Anyone who has ever been a bridesmaid before knows that it can get expensive. You’ll find yourself bulging your eyes at how much money you need to eject from your savings account or shake, shake, shake out of your piggy bank just to stand beside your friend or family member on their special day.

Why is it so expensive?

Well for starters, being a bridesmaid is more than just showing up on the wedding day and walking down the aisle. There’s an engagement party, a bachelorette party, a bridal shower, and a rehearsal dinner that you may be a part of long before the walking down the aisle part of the adventure even begins.

Plus, there’s the items you’ll need to buy specifically for the wedding. There’s the infamous bridesmaid dress that can cost you a hefty sum of cash, a new pair of heels, accessories, and the bow to tie the whole look together: professional hair and makeup.

By the time the wedding is over, and you could find that you’ve spent more than $1,000 and have to eat Ramen noodles for three meals a day until you can kiss your next paycheck.

Here’s 5 ways to be a bridesmaid without having to stretch your already tight budget.

1. Rent or borrow your bridesmaid dress

Every year, 11 million women take on the role of being a bridesmaid. Chances are the bridesmaid dress you have to purchase for a wedding, someone else in this world has sitting idly in the back of their closest. Instead of shelling out $150 on a brand new dress you’ll never wear again, search the web for used bridesmaid dress sites where you can rent one for less.

2. DIY gifts

Pinterest. Go ahead and give it a giant bear hug. It’s a budget-hungry girl’s best friend when it comes to gift giving. Find some fun DIY gifts you can make and give those to the bride-to-be for her bachelorette party, engagement party, and even her bridal shower.

3. Bridesmaids on a budget

When you’re working on planning the bridal shower and the bachelorette party with a handful of other women, it can easily get expensive. Be the one to start the “let’s make a budget for each event” convo early on. It’s best to ask all the women how much they are comfortable with spending per event and then plan around that.

4. Sharing is caring about your wallet

If you do have to travel or stay overnight at a hotel, see if you can snag a ride with another wedding guest and share a room with another bridesmaid. Splitting the cost of travel and accommodations for both the wedding and the bachelorette party can save you hundreds of dollars.

5. Bobby Pins and Airbrush

One of the last major costs of being a bridesmaid is paying for professional hair and make-up on the day of the wedding. This can easily cost you close to $200. If you’re decent at doing your own hair and make-up, bring along a curling iron and your make-up case and do it yourself on the day of. Or spend a few hours watching YouTube videos and soon you’ll be a professional yourself.