Why wedding season catches us out
November to February is wedding season. Each invitation looks manageable on its own: a gift, something to wear, a bus or train ticket. Three of them in one winter, often in the same month as other year-end costs, is a different story — and most of it gets paid in cash or by bKash, where it's easy to lose track.
Step 1: plan each wedding before the invitation
Nadia, a 27-year-old designer in Dhaka, has 3 weddings this winter. She lists each one with three costs: the gift, what she'll wear, and getting there.
| Wedding | Gift | Outfit | Travel | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rafi's wedding Rajshahi · 14 Nov · done | ৳3,000 | ৳2,800 | ৳1,200 | ৳7,000 |
| A cousin's wedding Dhaka · 13 Dec | ৳4,000 | ৳2,000 | ৳1,000 | ৳7,000 |
| A colleague's wedding Chattogram · 16 Jan | ৳4,000 | ৳1,500 | ৳2,500 | ৳8,000 |
| Season total | ৳11,000 | ৳6,300 | ৳4,700 | ৳22,000 |
Seeing ৳22,000 for the whole season up front is what makes it plannable. The first wedding is already paid; the other two still need ৳15,000.
Step 2: turn what's ahead into a goal with a date
Nadia already has a "Wedding gift" goal of ৳15,000 for the weddings still to come, with ৳6,500 saved (43%). Her target date is 2026-12-20, about 5 weeks away, so she needs roughly ৳1,700 a week to get there.
Wedding gift
Step 3: tag every wedding expense #wedding
Gifts are often paid in cash, outfits by card and tickets by bKash. Tagging each one #wedding pulls them together whichever account they came from. For Rafi's wedding:
One search shows the real cost of a wedding — ৳7,000 for this one — instead of a guess.
Small tips that help
- Decide the gift before the invite, not at the gate.
- Book travel early for weddings in another city; last-minute tickets can cost more.
- Rewear or share outfits for weddings with different guest lists.
- Keep a little buffer for the costs nobody plans: a late rickshaw, a forgotten gift wrap.
- Check the month as a whole. A wedding in the same month as a big bill is easier if you know both are coming.
FAQ
How much should I give as a wedding gift?
There's no right number, and it depends on how close you are and what you can afford. The useful part is deciding the amount before the invitation arrives, so the gift fits your month instead of your mood on the day.
How do I track wedding spending without a spreadsheet?
Log each expense as it happens and add the tag #wedding. In Rabit Ledger, searching #wedding shows every gift, outfit and ticket together with the total, whichever account you paid from.
Should a wedding gift come from my monthly budget or a goal?
If you know about several weddings in advance, a goal with a date works better: you save a small amount each week instead of finding a lump sum in a busy month.