emails. You want somewhere where you can easily go in and find the emails when needed just for the wedding. It also lets you share it with your bridesmaids or parents without showing them all of your emails from Amazon.

It’s also nice because after the wedding you can save it for memories or delete it without deleting all of your important emails in other accounts.

I know this was just a simple tip, but it is one that I am glad I knew before I ended up with too many lost emails.

Like always if you have any questions or extra tips don’t forget to comment below!

 

Thanks all!

Finding the Perfect Venue

Finding the Perfect Venue

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So now you have decided on the budget, scheme, date and guest count, now what?

Your next big decision will be something that will really define your wedding. This would be your venue.

Before you decide on a venue though you need to decide if you will do the ceremony and reception in the same place or separate. This again is something that will be based around your budget. If it is in the same place it can be cheaper than if it is at separate places. For my fiancé and I decided the same place was going to be best for what we were looking for.

Once you have made this decision, now you can decide where you want your big day. Again, this is a fun time where you need to research and tour as many places as possible. No joke, as many as you can. Some places you never thought you would want or are out of your budget may actually end up being exactly everything you want.

  1. Remember your scheme

When researching different venues make sure you are keeping your scheme in mind also. If you are wanting a formal wedding, then there is no point in wasting time looking at barns. Same with if you are wanting a rustic wedding, what is the point of looking at formal venues?

  1. Guest count is important

Another big thing while researching venues is guest count. You obviously don’t want a venue that seats 100 people if your guest list is 200. Most of the time you can find the maximum seat count on different websites, but sometimes they are referring to standing room. An example is my fiancé and I were dead set on a distillery in Kentucky and online it said it can hold up to 200 guests. Well, when they say that they meant 200 guests standing! Obviously, that was not going to work for us since we have a guest count of 175.

  1. Location, Location, Location

Another big thing you want to keep in mind while researching different venues is location. You want to make sure you keep in mind the people you are inviting the wedding. If you are having a large wedding but want to get married 300 miles away from everyone that may not be considerate. You want to make sure it is in a place where it will not be a journey to get people to your wedding. Unless that is what you are going for then more power to you.

Location can also refer to making sure there are places for people to stay. Especially if you have a large number of people coming from out of town. You want to make sure that the closest option for a hotel is not 30 miles away from your venue.

Now that you have researched and thought about the above, plus your budget, now it is time to start touring venues. You will want to email the venues directly to set up times to come in. If you just show up without a scheduled appointment you may have to come back at a later time.

You also want to make sure that you schedule the appointments far enough apart to get through them all thoroughly and are able to ask questions. Obviously making one for 2:00pm and the next one for 3:00pm would not be enough time to thoroughly go through the venues.

MAKE SURE YOU ASK QUESTIONS!

This is SO important because it is a big commitment of time and money that you are giving. This is something that will define your wedding (for the most part), and you don’t want to find out something later on that you could have already known.

Here are some questions you should ask every venue manager.

  • Is my date available?
  • How many people can the venue hold?
  • What is the cancelation policy?
  • What is the price of the venue?
  • What is included with the price?
  • Do you have a specific list of preferred vendors?
  • Do we need to get food and beverage from an outside vendor?
  • Are we allowed to bring in our own decorations?
  • What are the stipulations for decorations?
  • What is the price for extra hours?
  • What is the normal setup you see for weddings?
  • Can we do our rehearsal here?
  • What day do you normally do rehearsals?
  • Do you all include a planner?
  • Do you all include a day of planner?
  • What time can we start setting up?
  • When do we need to pick up everything after the wedding?
  • Is there a bridal suite in the venue?

There are all questions that should be asked when looking at venues. These are things that can make an expensive venue cheap in the long run or more expensive depending on what they include.

Lastly, once you have found the perfect venue read over the contract carefully. Make sure you know everything you need to know before signing. This will just save you money in the long run.

Hopefully, this will help you find your perfect venue! As always if you have any more tips and tricks drop them in a comment!

Thanks all!

Figure out the Guest List

Figure out the Guest List

by Life Lessons With Carissa ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Now the next big part in the planning process is figuring out your guest count. Keep in mind your budget, the more people you invite the more expensive it will be.

The rule of thumb when it comes to guests lists is that 20% more likely will not end up coming. Sometimes this is not true but it is a good thing to keep in mind.

A good way to start is to sit down with the family. You wouldn’t believe how many people my fiancé and I would have forgotten if we didn’t have our parents helping us. Obviously, if it is someone you can’t think of then maybe you shouldn’t invite them, but it happens you just forget someone’s kid off of a list on accident.

You don’t need to invite everyone you have ever met.

It is your wedding so you should only invite people who you want to invite. You do not need to invite your second cousins you met twice in the past 10 years, that just doesn’t make sense. There are tons of flow charts to help with who you should and should not invite. Here is one I used for my guest list, it is linked below if you are interested.

who to invite to wedding New Who to Invite to Your Wedding Flow Chart From I Will? To I Do

You also should take into consideration who is helping you pay for the wedding. I am a strong believer if your parents are giving you money for your wedding you should let them invite people they want. Usually, it ends up being people you would invite anyways, but make them feel special it will help you out.

You also want to keep in mind just because they were your friend once doesn’t mean that you have to invite them to your wedding. You are paying for every person to be there so why invite people who you haven’t talked to in ages?

 

Now the biggest and I believe is the most controversial topic with a guest list is who gets a plus 1.

This to me is big because many people say they do not want random people at their weddings. Well look at it this way, would you want to be invited to a wedding and not know anyone? That is how many people look at it.

With that being said it is your wedding! If you don’t trust someone to be a plus 1 then don’t let them. It really is something you need to decide. You also want to remember if one person is able to bring a random person as a plus 1 then it wouldn’t be fair if everyone was not able to.

Keeping those things in mind sit down and write out the names of everyone you would like to invite. Also putting down significant others with them. Now make sure you have everyone you can think of, then go through and mark people off if needed. I say put everyone down then mark them off because it makes you make sure you are not leaving anyone off you may want at your wedding.

Again the biggest thing to remember is IT IS YOUR WEDDING! In the end, it is what you want! You can always make changes up to when you start sending out save the dates so the first draft is not the final count!

Like always if you have any questions or additional tips and tricks comment below for everyone to see!

Thank all!

 

Link: https://codingtales.com/invitations/38208-who-to-invite-to-wedding/attachment/who-to-invite-to-wedding-new-who-to-invite-to-your-wedding-flow-chart-from-i-will-to-i-do/

Lets Start the Planning

Lets Start the Planning

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So now that you are engaged you are probably thinking, what should I do first? Everyone starts with this question, even if they have been using Pinterest for years to ‘plan’. So where do you start? What is the best way to go about starting the planning process? Below are the most important starting points I have noticed with any length of engagement.

  1. Budget! Budget! Budget!

This is the one thing that so many people put off until they have already picked different things. You want this to be the first decision because you want to remember off seasons will be cheaper, and some styles will cost more than others. The last thing you want is to come up with an amazing vision then find out it is out of your budget.

You, your fiancé and anyone else who is helping with the wedding need to sit down and talk about the budget. You want to make sure you know how much you will be contributing and how much others will be giving to you.

Once the budget has been outlined, keeping in mind things may change, that is when you can start moving on to actual planning.

  1. What is the time of year and date you are wanting for your big day?

When it comes to weddings, many people have a time of year they are wanting to have their big day. You want to look at each time of year based on weather, scenery and holidays.

Weather is pretty consistent (for the most part) from year to year. This will be a good thing to know so you know if you need to plan for a hot day, rain or cold weather. The scenery is important to think about because you don’t want to do an outdoor wedding when trees are leafless, or flowers are barely in bloom.

Then lastly holidays, this is important because of traveling. You want to be mindful of other people who may have other travel arrangements on holidays or plans in general.

Then you want to come up with a date. This may be a random day you and your fiancé decide on, or it could be a day that is special to you in some way.

You want to have the date set because it will be something that will be needed when setting up vendors late on.

  1. Now you have a date, now you can start thinking of a theme or scheme for your wedding. Although the time of year doesn’t have to match your theme or scheme, it definitely makes it easier. Your theme or scheme can also make a difference in the venue that you will decide to book.

This is the time where Pinterest will become your best friend! You can start looking up ideas for color schemes and see what goes well together and what may not.

The biggest thing to remember when thinking of a scheme or theme is to pick things that you want to see. Just because you see everyone using certain colors, doesn’t mean that you need to do the same.

 

Yay! You are engaged! Now here we go …

Yay! You are engaged! Now here we go …

by Life Lessons With Carissa ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

They asked you said yes .. now what’s next?

Like all of you, I am recently engaged and am in the middle of the wedding planning “fun”. Well NEWS FLASH it can be fun you just need to know what you are doing.

Well, I am here to hopefully show you some tips, tricks, and secrets to making this easy and fun!

If you have any questions or tips you have don’t forget to leave them in a comment below.