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Can you plan your wedding and avoid going into debt in the process? Yes you can! Find out how.

Scary fact: If you charge $5,000 for wedding expenses to a credit card with 18% interest and pay only the minimum each month (2%, or about $100), it will take you almost eight years to wipe your slate clean. Plus, you will have tacked on an extra $4,311.25 to the price of your wedding—almost doubling the cost of the event!

If some debt is unavoidable, at least try to pay more than the minimum credit card balance each month, says Dianne Wilkman, President and CEO of Springboard, a nonprofit consumer credit management service (credit.org). Use your new status to your advantage. For instance, if you receive cash from wedding guests, don’t see it as funny money; put it toward paying off your bills. Also, when you move in together, sell furniture and other household items you no longer need. A garage sale can earn you a small bundle.