Choosing which foods to serve at your wedding is always an important decision. You want to create a lovely meal for all your guests, and make sure everything looks as beautiful as it tastes. Not many bridal couples can afford a fully catered affair. But that doesn’t mean that your meal has to be anything less than spectacular. You just need to put some creativity into planning your food for the big day. Here are some ideas for serving gorgeous wedding food on a budget.

Cater the Meal Yourself. Preparing the food yourself, along with some family and friends, can be a very special treat for your wedding guests. It’s also a way to make your wedding more personal. Instead of traditional wedding fare, you can serve your family’s favorite food or ethnic specialties. Those unique touches will make this a meal everyone will remember with pleasure.

Go Halfway. If preparing the entire meal by yourself sounds too overwhelming, go halfway. Hire a professional caterer to prepare some of the dishes you serve, perhaps an attractive main course. Then round out the menu with your own favorite side dishes and appetizers. By having a caterer do some of the meal preparation, you can relieve your budget and also your stress level.

Serve a Buffet. A buffet style meal can be a lot easier on the budget than a sit-down meal. Some foods that look wonderful on a buffet table are vegetable trays, fresh fruits, salads, rolls, and cold cuts. Your local deli might be able to prepare the trays for you. You can also assemble the platters yourself and add some lovely garnishes to spruce them up.

Potluck Dinner. If yours is a more informal wedding, consider serving a potluck meal. Ask everyone who attends to contribute a dish to the wedding feast. Your friends and family might be delighted to participate in your day in this way. You’ll also get a wonderful feast with a variety of everyone’s best dishes. If you do decide to have a potluck dinner, be sure to organize what everyone is going to bring, so you don’t get too much of one type of dish.

Serve Appetizers. If you have your heart set on serving elegant dishes like seafood and prime rib, being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to do entirely without them. Instead of serving them as a main course, plan ahead of time and create appetizers that are smaller, more affordable versions of these expensive dishes. For example, instead of seafood main course, serve crab cakes or a tasty lobster sauce with another appetizer.

The food you serve is an important part of your wedding day. At the same time, it’s not so important that you should go into debt or break your budget to pay for an elaborate meal. With some creativity and planning, it’s possible to serve gorgeous wedding food without overspending.

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GREAT WEDDING ACTIVITIES AND GAMES: How to Entertain Your Guests at Your Wedding Reception and Other Wedding-Related Gatherings

While nearly everyone has a good understanding of mutual funds, if you work outside the world of finance, hedge funds are likely a little more mysterious to you. You may have wondered what all the fuss is about and whether or not hedge funds might make sense for you.

They’re not for everyone; continue reading to find out more about this interesting investment vehicle.

‣ A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF HEDGE FUNDS

Hedge funds are privately managed investment funds that utilize sophisticated and frequently risky strategies to provide high returns to wealthy investors.

Estimates vary, but there are around 7,000 hedge funds at this time. These funds exhibit a tremendous amount of variety between funds, just as there is between different mutual funds.

Hedge funds are very loosely regulated and are only open to investors that meet stringent requirements. Hedge funds are quite popular and are estimated to have nearly two trillion dollars of capital invested.

At the most basic level, they’re quite similar to mutual funds, but the differences are very significant.

‣ REGULATION

While mutual funds must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hedge funds are exempt from this requirement due to a clause in the Securities Act of 1993. There is frequently talk of requiring hedge funds to register with the SEC, but it has not yet come to pass.

Even though they don’t register with the SEC, hedge funds are still subject to certain regulations. For example, they’re not permitted to advertise to the public or ask potential investors to join.

Instead, the manager of the hedge fund must already have a relationship with the potential investor or they must be introduced by a qualified party; this is usually a broker associated with the hedge fund.

Hedge funds will only accept “accredited investors”; these are private investors with net assets totaling over $1 million or $200,000 in annual income, with separate requirements for institutional investors, partnerships, and others.

‣ TYPES OF INVESTMENTS

Mutual funds are limited in the types of investments in which they can invest. Some of these requirements are somewhat self-imposed; they can only invest within the parameters laid out in the prospectus they provide.

Hedge funds, on the other hand, can invest in nearly anything they think might make a profit.

For example, if a hedge fund manager believed that silver was going to be a good investment, he could invest in silver coins, silver mines, silver bars, or nearly anything else a creative mind can think up.

Hedge funds can also utilize derivatives, which are discussed further below, while mutual funds are prohibited from investing in derivatives.

‣ DIVERSIFICATION

Mutual funds are required to maintain a minimal level of diversification, which provides protection against significant losses. It also limits significant gains.

Hedge funds aren’t required to spread out their investments. Technically, a hedge fund could invest all its money in a single investment if it so desires.

This lack of required diversification provides a hedge fund with a great deal of opportunity to do extremely well or to do very poorly.

‣ LEVERAGE

Hedge funds are permitted to employ a very high degree of leverage. Since they can invest in derivatives, many hedge funds take full advantage of that allowance and use it to drive higher profits.

This is how using leverage works with derivatives:

‣ Derivatives are essentially contracts between two parties that specify particular conditions that must be met by a certain date before the contract can be executed.

‣ Perhaps the easiest type of derivative to understand is the option to purchase stock, or a “call option.” This gives the holder of the call option the option (but not the obligation) to purchase a stock at a given price before some specific date in the future.

‣ If the stock rises above the agreed upon price (the strike price), the holder of the option can purchase the stock at that price. So they’re guaranteed to be able to buy the stock at a lower price than what the stock is selling for at that later time – which is a great deal as long as the price of the stock does go up.

‣ A single option gives the holder the right to purchase 100 shares of the stock. However, most options expire without the price of the stock rising high enough for the option to be exercised. The money paid for the option is then lost.

‣ However, the cost of the option itself is relatively low compared to the amount of stock that can be controlled. Options provide tremendous leverage and can provide spectacular returns, when they work out. Note that there are a very large number of different types of options.

‣ VALUATIONS

Mutual funds provide publicly, by law, their net asset value (NAV) on a daily basis. Hedge funds typically only provide valuations on a monthly or quarterly basis.

With a mutual fund, you always know where you stand as an investor, but an investor in a hedge fund can only find out how they’re doing on a monthly basis, at best.

‣ FEE STRUCTURE

Another difference is the fee structure. For most mutual funds, the only fee is a management fee, which is usually quite low (0.5 – 1%). This fee is paid regardless of the fund’s performance.

Hedge funds also charge a management fee (around 1-2%). In addition, they charge a performance fee as well, which is commonly 20% of the profits, but can be as high as 50%!

Many experts, including Warren Buffet, believe that performance fees are a bad thing. This is because the hedge fund manager gets such a significant portion of the profits, yet doesn’t share in the losses.

Considering the management fee is still a very significant amount of money, the hedge fund manager is potentially very well rewarded for taking huge risks, yet can still make over $1 million a year even if the fund loses money.

All in all, though, the manager has an incredibly high incentive to make the hedge fund hugely profitable because he gets a good share of those profits.

With such a large portion of the profits going to the manager, why would wealthy investors enjoy hedge funds? The answer is easy. They may share their profits with the manager, but they also stand to gain a huge profit themselves.

‣ SUMMARY

Hedge funds appeal to qualified investors due to the potential for much higher gains. These gains are achieved through a lack of constraints on the fund. These include the freedom to utilize
leverage, take advantage of nearly any investment, and not be constrained in any way by diversification rules.

The fees can be very steep for hedge funds, with the performance fee putting a lot of the profits in the pocket of the hedge fund manager.

These potentially high rates of returns do not come without disadvantages. Hedge funds can lose an astronomical amount of money quickly if the market moves in the wrong direction and the fund is heavily leveraged.

Are hedge funds for you?

If you don’t meet the requirements to be classified as an accredited investor, you still have some work to do before the question is an issue for you. For those with the necessary financial position, it really becomes an issue of risk and potential reward; both are very high.

There are thousands of hedge funds, and just like mutual funds, some are great and some are less than great. As always, perform diligent research before you invest your money in anything new.

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What would you do if you lost everything in your Gmail account? It’s happened to some people – some Gmail users recently suffered a data loss. Gmail was able to get everything back for them eventually. However, it woke many people up to the possibility of losing everything in their account.

Additionally, more and more hackers are focusing their attention on Gmail accounts. It’s where many people store information for their bank accounts, websites and blogs, and personal information too. If you use Gmail, chances are your life is stored in those archived messages. So how do you protect it?

A Variety of Choices

There are actually many services you can use to back up your Gmail. Backupify is a paid service that backs up Gmail, Facebook, Flickr, Google Docs, Twitter, and many additional web applications. It’s a “set it and forget it” type of backup security system. Another option is to use TrueSwitch and back up your Gmail into a Hotmail account. If you prefer to have all of your backup data in your possession, rather than stored on an outside server, then consider Thunderbird.

Thunderbird is Mozilla’s free email application. If you use Firefox as your browser then you may be familiar with the application. The steps to backup with Thunderbird are easy.

Step #1 Download Thunderbird

Simply visit the Mozilla Thunderbird download page and click to download. Save the set-up exe file on your computer. Once it is saved, open the file and click “Run” to install.

Step #2 Change Your Gmail Settings

In the meantime, log into your Gmail and change the settings to enable POP for all mail, and set Gmail to keep its copy.

Step #3 Finish Installation

Follow the procedures to finish the installation and set-up for Thunderbird. You can import your Outlook or Outlook Express settings if you use that software.

Step #4 Back In Gmail

On that same settings page “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” in Gmail, you’ll see a link at the bottom of the page. It says, “Configure your email client (e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird, iPhone) Configuration instructions.” Go ahead and click the link. Follow the instructions for Thunderbird and you’ll be good to go. Your information will now be backed up on Thunderbird and you’ll have a second tier of protection.

If you like to have a third tier of protection, consider backing up everything to an online service. This way, if you’re ever hacked and they gain access to everything, you haven’t lost anything.

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When you’re planning a wedding on a budget, you still want everything to be beautiful and chic. Wedding invitations can be pricey, which cuts into the cash you’ve set aside for other items on your bridal shopping list.

Fortunately, with a little creativity, it is possible to send chic wedding invitations to your friends and family, without spending a lot of money on them. Here are some cheap, but still very attractive, wedding invitation ideas you can use.

Make your own cards. Card-making is a very popular hobby and you can buy everything you need at a local craft shop or online. You can buy beautiful card stock and embellishments like ribbons and bows. Your invitations will do justice to your big day, while still keeping expenses low. You can handwrite your special message inside with a calligraphy pen, or silver or gold ink, or ask a friend with lovely handwriting to do that for you.

Free printable invitations. Some websites are even offering free printable wedding invitations. They aren’t that pretty on their own, but if you have a professional printer print them for you on quality paper, and add a pretty embellishment, these can be very chic as well.

Make your own printable invitations. If you have some design talent, or have a friend who does, and access to a design program, you can create your own printable invitations. All you will have is the printing cost when you take them to a professional printer and have them printed on quality card stock. And you will have a card that reflects your personality, and shares your special message. You can even purchase a kit to help you make your own printable wedding invitations.

Use a different printing technique. If you decide to purchase your wedding invitations from a stationery or wedding store instead of making your own, there are still some easy ways to cut down the cost without losing any of the appeal. Engraved wedding invitations are very beautiful but expensive. Instead of having yours engraved, have your invitations printed using a process called thermography. This will give your invitations the same raised look as engraving, but for less money.

The RSVP cards. It’s not only the wedding invitation you’ll be paying for, but the card used to RSVP to your wedding as well. One way to cut back on the expense of the RSVP cards is to use pretty postcards instead.

Shop online. Instead of just shopping in your local stationery shops, remember to shop online as well. You may find some great discounts on quality and chic wedding invitations. If you shop online, make sure you read all the store’s policies, so you aren’t caught off guard by something unexpected.

Shop at discount places. Don’t restrict yourself to shopping at the expensive stationery stores. You might be able to find a great deal on your wedding invitations at a store like Kinko’s or Staples.

Your wedding invitations don’t have to be expensive to be beautiful and chic. By following these suggestions, you will be able to send out the lovely invitations you dreamed of, while keeping your budget in tact.

FURTHER READING:

GREAT WEDDING ACTIVITIES AND GAMES: How to Entertain Your Guests at Your Wedding Reception and Other Wedding-Related Gatherings

Can you repair your credit without paying? There are actually many no cost things you can do. The truth is that you don’t have to hire an expensive credit counselling firm.

Technically you can do anything they do.

That’s not to say there aren’t certain instances that they are helpful. There are. But you can realistically raise your score and even completely fix your credit without paying a dime.

What are the best methods? Here are three you can implement immediately:

#1) Pay on time

Obviously there’s nothing new in this. Most people want there to be a faster way, but this is one of the quickset methods. Your bad credit is just a result of your past history, and the only way to change that is to build new history.

How do you pay on time?

Cut down on your expenses if you have to. And just pay a little at a time. The most important thing is that you are staying on top of your payments each month.

Some people make the mistake of missing a payment here or there to try and pay off the grand total off their debt. This might seem smart, but in reality it only hurts their credit score. Instead, don’t miss payments and when you can pay a little extra.

#2) File a dispute

To do this, you have to figure out if there are mistakes on your report. Most people don’t check their credit score nearly as much as they should.

Don’t make this mistake.

Missing an error on your report could cost you that loan or mortgage you’ve been wanting.

So how do you file?

Avoid using the forms provided by the bureaus. Instead, follow a sample letter online. They tend to be much more effective.

Just be sure to specify which specific parts of the report you have issue with. Being vague will just drag things out.

Should you have someone else file the dispute for you? No, because it will not be taken seriously. Some people pay others to do this for them, but it’s ineffective and a waste of time and money.

#3) Apply for a new credit card

If you don’t already have one, you need to get one to build up your score again. Many will advise you to just pay cash to avoid getting in debt again.

This is a mistake if you’re looking for long-term credit.

If you ever want to be able to get a reasonable interest rate again, the only way is to proactively raise your score.

But how do you avoid going back in debt?

One very important tip is to never go over half of the total credit you can use. For instance, if you have a two thousand dollar limit on your credit card, stay at or below one grand.

This is a simple way of staying on top of these things and not letting your debt get out of control. And attempt to always pay off your entire bill, not just the minimum.

Credit cards have very high interest rates that are compounded all the time. If you just make the minimum payments, your total debt will rise very quickly.

The most important thing is that you don’t make the same mistakes again. As long as you learn from your past failures, you will raise your score quickly and effectively.

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Bankruptcy – Things You Need to Know

Are you considering filing for bankruptcy? Before you do, here are some very important things you must know.

Don’t make the decision rashly.

Make sure you take time to educate yourself about the proceedings. Bankruptcy will impact your credit for ten years down the road, so it’s by no means the “clean beginning” many view it as. And in some instances you still have to pay off your obligations.

Before you decide, you need to figure out what possessions you will be allowed to retain, which ones will be liquidated, etc. In some instances you might even lose your job. You need to factor all this in.

What chapter will you file for?

This is the first thing to think about, and it makes a big difference. Should you be earning higher than the average income of a comparable family in your state, you won’t be allowed to go for chapter seven.

This is where your debts are completely wiped out, and is obviously the one most people would prefer. Your only choice would be to go for chapter thirteen, which is a repayment plan. This is mostly because you have the income to make it work.

In this case you are given a trustee who determines which of your things must be liquidated in order to cover your obligations. In most instances you can retain your residence, but some areas will take this as well.

But you might not have to file.

First you need to think over your money situation long and hard. In many instances there are options. Think about whether you have sufficient cash flow.
If you are only able to make the lowest payment possible, and are constantly using your credit card because you don’t have money available, bankruptcy may be something to consider since sooner or later you are going to run out of credit line.

If things are still relatively manageable, here are three effective alternatives to bankruptcy:

#1) Track your spending

Take a long and hard look at your spending habits. This shows you the primary places where your money is disappearing. This will help you figure out where you need to get it under control.

#2) Get credit counselling.

This sometimes helps you lower your obligations. But these companies will only work with you if you have a certain level of income.

#3) Get a debt consolidation loan

In many instances getting a secured loan against your home is smart, because this will give you the cash flow you need to pay down your credit cards. The risk, of course, is that your home will be repossessed if you can’t make your payments. But if you’re sure you can make the repayments and are committed to it, this may be a smart option to consider.

The bottom line is that bankruptcy should be your last resort if you have no other options. Therefore, leave no stone unturned in your effort to avoid filing for bankruptcy, in order to take control of your financial future.

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If you are not happy with your credit score, do not just sit there feeling powerless about your financial situation. There are several key steps that you can take to begin restoring your credit.

Many people think they they are stuck with a bad credit score for life, but a few strategic moves on your part could soon have you raising your credit score systematically in order to get that loan you want, the home of your dreams, and more.

1-Pay down debt.

Plan to pay down any debt you have now.

2-Pay on time.
Be sure you always pay on time to avoid penalties, fees and further damage to your credit report.

3-Pay as soon as the bill comes.
Don’t leave it sitting around til the last minute. The sooner you pay, the less interest accruing on the balance.

4-Make an extra payment.
Even $10 extra can help you start to pay down your debt strategically and boost your credit score.

5-Obtain new credit

This is simple but very powerful. In many instances, people who don’t have good credit also do not have a credit card because they lost their privileges of owning one. Some never reapply for one because want to use cash to avoid going back into debt. But the reality is that if you ever want to apply for a loan or necessary credit, it’s important to start rebuilding your credit strategically. Just be sure not to apply too often, as the inquiry on your credit report could actually cause it to go lower.

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Money Matters Questions: Credit Cards

What if you’ve applied to card companies in the past but have gotten rejected? There are still things you can do.

One option is to get a secured card. Get one at a bank around you, and preferably the one you do business with. You have the best chance of getting accepted there. Also, focus on cards that are designed only for those with poor credit.

But don’t apply for too many at once.

If you get too many credit inquiries, financial companies will assume you are taking on more debt and will be less likely to work with you. It can also negatively impact your score.

And be cautious.

Just because you get accepted for a card doesn’t mean you should use it. Some of them will do more harm than good.

For instance, many have hidden rates such as very expensive late fees. This is particularly true of the bad credit cards. If you aren’t able to make all your payments, you will soon find yourself up deeply in debt again.

What about prepaid cards?

Don’t use them. They have no impact on your credit score. This is because you are just paying them off upfront, so there is no chance of default.

But remember to pay your bills on time.

There’s no point in getting a new card if you are just going to continue making late payments.

What if you can’t make your payments on time?

Then just spend what you have and no more. And you might have more money than you think. Do you really need that new tool set? What about all those magazine subscriptions? Try to cut back and budget where you can so that you can prioritize reducing your debts.

How long does it take to rebuild your credit?

It depends on your situation. But you didn’t get a bad credit score overnight, and you aren’t going to wipe it out that fast either.

Just make sure your payments are on time every month, and eventually your small efforts will add up. By faithfully paying your bills on time you will see a big difference.

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How Much Can You Save?

$32+ monthly on Your Cable Bills When You Use Online Streaming to Watch Television

Making It Work:

Because of the rapid growth of technology and the growing cable and satellite television costs, it’s wise to take a new look once in a while at how much you’re paying to watch television.

The advent of various internet online streaming companies means more savings for you when it comes to watching TV.

Hulu

One way to watch recent television shows for free currently is accessing the Hulu website. Hulu makes available many recent television episodes for a wide variety of shows in high definition (HD).

It won’t cost you anything to stream Hulu to your computer for viewing. All you have to do is visit the Hulu website and set up an account. It literally takes less than a minute to be watching your favorite television shows for free.

If you prefer to watch Hulu’s many television shows and movies in HD from your Smart TV, smartphone, electronic tablet, or gaming console, for only $7.99 monthly you can order Hulu Plus. Hulu Plus includes “limited advertising,” which is Hulu Plus’s way of keeping down fees.

Netflix

In the event you don’t mind waiting to watch your favorite television shows until the entire season is available, Netflix’s ad-free streaming option also costs $7.99 per month and allows you to stream to internet-ready televisions, some smartphones and some electronic tablets. Netflix also offers many films for streaming, which are also included in the $7.99 monthly fee.

Wouldn’t you rather pay about $8.00 a month to Hulu Plus or Netflix to watch television rather than paying your cable company $40.00 or more monthly for their basic fees?

Use the Station’s Websites

Another way to save money on your cable bill is to watch your favorite television shows on their broadcasting company’s websites for free.

For example, ABC’s website offers several episodes of their most popular shows, which can be viewed right on your computer. The same goes for many networks like NBC, CBS, Fox, and others.

Crackle & TV.com

If you’re not all that choosy about what shows or movies are available to you and whether you watch ads, check out Crackle and TV.com for viewing on your computers, internet-ready televisions, smartphones and electronic tablets. These lesser-known video streaming companies offer limited choices in television shows and movies for free.

Regardless of which online streaming sites you use, you can enjoy big savings every month. Switch from cable or satellite television to these television viewing options to keep more money in your bank account.

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Choosing your wedding photographer for your big day is an important decision. These are the photos that will tell the story of your wedding day for years to come. At the same time, you don’t want to pay for these photos for years to come.

The costs of your wedding photos can add up quickly. You will need to pay the photographer a fee for covering your wedding. Then there will be additional charges for your wedding prints and any albums you order. However, quality wedding photos don’t need to cost you an arm and a leg. Here are some ideas for saving money on your wedding photography.

Don’t shop for a wedding package. Many photography studios will offer bridal packages that include various prints and albums, and perhaps a CD of digital photos. This may not be the most affordable option for you though. Instead of signing up for a regular wedding package, pick and choose the options you want. You might be able to put together a smaller package that is within your means. You can also tell the photographer your budget and ask what he or she can do for that price. If they understand that cost is a concern, they will probably be willing to work with you instead of losing the sale.

Hold your wedding off-season. Certain seasons and months are always more popular for weddings. By holding your wedding in an off-season, you might be able to score a discount on your photography. Your other wedding purchases might be less expensive then too.

Use digital photography. Look for a photographer who offers digital photography, instead of just traditional photography. This can save you money because you can order a CD of digital photos along with your regular prints. Just order the regular prints you need right now, and order more later when you are able to. You might also decide not to print more and just keep them in a digital format.

Hire the photographer for a shorter session. The more time your photographer spends at your wedding, the more you will be charged. Instead of hiring the photographer for the entire wedding, just have professional coverage of the ceremony. Then ask friends and family to cover the reception for you. That can help decrease your costs significantly.

Hire a student. College students learning photography are eager to cover weddings. Their work may not be professional grade, but it could still be of very good quality. Their prices will be a lot lower as well. For students, weddings are good opportunities to build up their photography portfolio. Another option is to hire someone who moonlights as a photographer.

Your wedding photographs will be displayed and enjoyed for years to come. It is worth your time to choose a photographer you’ll be comfortable with, but it doesn’t need to cost all your savings either. By following these suggestions, you’ll be able to have the wedding photographs you want without going over your budget.

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