Your wedding invitations aren’t going to be the most expensive part of your wedding planning, but they will certainly take up some of your budget that could be saved and better spent elsewhere. Regardless of where you’re holding the big day and on what date you’re getting married, you will need to invite your wedding guests in advance so that they can save the date and make sure they are available to attend and witness your marriage.
1. Invite people by talking to them
You don’t have to give people a paper or card invitation, and if you’re struggling financially or having a low-key wedding, you may want to save money wherever and whenever possible. You can call your friends and family to let them know about the wedding, or when you see them at the next gathering, let them know the venue and date of your wedding.
Wedding invitations online are becoming increasingly more popular, and this doesn’t mean just sending out a mass email or an invitation on Facebook. While you can create a secret Facebook event and only invite the people you want to, you can also send invitation e-cards and other types of online messages that will invite people to your wedding.
3. Make your own
While it’s much easier to buy invitations and use another company to do it for you, saving money can be done quite easily by making your own. If you have the time to spare in order to do this, and you feel creative enough to pull it off, you can buy some crafts items and have a go at creating some yourself. The problem with this is that if they don’t work out, you will have wasted the money on your craft items and then you’ll still have to spend extra money getting the final invitations.
4. Don’t be too fancy
Although it’s your wedding, if you’re trying to save money then it’s not always possible to have everything as fancy as you’d like it to be. Rather than splashing out the cash on embossed envelopes, thicker cards and extra postage, keep everything simple – send out a simple card in a simple envelope and pay the standard postage for a regular letter or card. It’s fine if you have the budget to spend more money on your invites, but if you’re trying to save, you probably can’t afford to do anything too
5. Shop around
There are hundreds of options for wedding invitations when you start shopping around, and if you spend long enough looking, you’ll probably be able to get a great deal. Buying earlier will often secure you a good deal since you can purchase your invitations just after the peak wedding season of the summer when many shops and companies are reducing their prices in a bid to get more sales. Shopping around for many different aspects of your wedding will save you money in the long run.
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Emigrating to Australia can be exciting and daunting at the same time. There are a lot of horror stories about emigrating out there, but if you know the right steps to take you could avoid some of the major issues. Of course, if you are nervous about your move, it is recommended that you hire a solicitor or registered migration agent to help you.
Determine The Visa You Need:
When emigrating from the UK, you need to determine the visa you are going to need. Emigration to Australia is run on a score-based system with various factors influencing your score.
If you are moving without a job offer from an Australian company, you will need to get an independent immigrating visa. To qualify for this visa you will need to be under the age of 45, have an education that matches the list of skilled occupations, provide the professional experience of this and have a firm knowledge of the English language. Preference is given to people with Australian education or those in occupations that are in demand in the country.
If you have family in Australia, you can emigrate through the sponsorship program. When this program is used, the score you need to emigrate will be lowered. Sponsorship will not provide you with a permanent right to live in the country. You will need to get a temporary visa for 3 years followed by a permanent visa for 2 years.
If you have a job offer from an Australian company, you will be emigrating through company sponsorship. You will need to meet many of the same criteria as an independent visa applicant, but it will generally be easier to get this visa. If the company is based outside of the major cities, requirements will generally be less stringent.
Allow Enough Time For The Visa Application:
Emigration visas take time to be processed and it is recommended that you apply for this at least 18 months before your planned moving date. There are some visas that can take up to 2 years to be granted and you need to be aware of this.
Prepare Everything For The Move:
While you wait for your visa, you should prepare everything for the move. Clear out everything in your house that you will not want to take with you. Shipping your possessions to Australia can be expensive and will have to be done by ship. The less you have to send, the easier and cheaper it will be.
If you have children, you need to tell their school about your planned move. This is important because you will need transcripts. Additionally, the school year in Australia runs from January to December and the 6-month difference will need to be planned for.
Something that you might want to consider doing before you leave the UK is opening an Australian bank account. This is something that you can take care of once you are in the country but doing this beforehand can make life a bit easier. There are a number of banks that allow you to do this and they each have their own requirements.
Read Also:
7 Helpful Tips During An Emergency Moving Process
Construction Plans In Australia
The Five Most Important Things To Know Before Moving
Moving House? Here’s The Ultimate Checklist
Did you know that, according to statistics, the average cost of a divorce in the US is almost equal to the average cost of a wedding with all the bells and whistles ($20-25 000)? Sounds impressive, and not much fun, especially taking into consideration the fact that many people on the verge of divorce feel that they have already paid in full. Thus it's no wonder that some people who don't need their divorce to be a huge show, are looking for ways to save a little when drafting a divorce, without involving lawyers or mediators. But how to arrange such a cheap divorce? How to save money without missing any significant detail and to settle all the necessary issues in a fair and mutually beneficial way? There are several common conditions and ways of how to get a cheap divorce in Texas - let's sort it out.
Are you a good candidate for a simplified Texas divorce?
Foremost, we should understand what factors allow to minimize the whole cost of divorce, because, anyway, the main goal is a well-organized divorce without problems and without extra expenses which may arise in the future if you are not sufficiently attentive to the documents, agreement and so on. To understand what is really worth paying, and without what actions and expenses you can easily do, you need to decide on the type of divorce.
When filing for divorce, one of the provided by state law grounds for dissolution must be indicated in the petition. To make divorce easier it's better to file under the no-fault ground (surely, if the situation is not critical). No-fault divorce in Texas implies that the spouses want to divorce as they have some conflict of interest and just can't get along anymore. No one is obliged to prove or detail something before the court.
No-fault ground for divorce, in its turn, allows arranging an uncontested divorce, which means that the main terms of the case are decided by the spouses independently, not by the long-term court battles and the court's decisions.
So, if you feel that you are able to negotiate with your spouse about property division, child custody, and other important issues, you should try an uncontested, or as it’s also known “agreed” divorce. It's definitely cheaper, even both parties want to hire attorneys, and also, uncontested divorce typically takes less time.
It’s generally considered that not every couple is eligible for an uncontested divorce in Texas. Actually, there are some conditions that are preferred for filing for an uncontested divorce, like:
the spouses have no minor children together;
the spouses don’t have a lot of property together or retirement benefits to dividing;
neither spouse is going to seek alimony;
the wish to get a divorce is mutual.
However, if the spouses have minor children they also have the right to file for an uncontested divorce, though it might be a more time-consuming process. The point is that the parties should decide in advance all the controversial issues, make a written agreement and fill out the relevant forms for an uncontested divorce with children.
Anyway, the essence of an agreed divorce is your mutual ability and desire to settle all the differences in a most amicable way, to communicate honestly and directly, and, whenever possible, to arrange a divorce as a non-stressful and inexpensive process. If you and your ex are ready for this, let’s go further.
DIY divorce - when attention to detail is essential
To arrange a cheap divorce in Texas, you can fill out the forms yourself by checking your state's court website for divorce papers, or contacting the clerk of the family court of your county. Such a procedure is known as do-it-yourself divorce. And surely, there are some features and pitfalls you should definitely know about the topic before taking this step.
First, you need to clearly know what forms are necessary for your divorce circumstances.
The Texas Judicial Branch website provides a self-help guide with a number of recommended and state-approved links which may be useful for the self-represented litigants. You can find examples of filling out forms, useful videos, etc. Get ready for the fact that having a goal to save money, you probably will not always be able to save time. Without the help of specialists, you will have to dive into the legal nuances of uncontested divorce in Texas if you are interested in the best result.
After filling out the divorce forms and filing the Petition with the District Clerk of the county court according to the instructions you should serve your spouse with the copies. Since your desire to get a cheap divorce in Texas is mutual you may save some cost of service.
There is a divorce form called the Notice of Service of Process which usually accompanies the Petition for dissolution. This form is needed to notify the other party (called the Respondent) about the case and to receive his/her answer to the Petition. Speaking of uncontested divorce, it's assumed that both spouses know about each other intentions, and all the divorce terms outlined in the initial Petition are agreed by them in advance, meaning that they are going to cooperate working on the settlement. So, the Respondent may refuse from the service in writing, filing the special Waiver of service form (notice that even if the general title is the same there are different forms for divorce with or without children, you just need to choose the right set of forms).
After the Petition is filed and the service is waived, an uncontested divorce is officially started. However, in Texas, there is a mandatory 60-day waiting period, before the expiration of which the divorce cannot be granted by the court, even if the case is simple and uncontested. For those who decide to organize a DIY divorce, these days may be spent working out a final agreement regarding property, alimony, custody of children, and other issues that seem to be important in a particular situation. The mutual desire of the spouses to complete the divorce as soon as possible and without disputes is very important, but it still doesn't guarantee that judicial intervention won't be required. Anyway, the settlement agreement must be submitted to the court and the judge must confirm that it is fair - namely, that the property is divided in a just way, that the child custody and support arrangement meets the best interest of the kid(s). So, if the spouses do not have claims against each other but their agreement is considered insufficient in the eye of the court (or it doesn't comply with state laws) the divorce will be probably delayed. Also, the spouses may be ordered to attend divorce mediation sessions to deal with their agreement. Although mediators' fees are still much cheaper than lawyers' fees, yet it's expenses. And if your case is simple enough your chance to get a really cheap divorce depends a lot on your sense of responsibility, and close attention to all the details. You shouldn't panic or rush, just keep calm and encourage your ex to take the work on an agreement seriously as well. As for uncontested divorce, a successful marital settlement agreement defines a character of a post-divorce life a lot, especially if the couple has kids and some kind of communication between the former spouses is still implied.
Online divorce - the helping hand
So, the cheapest way to get a divorce in Texas is a purely DIY divorce. At its best, the cost of a do-it-yourself divorce may be limited to the filing fee. Nevertheless, DIY divorce doesn't fit every couple, and all these court sites can be pretty tricky, while nowadays we are totally “spoiled” by developers who pay much attention to the ergonomics of apps and websites, so you know, there may be some difficulties with all that online bureaucracy... Also, different forms can be required within different states as well as fees, which are in addition to fees for document preparation. So, a lot of busy people seek a kind of middle way between, they want an inexpensive divorce to be fast, and so that they could use some help but without hiring an attorney.
Basing on all these conditions, online divorce companies are becoming an even more popular way for couples to terminate their marriage, speaking of uncontested divorce, of course.
Such websites prepare forms for you based on the information you provide. There is no specific package of services; you can choose the most suitable option. Thus some companies are the do-it-yourself type where you fill out the forms yourself, and others prepare your documents, many of the top sites will review the forms. Usually, they have attorneys or divorce paralegals who also can explain and provide detailed information on your divorce process.
What's really good, is that these divorce documents are customized to your county's rules, your children, your income, assets, and other factors in your case, and you don't need to seek all the information and nuances by yourself. You receive the prepared, ready to print, and sign divorce forms after a short online interview, without long completion or delivery periods. If time is money - we should use it well.
Read Also:
Divorce Lawyers In Houston Texas: A Short Guide On Saving Your Marriage
Are Payday Loans Really As Bad As People Say?
Top 7 Reasons To Hire A Private Detective Agency During Divorce Cases
Summer is a popular time to put together a family reunion. Most people book their holiday's during the warm months and the kids are out of school. it's a lot of work trying to sync up everyone's schedules.
You also need to plan activities. Kids need to be entertained and teenagers need to be engaged, as well. it's not an easy undertaking, but here are some steps to make it easier.
Help Planning Your Family Reunion
Planning ahead and getting help from your family will make your reunion the event of the summer.
Get a HeadCount:
You need to know how many people to expect. Make sure you begin early. Leave a bit of wiggle room for new boyfriends, deaths and last minute cancelations.
This is important for booking a space, be it a hall, a campground or hotel rooms. It's also important regarding food.
Location:
Not everyone will live close and count on someone being upset they have to travel. Plan around the elderly folks, new moms or those who may have trouble getting there due to cost or a lot of people to transport.
Food:
This will depend on location and the final count of people. Potluck is often a great way to make sure everyone gets fed and there is enough food. Get it down in writing who will bring what to keep the repeats to a minimum and make sure everyone gets fed.
Keep in mind people's allergies and special diets, like vegetarians. If you are meeting in a park or campground, you can cook outside and use the park tabes. If it's indoors, you can consider having it catered.
Who's Who:
If it's a large affair, there will people who have grown, changed and there will be new kids and partners. Having name tags made up will help with the awkwardness of not knowing certain members.
You can have tags made up to explain who people are, to help sort out everyone. Make an ID card that says who each person is, "Wendy's Husband" or "Kevin's daughter" This will help to identify those people you haven't seen in a long time or newer members.
Entertainment:
The little ones will need to be entertained. You can have a variety of games for them to play, outdoor games are the best. If there is a park, then bring your own outdoor games to keep them from getting bored.
Teenagers will just spend their time staring at their phones and Uncle Mike will get out his banjo and sing all those colorful songs that embarrass Aunt Julie.
RSVP
Family reunions are a great chance to see everyone and catch up. Take advantage of the time to repair relationships, talk to your elders and learn about your history. Take lots of pictures, reconnect with old family and make friends with the new ones.
If you plan on having the reunion at your home, good luck and keep reading for some tips for getting your home and yard ready for company.
Read More:
Fundaments of Happy Family.
Tackle Your Shredding This Family Day.
Planning a Family Vacation as the Kids Grow Up.
