| |  | | June 23, 2025 | | | | | | | | What You Can Save By Doing It Yourself | By Keith Wagstaff
Most of us are willing to spend money to make our lives easier in one way or the other. We get takeout instead of cooking, hire someone to clean our house, or send our laundry to a service. Add to that the simplicity of doing it right from your phone, and it's even more tempting.
But how much do we end up paying for this convenience, and is the time and effort saved always worth the added cost?
Here are some numbers to consider. | | | | | | | | | | $284 | That's the average per-guest cost of a wedding last year, according to the latest survey from The Knot. The wedding marketplace, which collected data from roughly 17,000 U.S. couples who got married in 2024, said the total cost averaged $33,000, though it varied widely by the number of guests. For reference, the average five years ago — before the spike in inflation — was $28,000.
If you're planning a wedding and money is tight, take heart. There are plenty of ways to make it work without breaking the bank. Here are a few SoFi resources that can help: | | | | | | WEEK AHEAD ON WALL STREET | | | | Evolving Geopolitics Shake Global Markets | | | This week, financial markets are in a precarious situation, with a fast-moving geopolitical shock threatening to overshadow the latest economic data releases.
The direct military conflict that erupted between Israel and Iran on June 13 shattered a period of improving economic sentiment, triggering a classic flight to safety. The immediate market reaction saw crude oil prices spike and stocks sell off, as investors favored traditional safe haven assets like gold and government bonds.
The present conflict has already added a significant risk premium to energy prices, which could fuel an inflation resurgence. The Federal Reserve's latest economic projections may have already become stale.
An environment already grappling with significant uncertainty has gotten even more uncertain. | | | | | | | | | | Make the Summer Count | Looking for something enriching and relevant to focus on with your teenagers while school's out this summer? Why not help them build a stronger financial footing?
Here's some inspiration: Next Gen Personal Finance, a provider of personal finance curriculum for high school teachers, publishes warm-up "Questions of the Day" throughout the school year. Questions like: If you invested $1,000 in Netflix stock 10 years ago, what would it be worth now? Or, if a single person taking the standard deduction makes $40,000, how much will they pay in federal income taxes?
Next Gen just posted the 10 most popular ones from the past school year here, along with the answers. Try a few out as a conversation starter today. | | | | | | | | Three Americans tell their stories of what it's like to keep up with today's cost of living. (CBS News) | | | | | | | | |  | | One investigative reporter decided to let himself get scammed. Here's the secret world he found behind those sketchy text messages. (NPR's Planet Money) | | | | | | | | |  | | How do workers feel about the economic outlook for their employers? In May, employee confidence dropped to the lowest it's been since at least 2016, according to Glassdoor data. | | | | | | | | | | | Intel, insights, and inspo for your money. | | On the Money cuts through the noise of day‑to‑day financial news to bring you a more thoughtful point of view on what's important in this moment — and how it impacts your bottom line. We value your trust above all. | | | | | | | | | | Did you find today's newsletter valuable? | | | | |
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