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Weddings can come with a hefty price tag for the bride and groom. But if you’re one of the many attendants that have been asked to help out on the big day, you can expect to shell out a decent amount of coin. While you want to give the prospective couple your all in making it a memorable occasion, you still need to remain within your budget. The following are important tips on how to be the best man for your friend’s wedding without going broke.

Save in Advance

Attending college is a great way to further your education. But with the many expenses such as housing, food and supplies, your finances can take a hit. If your college buddy asks you to stand up in his wedding, you may need to supplement your income to help pay for the costs associated with the event. If your friend’s wedding is 12 months down the road, you can put away money each month. Write down a detailed list of what you’ll be expected to pay such as the wedding attire, bachelor party, gift and more. Divide that amount of money by the number of months until the actual wedding, and that is what you need to save per month. You also want to pad the bachelor fund with additional money in case there are unexpected expenses such as lodging and travel.

Implement a Budget

With emotions at heightened levels, even budget-conscious individuals can get caught up in the wedding frenzy of their best friend. The groom may gift the attendants with affordable gift ideas for groomsmen to show their appreciation and love for standing up in their wedding. But you don’t have to break your budget to purchase them a gift that is well beyond your means. Go over your finances to determine the expenses associated with the wedding and how much you can afford to spend. When you get the impulse to overspend and do monetary damage to your finances, refer back to the budget.

Charge Only What You Can Afford

Using a credit card is a great way to earn cash back incentives and bonus points that you can spend on airline mileage. But if you’re planning to put wedding expenses on your credit card, you want to only charge items that you can afford. Once your credit card statement comes in, pay the amount that you owe immediately. You can also set up a special bank account for the wedding and pay down the debt as you charge the items.

Travel Economically

If the wedding you were asked to be best man is a destination event, you want to try to save money traveling. You can begin by using mileage that you’ve earned on credit card charges to pay for your lodging or flight. If you don’t have miles to spare, search the Internet for the best prices. For those flying in the U.S., you may be able to garner the best deal on flights 47 days before your trip. For International weddings, you want to secure a plane ticket much further in advance. You may also wish to sign up for discounts and specials with the airline company. If you’re looking for inexpensive accommodations, Airbnb may have rental homes or condo’s that are much cheaper than a hotel. If the bride and groom have carved out a set of rooms at a particular hotel for guests, you may also want to share lodging with another groomsmen to cut back on expenses.

Tone Down the Bachelor Party

The best man and other attendants standing up are typically in charge of the bachelor party festivities. This can be especially great if you’re looking to keep the costs for the party within budget. While you don’t want to scrimp on your buddy’s last hurrah, you don’t have to go overboard with something outlandish. Plus, destination bachelor parties can create drama for both the prospective bride and groom. Look for events that are fun and celebrate the groom such as a day of golf and dinner afterwards or a sports game to cheer your favorite team on to victory.

Being asked to stand up in a friend’s wedding is an honor that you don’t want to say no to. But you don’t want the costs associated with the event to lead to your financial demise. When you plan ahead and prepare for the expenses of being best man using the above tips, you won’t find any budgetary surprises.