Slashing The Price Of Prom by Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast

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I must admit that I have a different view of proms than many women. I've never understood the idea of spending a fortune for one event, no matter how special it might be. Even my wedding was under seven hundred dollars. I went to my junior prom with a young man named Bryan and wore a dress I picked up at the thrift shop for $12.50. My shoes were $3.00 from the same thrift shop. For dinner, we ate out at a nice Chinese restaurant that neither of us had been to before. Having eaten there on future occasions, I know that the dinner didn't cost more than $20.00 but he picked up the tab for dinner. I paid for the tickets, which were a total of around $25.00 for both of us, and since neither of us had a license...his Mom drove us and picked us up at a pre-determined time. My total cost for my junior prom was under fifty dollars. His costs were the dinner, my corsage and the tux rental.

The year after, I went to my senior prom with a great guy named Matt, who now happens to be my husband. This time around, my dress was also found at a thrift store, but this time it was $7.50 and my shoes were $1.50 (I had learned about half price day by this point). Again, the tickets were $25.00 and I picked them up. Dinner was around $40.00 and the tux rental was around $45.00 and he took care of those costs as well as the cost for my wrist corsage. We went halfsies on the prom pictures. He drove me to my senior prom in one of his dad's cars. In both cases, I wore jewelry I already had. My costs were again under fifty dollars.

The interesting thing is that not one person noticed or cared how much or how little I spent. I got compliments on both of my dresses, I got compliments on my hair and I got compliments about how nice I looked. Nobody bothered to notice how I arrived at the prom and nobody asked where I ate either. I had a great time at both of my proms, and it had nothing to do with the way I looked. It had more to do with having fun, dancing and just enjoying myself.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons I can not understand spending $400, $500 or more on a prom. Yet, it happens every day in this country (US). Limo rentals, expensive dresses, professional spa days so that you can look your best, expensive jewelry, expensive shoes and a visit to the hairdresser for a professional up-do. Below, I am going to give you some guidelines to help you save money on your prom. The only thing I can't help you with is the cost of the tickets. Your school will charge what they charge and unless they have early-bird price reductions (like my school did) you will have to pay what they charge.

Vist the thrift store - You will find wedding dresses, prom dresses and bridal party dresses at most thrift shops. In the majority of cases, the prom dress and bridal party dress selection will be fairly current styles. This is because both are "one-time" wear items and people often get rid of them very soon after they have worn them. To find even better bargains, make sure to pick up the dress on half-price day. Even if you end up spending twenty dollars on a really fancy dress at the thrift shop, it's still cheaper than buying retail AND the item was only worn once!

Classifieds and Second-hand stores - If you don't find anything at the thrift shop that you like, it's time to open your local newspaper and look in the classifieds. A great many people sell their prom and bridal party dresses through the classifieds. Another option is to visit second-hand clothing stores. Both of these options are usually more expensive than the thrift shop, but are usually less than retail.

Borrow a dress - If you have a sister, friend or relative that has just graduated and is a similar size....ask if they still have their prom dress! If you have a relative that just got married, ask the a member of the bridal party if they'd like to get rid of their dress. You can usually get a dress for free or cheap this way.

Other places to find the dress - If none of the above options nets you a dress you like, go to your local mall and SHOP AROUND. Visit all of the stores and be sure to look in the women's formals sections as well as the stores that cater to teens. In some cases, you'll find cheaper prices in the teens stores, but many stores will mark up their prices for prom season and the women's formal sections won't. So, be sure to check both sections. There are also catalogs like Chadwicks of Boston that often have formal dresses (under $100). Just remember that every other option I've talked about here should be exhausted before you head to the mall or retail sources. If you can get a great dress for less, it's worth it to do the legwork.

Makeup & Hair - Every single teen oriented magazine will have makeup tips during prom time. Find a look you like and practice until you are satisfied with the way it looks. Even if you go through a lot of makeup, it's still going to be cheaper than having it done professionally. The same is true of hair. Try out different styles and practice the one you like best until you are satisfied. Use accessories like baby's breath or rhinestone bobby pins to dress it up as much as you want. You'll look just as nice as everyone else as long as you remember these words "Practice, Practice, Practice!".

Expensive shoes are not worth the cost - Okay, let's get practical here for a moment. Do you want to spend a hundred dollars on a pair of shoes that you only wear once? Even if that doesn't concern you, why buy a pair of shoes that are for "looks only". More than likely, "looks-only" shoes are going to pinch your feet or be uncomfortable. Then, you're going to end up like most of the girls at my proms did. You'll end up taking off the shoes and dancing in your stockinged feet! First and foremost, buy a pair of shoes that you can comfortably dance in all night long. Even if you aren't dancing the entire night, you will be visiting with friends and walking all over the place. The first rule is comfort over everything else. The second rule is to figure out if anyone is even going to see your shoes! A lot of prom dresses are ankle length, which means that nobody even sees your shoes. Even if your dress isn't ankle length, you still might not want to focus on "looks-only" shoes because you want the focus to be on you and not your shoes. So head to the affordable shoe place and find a pair of comfortable shoes that look nice. Or you can do what I do whenever I have to dress up these days and head to the thrift shop for some great looking vintage shoes (sometimes, you'll even find matching handbags). They look great, they're unique, most of them are very comfortable and you won't pay a lot for them!

The Accessories - Sometimes you can get away without wearing jewelry, but in most cases a prom dress looks better with some accessorizing. Look at what you already have first. You may have the perfect jewelry already. If that isn't the case, head to the thrift store. They often have jewelry that's beautiful and unique. Some of my favorites are the vintage jewelry, but you may have a different favorite. If it's yard sale season in your area, hit the yard sales. You can often find really great jewelry at yard sales! If that doesn't work, try a store like Claire's. The jewelry is fairly inexpensive, they run clearances all the time, there are tons of styles to choose from and it looks great! As for other accessories, it's a really good idea to have some kind of handbag. You need a place to keep money, identification, makeup and anything else you might need. Simple handbags can be made from a matching fabric or you can ask relatives if they have anything appropriate. For all you know, Great Aunt Edna may have some great purses from a different era! So, once again....ASK AROUND and you may be surprised at what you can find. Of course, the thrift shop is another option. If you have a supercenter type store, you can also check there for affordable choices.

The Ride - If you don't yet have a driver's license, simply ask someone to drop you off and pick you up. If you have a relative or friend with a cool car, even better. If you do have a license, look at the cars your family owns first. It's going to be your cheapest option. If Dad or Mom have a nice car, ask if you can borrow it for one night. For various reasons, this might not be practical. If it's not practical for you, look at car rental agencies. They often have cars that look great, but cost a lot less than a limo rental. If you absolutely must rent a limo, share the limo (and the costs) with another couple (or two or three). That way, you split the costs and don't end up paying as much for the limo ride.

The Tux and shoes - Shop Around. Shop Around. Shop Around. What you want is a basic tux with a cumberband that matches or compliments her dress. No need to pay extra for the frills like tails or a different style of lapel. Nearly everyone at your prom will be wearing the basic tux, so go for that as well. Every tux shop will have different prices. You can sometimes save thirty dollars or more by calling all of the tux rental shops in the area and getting their best price. Do not rent your shoes, just the tuxedo. You should have a basic pair of black dress shoes in your closet already. If you don't, this is one investment you should make because they become useful after high school as well. You'll use them for job interviews, attending weddings and any other situation that calls for dress shoes. The shoes you purchase don't have to be expensive either. Visit the thrift store and the affordable shoe store at your mall. You'll likely find a basic black pair of shoes that will serve you well now and in the future.

Dinner - Ask relatives if they know of any places with great ambience, great food and affordable prices. This is one area where your Mom, Dad or other relatives probably have more experience than you do. Use that experience to your advantage! The main goal is to "impress for less". Another option is to ask your prom date if there is any type of food she would like to try (Chinese, Italian, Indian, etc). Ethnic food restaurants can sometimes be cheaper than other restaurants. Besides, it makes you look good if you take her wishes into consideration.

Easy on the Cologne - One thing I noticed at my prom was that a lot of guys (luckily, not my dates!) were wearing way too much cologne. One spritz is enough if it is a spray cologne, while one dab at the neck and one dab on each wrist is enough if it is not. Anything else is overkill. As for the cologne, borrow some of Dad's (or Uncle's or Cousin's) if you don't wear it normally. If they don't have any, go to a perfume counter and sniff out a cologne you like. If you're lucky, they'll have a sample and you won't need to buy it for your prom (though you may want some for future events). If not, seek out the best smelling cologne at the cheapest price.

Grooming - Guys can get away with wearing their usual hairstyle for prom. If you want to try something different, I'll give you the same advice I give to the girls. Try out new hairstyles until you find one you like and PRACTICE until you are satisfied with the results. Make sure you shave (if you normally shave) and shower. You want to look nice and you want to smell good and this is the easiest way to do both.

Her Corsage - SHOP AROUND. I hate to repeat myself, but it's the best way to find the cheapest price. Make sure to check out grocery stores as well. Many of them now carry corsages (wrist or lapel) during prom time and they often cost a LOT less than what you can find at the florist shops. The only rule is to match or compliment her dress, so you have a lot of options with the corsage.

Best Wishes,
Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast
051003