Cheap Entertainment

Hey, everyone! Sorry it took so long to update the blog; school has been kicking my butt for the past few weeks. On top of that, I learned today (well, technically yesterday) that my laptop's hard drive is close to kicking the bucket. Instead of replacing the hard drive and the temperamental battery, I decided to splurge a bit on the new Lenovo G585 (http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-G585-15-6-Inch-Laptop-Textured/dp/B009MPBEH2/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1350712274&sr=8-15&keywords=lenovo). With a new laptop being shipped and a wedding to save for, what does a broke couple do for fun?

Think back to the first Thrifty Bride blog post. (What? You didn't read it? Shame on you. Click here.) Remember the opening quote? Sadly enough, I don't have Pride and Prejudice memorized verbatim, so I had to pick up my battered copy and look for the quote I intended to use. In a moment of spontaneity, I began to read Chapter 1 aloud to Alex, and he highly enjoyed the experience (I do a pretty great Mrs. Bennet voice). Now, we're about 50 pages in and still having a great time. I don't know which is better... that we are having such a great time together or that it doesn't cost us anything. Price: $0.00.

Any suggestions for what we should read next? Maybe something Halloween-themed?

Be on the lookout for my next post... you may get a sneak peek of the bands Alex and I will be slipping onto each others' fingers in a couple of years!

Remaining Balance: $2838.09

Still Recovering...

Many, many thanks to Alex's Model UN friends for throwing us a wonderful engagement party Thursday night! It was a wonderful way for all parties to get to know each other a little bit better. Plus, we absolutely love the photograph Lindsay took of us!










Speaking of engagement parties, plans for the official event have been (tentatively) set! Please check your calendars and see if you are available for any (or all!) of the following:

• Part I: Formal Afternoon Tea at the WaDuke
  Thursday, October 25th, 2012 at 2:30-4:30 p.m.
  (http://www.facebook.com/events/216820538449002/)
• Part II: Informal Dinner at the Dillo
  Friday, October 26th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
  (http://www.facebook.com/events/483063348391959/)
• Part III: Come-As-You-Are Soiree in Amanda's Room
  Friday, October 26th, 2012 at 10:00 p.m.
  (http://www.facebook.com/events/100270386800993/)

Hopefully, this will allow everyone to be able to attend (at least) one event. Please note that both Afternoon Tea at the WaDuke and Dinner at the Dillo are BYOFP (Bring Your Own FoodPoints) events. Snacks will be provided at the Soiree, but if guests would like a particular food (or beverage), they should either specifically request it or plan to provide it themselves. Hopefully, these measures will allow this celebration to subtract little to nothing from our remaining budget!

Remaining Balance: $2,838.09

It's Official!

"A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment." - Mr. Darcy

As of about 8:00 a.m. two mornings ago, I officially became the bride-to-be of one Mr. Alexander E. Haas. With the perfect ring on my finger, we can begin making wedding plans in earnest. But first, a brief history with regards to the betrothed:

Mr. Alexander E. Haas and Ms. Amanda J. Griffis met on the 10th of October, 2011 through a mutual friend, one Ms. Ariel D. Shpigel. Five days later, they agreed to go on a date, and by the 23rd of October, they were officially a couple. On the 23rd of April, Ms. Griffis asked Mr. Haas to go steady, to which he agreed. On the 10th of October 2012, exactly one year following their first meeting, Mr. Haas proposed to Ms. Griffis. She said "yes."

And here we are, two broke college students in love. Luckily, I have a knack for event-planning and some rather obsessive-compulsive tendencies. So, without further ado, I introduce you not only to our relationship, but to our goal: to finance our wedding with $3,000 or less.

Unfortunately, being on the path to eternal happiness means that some of our budget has already been spent. I introduce you to the first item on our list, the engagement ring:

I am so lucky to have a man who was OK with me picking out my own ring! I chose this from among the selection available from the Antique Jewelry Mall (http://www.antiquejewelrymall.com/ssr2r.html). It features an enhanced natural red ruby (1.15 carats) set in a sterling silver replica of an antique Art Deco engagement ring. Price plus shipping: $135.00 (apparently he was afraid it wouldn't arrive on time, so didn't take advantage of their normally free shipping).

The proposal was more than I ever could have asked for, i.e. I was actually caught by surprise. Alex hid my phone in one of his closets the night before so that, when my alarm went off in the morning, I would have to search for it. I was quite shocked to see this, and I'm glad it was big enough to read without my glasses! I spun around to find him in the process of kneeling and saying "I only needed to know you a year to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I said "yes" and wrapped my arms around him rather forcefully before I started bawling. Price of blanket plus fabric paint: $26.91.

A friend provided us with a bottle of champagne, and Alex bought a bottle of orange juice with Duke FoodPoints (thanks, FinAid!). After tearfully dancing to our song (You and I by Ingrid Michaelson), Alex and I celebrated in private with some rather refreshing mimosas. Price: $0.00.



After many hours spent sitting through classes, I was finally able to see my new fiancé. He rented a WeCar, picked up one of my dearest friends, and drove to Bojangles to celebrate.

Running Balance: $2,838.09