Weddings are (hopefully) a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you want to do everything you can to make the day a memorable one. When the economy was racing along, spending on weddings got out of control.

The good news is that it is possible to have a wonderful day without breaking the bank.

Here are some suggestions to help you keep costs down:

1. Go Back to Basics

When you get down to it, all you really need for your wedding is your beloved and yourself, a couple of rings, someone to officiate at the ceremony, and two witnesses. Anything else is really just window dressing. Do you really need to have a full formal wedding with a large wedding party? Make a list of the things that you “must” have and be flexible about the parts of the day that would be “nice to have.”

2. Think Out of Season Dates

The prime wedding season runs from Easter to September. If you are prepared to be flexible about the date, you can make your wedding budget go further if you decide to get married in the fall or winter. (The slowest time for weddings is January, by the way, and holding the ceremony then is one way to get your New Year off to a great start.)

3. Keep the Guest List Small

If you haven’t seen or heard from someone in five years or more, then don’t think that you are obligated to invite them to your wedding. The same rule applies to your boss, your co-workers, and the bowling team. You get the idea here. Invite only your nearest and dearest to share your wedding day with you; it will help to keep costs down.

4. Rethink the Formal Reception Idea

While your dream wedding may include a reception at a hotel for a few hundred guests and a multi-course sit-down dinner, that may not be in your budget. No problem; you just need to be a bit creative. When you are looking at possible wedding reception locations, ask to see a range of options for the meal. A buffet may be less expensive than a sit-down dinner, or you may choose to have an evening wedding with a cocktail reception afterward.

You may want to re-think the idea of an open bar all evening, too. One option is to have an open bar before dinner and serve a wine of your choosing with the meal. You could choose to serve beer and wine only if the alcohol will be on your tab to keep costs reasonable.

A wedding reception doesn’t necessarily have to take place in the evening. You can also choose to have the ceremony earlier in the day with a brunch or luncheon following. Menu prices will be lower with this option.

5. Avoid the Words “Wedding Cake”

Here’s a way to save on the cost of the cake for your wedding. If you plan to serve the cake at the reception, buy a sheet cake instead of a formal “wedding cake.” Those two words tend to drive up the price. If you want a cake “for show” and will be serving a different dessert at the reception, then order a small one or ask about the cost of having one or more layers being “fake.”

There are many ways that you can save money but still have a lovely wedding. With a little creativity, you can have a wonderful celebration and keep some green in your pocket.

I started biking 10 miles a day and I’ve been taking my iPhone along to help figure out new bike routes. The other day, it was smokin’ hot out and I really wanted an ice cold drink from 7 Eleven. Problem was, I didn’t have any cash.

Then it occurred to me that it would be awesome if my iPhone could double as a credit card. Wouldn’t it be great if I could whip out my iPhone, go to the CC app and have it scanned by a device in the store?

Sales of Apple’s iPhone have started to plateau (yes, even with the release of 3G). Apple would pull the ultimate feature coup and unbelievable profit by figuring out a way to turn the iPhone into a credit card.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, would be carrying an iPhone around. It could be so big that credit card companies start competing with each other for access to the iPhone.

Anyway, just my 2 cents. But Apple, this would be a great feature for the next generation of iPhone.

Think you’re high end because you’re driving a CLK? That’s ok if you’re worth a couple of mil, but if you’re worth more you need the wheels to show it. Check out some of the world’s most expensive cars.

1. Bugatti Veyron

Why is the Bugatti Veyron worth $1.7 million? Besides taking you to speeds of up to 255 miles per hour, The Veyron also features a W16 engine featuring 16 cylinders at four cylinders per bank in four banks. Hand crafted by Volkswagon, the Bugatti Veyron is said to have a horsepower of 1001.

2. Enzo Ferrari

Another million dollar car, the Enzo Ferrari, is course, named after the sports car company’s founder. Featured are carbon-ceramic brake discs and F1-style sequential shift transmission.

3. Pagani Zonda C12 F

At $750,000 this isn’t for driving back and forth to work. The C12 F cruises at a top speed of 215 MPH..

4. Koenigsegg CCX

Retailing at just a hair under $700,000 the CCX , which stands for Competition Coupe X, boasts a 4.7 liter V-8 engine and has clocked in at 250 MPH. It’ll get you from 0 to 60 in about 2.3 seconds.

5. Porsche Carrera GT

The Porsche Carrera GT is powered by an all-new 5.7 litre V10 engine producing 612 SAE horsepower. This beauty retails for $484,000.

6. Mercedes SLR McLaren

A car of choice for celebrities, the McLaren will set you back $460,000

It seems the magic plastic is now ubiquitous. Not only can you buy the bigger purchases, that big flat screen tv, the xbox, but now even drive through fast food joints are in on the act. I even heard rumors of a Coke machine doing the rounds that accepts credit cards, though I have yet to see one.

Could this be the end of cash?

I haven’t written more than a handful of cheques over the years, so I could safely say I could live without my chequebook, but cash is still very much part of my life, does it need to be?

Cash is a pain. It seems we are at the ATM more and more often. Even so, I am often caught without cash for parking, snacks and the few taxis who refuse plastic. Change is even more of a fuss, I usually just put it in the nearest charity box rather than carry it around with me.

While I wouldn’t want my daughter carrying around real spending power until she is old enough to be responsible with it, there are now charge cards that you can load up with limited funds that she could use instead for pocket money.

Transactions do not need the paper and coins, banks and businesses handle money flow digitally across the board. If even the humble vendo can take our card, what do we really need cash for?

It seems the main stumbling block is the card processing fees. For smaller business especially the fees on a $5 purchase are too high to make it worth it. While some people see mobile phone charging as the way forward for “micro payments”, wouldn’t it be in Visa, Mastercard and American Express benefit to look into how they can make smaller transactions economic?

Then we might finally see the back of the coin for good.

As gas prices in the United States climb closer and closer to $4, no one is celebrating.

However, people who want to save on gas have several tricks up their sleeves. None of these make the pain of gas prices go away, but they can help to reduce the impact.

1. Gas rewards credit card
Use a credit card that gets you 3-5% cash back either at all gas stations or at your favorite. If you limit your options to a single gas station, you will often be rewarded with 5% or more cash back.

2. Telecommute When Possible
Negotiate with your employer to work from home at least once per week. If possible, aim for full time telecommuting. You may think it’s a stretch, but employers are more and more open to this style of employment.

3. Consolidate your trips
For example, you could go to Target and then pick up the movie at Blockbuster in a single trip. Or, if you’re brave, try grocery shopping once every 2 weeks instead of once every 1 week.

4. Shop online.
If possible, try to transition most of your shopping online. Not only do you save gas, but you can often get good deals at cheaper prices.

5. Eat-out closer to home.
This may sound obvious, but there are any good eateries within walking distance, not only will you be helping a local business, but you will be getting exercise and saving gas at the same time.