Filipinos love to celebrate a lot of things, and sometimes, they go a little overboard with the preparation. They rent spacious halls for the occasion and invite dozens of guests, including relatives and close friends. Catered food is served to the visitors and the celebrants themselves usually wear custom-fit clothing.

Many people think that since weddings, christenings, and other events are once-in-a-lifetime occurrences, it’s totally fine to spend thousands of pesos for them. But whatever the occasion is, it’s still not a good idea to rely on debt in order to celebrate. If you really want to hold an extravagant event, there’s a better and more reliable way to obtain quick cash—pawning!

By pawning some of your beloved items, such as jewelry and electronic devices, you can get a lot of money almost instantly. This means you’ll have enough funds for any lavish party for special events, such as:

Weddings

Finding and eventually marrying the love of your life can build up a lot of excitement and joy. That’s why couples often want the celebration to be as memorable as possible. Usually, parties are held to commemorate the tying of knots. Relatives and friends of both the bride and groom are also invited because happy moments are meant to be shared with people they love.

The total cost a couple may spend for their wedding is affected by a lot of factors. But the expenses often start with obtaining the legal papers needed for the marriage. Each document can be obtained at just a few hundred pesos, but since there are a lot of them, the expenses can accumulate to about P3,000 to P5,000 for both parties. This amount is only the tip of the iceberg, though.

If you and your partner plan to have a simple civil wedding, you’ll have to pay the judge that officiates the ceremony. Their professional fee can reach a few thousand pesos, too.

Church weddings are often considered more symbolic because the lovers are announcing their vows to the Lord Himself. However, the total expenses for these ceremonies are nothing to be scoffed at. Here’s a list of basic things the couple needs to prepare for the event:

• Wedding outfits for the bride and the groom, as well as the bridesmaids and groomsmen
• Wedding planner or coordinator
• Reception hall
• Decorations for the church and the event place
• Wedding cake
• Food and souvenirs for the guest

Of course, the bride and the groom can add more amenities, like photo booths and live bands to make the celebration more remarkable. But even without any of those, the couple might still need to shell out more than P100,000 for the event. It’s quite a big amount, so it’s not surprising if the couple’s savings won’t be enough to cover all of the expenses.

One way to solve this financial problem is to pawn some items to get some quick cash. Aside from their jewelry, they can pawn mobile phones, digicams, laptops, and other electronic gadgets that are still functioning. After some time of saving up money again, they can redeem their pawned items from the branch.

Baptisms

Baptism is a religious event done to welcome an infant to the Christian faith. It’s a sacred and solemn event, and parents often hold parties to celebrate the fact that their baby has just become one of God’s children. Relatives and family friends are invited and food is served to all the guests. While baptisms are often not as lavish as weddings, couples still need quite a lot of money for the event.

Simple baptism celebrations can be held at home while serving common party dishes, such as pancit and kakanin. A less stressful option is to rent a restaurant and hold the event there. But no matter how you want to mark the occasion, the bottom line is you’re going to spend a few thousand pesos on it. This amount isn’t too high for some families, but the problem arises with the timing of the event.

A baby should be christened as soon as possible, or at least before they become three months old. Coughing up a few thousand pesos almost right after the mother gave birth can be huge financial burden for some families. Pawning a few personal and well-loved belongings is a great way to get instant money to spend for the event. Take out your old rings, bracelets, and other jewelry items and bring them to the nearest pawnshop. Aside from accessories, you can also pawn your electronic devices, like laptops and smartphones.

Birthdays

People celebrate their birthday every year, often with a simple gathering among family members. But in the Philippines, there are “special” birthdays that call for a much bigger event, and they happen when a person turns 1, 7, and 18 or 21 years old.

First Birthday

Parents celebrate their baby’s first birthday because it’s an important milestone for the child. A party is held where family friends are invited so they can see how healthy and big the baby has grown.

Seventh Birthday

It’s hard to pinpoint the reason Filipinos consider the seventh birthday special. Some say that it symbolizes the child’s entry to the age of accountability. After all, many people believe that at this age, kids already know what’s right and wrong. Meanwhile, others think that “seven” is just a lucky number, so turning that age calls for a huge celebration.

Whatever reason you believe in, the celebration won’t be complete without the classic Pinoy party foods, including shanghai rolls, spaghetti, and pancit. Since the child is already attending school at this age, their own friends and classmates should be on the guest list. Clowns are also invited sometimes to entertain the kids and facilitate some of the fun games and activities that the hosts prepared.

18th and 21st Birthdays

To commemorate a person’s coming-of-age, Filipinos hold “debut” parties. For girls, this is done on their 18th birthday, but boys do it when they turn 21. Compared to the first and seventh birthdays, debuts are more extravagant. Old customs are also typically observed, so the celebrant wears a fancy outfit, and spacious halls are sometimes rented to facilitate the dancing and gift-giving.