Here Is How Most Newlywed Couples Use Their Cash Wedding Gifts

As we have talked about many a time before, many couples these days, because they have lived together before marriage and are tying the knot a little later in life, really just prefer cash when it comes to the generous gifts of their wedding guests. They’re all good on forks and towels, but could use a little help in the house-down-payment department.

It’s one of the reasons there are actual websites now devoted to helping couples essentially “ask” for cash; we told you about one of them just this spring called Envelope, which allows couples to register for experiential gifts instead of bathroom linens.

Well, another one of those such sites called Tendr recently surveyed some 4,000 couples to see what they did with their wedding funds, and this is what they found:

• 55 percent of newlyweds use the money to fund their honeymoon
• 34 percent use it to pay down debts
• 7 percent put it towards a nest egg
• Other use the the cash in their wedding cards for “wedding stuff” and things like home renovations

As we also told you this summer, the folks at Tendr were the ones to tell us about how the average cash wedding gift varies by state and by time of year; in Pennsylvania the average is $188, with a slight spike in the spring and a slight drop in the fall. And while, if you do have a traditional registry, you are sure to receive many a beautiful serving platter, you would do well to do a bit of planning when it comes to the cash gifts you will more than likely also receive. Here’s how to do just that.

What are the two of you planning to do with any generously gifted wedding money?

RELATED: Newlyweds: Follow These 5 Tips for Getting Off on the Right Financial Track 

RELATED: On the Evolution of Asking for Cash Wedding Gifts: Meet the New Envelope Registry 

RELATED: This Handy Infographic Shows You How Much Cash You Should Give As a Wedding Gift 

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