I’ve been out of high school well over a decade ago and I assure you, I don’t think about proms or look for prom dresses just for fun. Oh~ maybe I did once or twice. Anyway, I just read an article called Keeping Your Prom Budget From Going Bust from Wall Street Journal. In the article, it says that the average money US families spend on prom is $1,139.00. Is it just me or does that sound ridiculous? I wrote a post about high average cost of being a bridesmaid last month. There’s only about $500.00 difference from the two figures I found.
Let’s see what these high school high rollers are spending their parents’ money on and what they could do to lower it.
1. Prom tickets: Plan and participate in many fund raising events, so the prom tickets wouldn’t be so expensive.
2. Dress and texudo: You can rent a designer dress for less instead of buying or look for great vintage dress deals and great deals in general for dress and tuxedo. I would forgo the designer dress period. You’re a high school kid for God’s sake~
3. Flowers: If you are a crafty person, you can make your own corsage and boutonniere or purchase a simple design and avoid pricier flowers.
4. Transportation: Find a great limo deal if you can or try renting a luxury sedan, which is a little cheaper. You can also borrow your parents’ car if they have a nice car or you can just bring your car. It’s not a big deal if you don’t arrive in a limo. You can save a limo ride for your wedding day.
5. Dinner: It’s about having fun and creating a memory with your friends and your date. It doesn’t need to be a super fancy restaurant. Don’t be afraid to use coupons or deals in your fancy attire.
6. Photographer: Personally I wouldn’t hire a professional photographer, but if you do want one, try a group session with your friends and split the cost. If one of your friends or you parents have a nice camera, just have a photo session from your home. Have your artistic friend or sibling capture your moments for you. If all else fail, you have your smart phone to capture everything throughout the night.
7. Hair & makeup: Try a cosmotology school for discounted rate for getting your hair done or just get ready with your girl friends and do each other’s hair and make up.
8. After party: Be safe kids. I’ll just stop right here.
But before you do anything, you need to figure out a budget. Your budget will guide you on setting your limit on each category. Your budget can decide whether you’ll have a limo or your parents’ car. It’ll help you to not spend over $1,000.00 for one night. For a wedding, at least you’re spending it with your family and your spouse and there’s a much deeper meaning to it.
For my senior prom, I spent around $25.00. I actually decided to go to my prom 2 days before the event, which didn’t give me any time to spend money. I broke up with my ex-boy friend a few weeks before the prom and didn’t feel like going. But my friend from a different school insisted that I go to my prom. He said he’ll go with me as my date. So I said, why not? I borrowed my friend’s dress, I bought a pair of dress shoes from Payless, I did my own hair and make up, my friend drove his car, he bought my prom ticket and corsage, and he paid for our dinner. It was so nice of him to treat me like his date, not like a goofy friend I usually am to him. Just because I didn’t spend a lot of money and time prepping for it, doesn’t mean I didn’t have a great time. No one said why I didn’t arrive in a limo or why wasn’t my hair done professionally. It was a drama free good time.
How much did you guys spend on your prom? Any fun prom night story to share?
Michelle's Finance Journal 