I have a friend who is planning a wedding right now, and although she's looking forward to the big day, she has expressed doubts about why in the heck she's spending so much money on one event.  She said, "All this money is going out the door and for what?  A big party?"  Look at it this way, sister.  You're spending a boat load of money on a party, but you'll get back a Titanic load of gifts.  It's not all bad!

A wedding is one of the top ten things we spend too much money on, according to an MSN Money article.  Can you guess the rest?  Yes, a funeral is on the list.  Another big life (or in this case death) event that can get out of control in a hurry.

The Top Ten Things We Spend Too Much Money On:

1. Funerals-- According to the National Funeral Directors Association, Americans paid an average of $6,560 for a funeral in 2009 and that doesn't include a burial plot, marker or stone, flowers and obituary.

2. Weddings—The average American wedding costs $28,427.  The average cake alone runs $560.

4. New cars-- Avoid car lots. Ask around and consult websites like Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds.com to establish a value.  Also take into account resale value, fuel efficiency, repair record and the cost of insurance.

5. Food--Eat smart when eating out. The unhealthiest food is the cheapest.

6. Clothes--Don't buy brands. A study of online clothes shopping found that people rated Sears clothes "excellent" 29% of the time -- and "Victoria's Secret, the Gap, J.C. Penney, and Kohl's did about the same."

7. Private school--First, you need to find one close to home. Then you need to figure out the best way to compare prices and services.

8. College--Spending more than you can afford to attend a big-name school isn't smart. You need to look beyond the pricey labels.  (Sometimes we justify college spending with the need to be an Aggie or a Longhorn.  Hook 'Em!)

9. Insurance and warranties--You can spend a lot of money insuring yourself against any probability, and insurers love that. But many things that can go wrong can be fixed for cheaper than the premiums.

10. Credit cards—There are some good points here....Reward points are like free money and balance transfer offers can lower your interest rate to zero for many months

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