What to spend money on instead of a wedding

Any scenario is good if it suits the bride and groom. Loaf, ransom and pigeons - excellent. Dress by Vera Wang and Ricky Martin as the toastmaster - great if you don't need it take out a loan. Put signatures and go for burgers - why not. But to honestly answer the question “Are we ready to give up the holiday?” sometimes it's really hard. The brain understands that the amount set aside for the wedding would be useful for other purposes, but the heart wants emotions and a beautiful love story in the photo. Often, relatives who need everything to be "like people" add fuel to the fire. If you lack arguments for an internal dialogue or a conversation with relatives, perhaps these calculations will help.

Analysts have found that in 2023 a wedding in Russia will cost about 225 thousand rubles.

Of course, these are general figures. Much depends on the requests of the newlyweds - someone is ready to invest in party and several million. We will start from averaged data. That's what can be done if there is almost a quarter of a million.

1. Invest in real estate

If you're renting, the first thing that comes to mind is your own apartment. Yes, this amount is not enough for all the squares at once. In megacities, it will not be enough even for a down payment on a mortgage, although you still need to start saving from something. But in the regions obligatory It will cover 20% of the value of real estate: a secondary odnushka or studio in conditional Chelyabinsk may well cost up to a million. By the way, this is a good investment even for those whose housing problem is already closed. You can rent out housing, receive passive income and save for old age.

The second option is plot. Its cost depends on the region, the availability of communications, the condition of buildings and the ability to register. But to find a piece of land in a picturesque place for a quarter of a million really even 100 kilometers from the capital.

2. Start a business or buy a franchise

Open a small online store or a coffee-to-go store, engage in some kind of craft, like soap making or smoking sausages, turn your passion for drawing or rocking into a profitable blog. With a thoughtful approach to investing, money should be enough. And to reduce costs, for example, buying used equipment and repairing the premises with your own hands will help.

By the way, young entrepreneurs can receive a grant up to 1 million rubles to start your own business. Add 225 thousand to it - and you can not save much on launch.

If you don’t want to understand the documents and write a business plan, there is an easier option - a franchise. The format is good for start-up entrepreneurs: the franchisee receives all the commercial developments of the selected company. For example, two hundred thousand rubles enoughto open an Ozon order pick-up point, and if you add another hundred, the Children on the Floor dance school.

3. Take a used car

It will be far from being a Rolls-Royce, but perhaps it is not needed to move around the city. Especially if this is your first car. At Avto.ru now hanging more than 6 thousand offers from all over Russia in the range from 200 to 230 thousand rubles. Basically, there are representatives of the domestic and Chinese auto industries, you can also find rarities from Germany, Japan and Italy. It is better to check the condition of such machines together with specialists, but there is a chance to find a good and inexpensive option. And the rest of the funds will be enough for driving schoolif someone in the family does not have rights.

Don't want to take risks? You can hold the money until you save up for a newer and more expensive car. Or take a car loan and pay off the debt with this amount.

4. Get a new profession

Investing in education is beneficial in the long run. Contrary to stereotypes, the Russian IT industry still needs personnel. To see this, just look at the job offers. For example, at the request of ‎Data Scientist, the hh.ru portal provided almost 500 vacancies with salaries ranging from 60,000 to 350,000 rubles. The cost of courses in this profession in popular online schools starts from 112 thousand rubles.

If technology is not your story, there is still a lot of interesting things in the educational services market. Let's say for the specified amount you can provide more than a year of classes with a native speaker in English for yourself and your partner. Or invest in landscape design courses and start landscaping. So the wedding money is enough to pump not one, but two careers at once.

5. Go on a trip

2023 can hardly be called a good year for budget trips, but a quarter of a million will turn out to be a bit of a boon on a honeymoon. Within the budget, you can find options in Cuba, Mauritius and the islands of Venezuela. A visa to these countries is not needed, and no one has canceled last-minute offers and promotions for newlyweds.

If you are not lovers of hot countries or just want something extravagant - welcome to Russian North. For 200 thousand, you can organize a luxurious trip to the Kola Peninsula. Live in a glamping on the shores of the Barents Sea, “hunt” whales in Teriberka, climb the Khibiny peaks and try all the local delicacies: from cloudberry jam to sea urchins and oysters.

6. Fulfill the dream

Surely you and your chosen one have expensive desires that have always been put off for later. It can be anything: a balloon flight, a swimming pool dug in the country, braces, or at least teeth cured completely. Giving up a big celebration for one big dream or a few small ones sounds like a plan.

7. Postpone to move

The web is full of stories about how to emigrate with a hole in your pocket, and after six months make millions. You should not believe them: it is better to leave the comfort zone with a good supply of money. If you are thinking about moving, then you will need a financial cushion for at least the first six months.

Much depends on the location. For example, renting an apartment in some European countries Maybe reach up to one and a half thousand euros per month. A year in the Dubai studio starts from 8 thousand dollars - in the emirate it is customary to conclude long-term contracts. It is imperative to add food, utility bills, trips around the city and unforeseen expenses to renting housing - for example, in case you need a doctor. So a quarter of a million rubles is not the biggest amount of money for moving, but it will definitely not be superfluous abroad.