Monthly Archives: June 2019

4 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

Weddings can be very expensive, even if you decide on a relatively small ceremony. There are many details that go into planning a wedding, from choosing a caterer to finding the perfect venue. Apart from having to dedicate a lot of your time to ensure the ceremony is exactly how you wanted it to be, you’ll also have to consider the financial aspect of it all. In case you’re looking for ways to save money on your ceremony, here’s how you can do it.

Determine a Budget

It’s recommended you discuss the wedding budget with your future spouse soon after you get engaged. In order to save as much money as possible, you will have to come up with a well-defined budget. Your first step should be defining a hard maximum. In other words, you should determine what the highest amount of money you can afford to spend is. Before you define a hard maximum, it’s a good idea to talk to your respective parents and see if they’re willing to help you out. Don’t forget to leave a little room in your budget for unexpected expenses, since you can never know what might happen.

Once you determine how much you can afford to spend on your wedding, it’s time to list all expenses. Make sure you contact each person or company you plan on hiring and write down the price for each service. When it comes to expenses like food and drinks, it’s best to first figure out how many people you are going to invite to the ceremony and then determine the cost.

Avoid Peak Wedding Dates

An easy way to save money on your ceremony is to just avoid peak wedding dates. For example, instead of a spring or summer wedding, you could host yours during autumn or winter. By doing this, you will pay less for everything from entertainment to the venue. It’s recommended you avoid tying the knot on a Saturday, as this day is always in high demand. Instead, you should consider having the ceremony on either a Friday or Sunday. This one simple change may help you save thousands of dollars.

Save Money on Your Dress

If you’re willing to try something different, you can save a lot of money on your wedding dress, which would otherwise probably cost you around two thousand dollars. For instance, you can get a second hand wedding dress. There are a lot of bridal shops that specialize in selling pre-owned wedding gowns. In most cases, the secondhand dress you buy was worn only once, which means it’s still in excellent condition.

Keep in mind that you can also get a discount on a dress by purchasing a sample gown. In other words, by buying the dress you try on in the store. The downside to this approach is that the dresses are often not in perfect condition due to frequent handling.

In case you don’t like these two options, you can always save money by buying your outfit online. This way, you will not only have more items to choose from but the ability to compare prices across countless different stores. You can also search for other items that will be part of your wedding outfit, like a petticoat or wedding shoes.

Shop Around

Just because you think you’re getting a good price for something at one place doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop around. It’s extremely important you do this with big expenses like the venue. However, it’s also a good idea to look for the best prices for other services, from the florist to the cake. Keep in mind that you should always try haggling, since there’s a good chance you’ll be able to bring down the price of certain expenses.

Home Cyber Security Advice

Since virtually anyone is able to learn how to become a hacker, cyber attacks are becoming more common. Although many people think of hackers as people who only target big businesses and government websites, there are an enormous number of them who attack regular people. After all, you’re an easy target if you don’t use security measures to protect yourself.

Understand You Are a Target

In order to protect yourself from cyber attacks the first thing you need to realize is that you’re a target. The biggest mistake you can make is thinking you don’t have any valuable data on your devices. Keep in mind that you’ll always be a target as long as you have a bank account with money and personal information on your computer or smartphone. You shouldn’t wait to experience a cyber attack before increasing your security.

Use Stronger Passwords

Increasing the strength of your passwords is one of the easiest ways to improve your cyber security and protect your online accounts. In case you’re in the habit of using the same password for different accounts, you should stop this practice immediately. Instead, come up with a unique and strong password for every account you have. It’s recommended they be at least eight characters long, consisting of various letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using birthdays, names of your pets, and other predictable words and digits. The most important rule associated with passwords is that you should never share them with someone else.

If you’re having a hard time remembering so many of them, you should consider using a password management tool. By using a program like this, you’ll be able to safely store and manage your passwords, no matter how many of them you have.

Update Your Software Regularly

Ransomware attacks are becoming a huge problem across the globe. They represent a type of malicious attack that denies access to your device or data until you pay a ransom. One of the best ways to protect yourself from attacks like these is to update your software regularly. Keep in mind that these updates usually contain important patches and fixes for recently discovered vulnerabilities and threats. If your operating system and applications are not up-to-date, it will be easier for hackers to gain access to your devices. Note that it’s always a good idea to have automatic system updates turned on for your device.

Use a Virtual Private Network

If you know anything about virtual private networks (VPNs), you’re probably aware of the fact they can help you stay safe while connected to a public network. Nevertheless, there are also benefits to using this service at home. For instance, since the United States Congress has allowed internet service providers to sell your data to anyone interested, using a VPN is a great way to prevent that from happening to you.

Of course, you can also use a virtual private network for fun as well, since it allows you to access streaming services restricted to certain countries or areas. Keep in mind that you will have a number of options to choose from when it comes to VPNs. If you’re unsure which service to get, it’s recommended you find a good comparison. For example, here is a great article on ExpressVPN vs IPVanish VPN. It’s best to avoid products from unknown companies. Instead, only purchase products from well-known and reputable providers.

Use Antivirus Software

Using antivirus software is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself from cyber attacks. Make sure you avoid downloading and installing free programs since they are usually fake. Instead, get antivirus software from a trusted company. Doing this will help you detect viruses on your devices and eliminate them. Keep in mind that you should scan your computer for malware at least once a week.