Saving on Prom Expenses

With the new year brings excitement for high school graduates. Acceptance letters coming in the mail and the excitement of prom on the horizon the title of this blog will likely come to fruition. When it comes to high school prom, the words kids ain’t cheap with likely leave your mouth.

My younger cousin recently posted a picture on Facebook advertising her prom dress for sale. She graduated last year, wore it the one time and is now looking to make some money off the dress in time for this seasons prom. What shocked me?

Prom dress for sale. Paid $800.00, asking $600.00 (firm)

$800.00 for a dress?! A prom dress at that?! I didn’t pay that much for my wedding dress!

It’s been a few years since I graduated but is this what I have in store for my daughter? Because if it is, she’s got another thing coming. I will not now, nor will I ever pay $800.00 for a dress.

Does Prom Have to Be Expensive?

I borrowed my prom dress, even in my youth I was always on the hunt for a good bargain. I understand that some girls don’t even want to entertain the thought of wearing a dress from last season but really? Does it matter? As adults we know it doesn’t but explaining this to a hormonal 18-year-old might be a challenge.

Money Saving Tips for Prom

If you want to help save money on the prom events try these tips:

• Go to local stores to try on different dress styles but buy the dress (or similar style once you find a comfortable style) via online classifieds (craigslist, ebay) or other websites like amazon. Shopping online or shopping secondhand can potentially save hundreds.
• Borrow the dress.
• Borrow the tux from male friend or family member. Trust us boys, high school girls will not know the difference between a high-end, name-brand tux and a borrowed one, just make sure it fits properly.
• Split the vehicle cost among friends. I know graduates get excited about rolling up to prom in style often renting fancy cars. Consider a larger vehicle like a limo or party bus and splitting the cost among many friends.
• Don’t waste money on jewelry. The other thing my cousin did was go out and spend over $200.00 on earrings and a necklace! Stores like Claire’s offer great costume jewelry at a fraction that a jeweler would charge. Sites like etsy.com also offer beautiful handmade and vintage options (I used Etsy for all of my wedding party jewelry, great site)
• Check out consignment shops for everything (dress, tux, shoes, jewelry).

I know it’ll be hard but try to explain to your child that it’s about making memories and in many years it won’t matter what they wore because it’ll already be out of style 😉

Catherine

Catherine is a first time momma to a rambunctious toddler. When she isn’t soaking up all that motherhood has to offer, you can find her blogging over at Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey out of debt. You can also follow her on Twitter.