Prom, while arguably the most anticipated high school event, is sure to drain one’s bank account. With a multiple hundred dollar investment in just the outfit alone, not to mention a multitude of additional expenses like transportation, dinner, and the event tickets themselves, the bubbling excitement surrounding this magical night can quickly turn into financial stress. However, with the right hacks in place, prom can become a more affordable venture. Let’s break it down:
The Dress
There is a common myth that one must buy a brand new dress for prom. Often only worn once and then left to gather dust, this single-use sartorial strategy epitomizes wasteful consumption. A completely free and sensible option is to reuse a dress worn by a senior from a prior year. Needless to say, the reused dress may need alterations. Tailoring tends to cost between $50 to $100 depending on the amount of work required, thus much more economical than buying a new dress. Adam Tailoring and Alterations, located on Rainier by Columbia City, is the perfect-hole-in-the-wall for this project. Style the dress with personal accessories and make it your own!
Total: $0 without tailoring, $50-100 with tailoring
Money saved: a bajillion
Nails
Acrylics who? Press-ons will get the job done, and without weakening your nails. Target has a great selection of press-on nails for less than $10! Find the ideal color and design to match your outfit, simply stick them on, and you’re ready to go.
Total: $10
Money saved: $30+
Flowers
Rather than having a corsage and/or boutonniere professionally made in a flower shop, which will run you in the triple digits, DIY it! Get a bouquet for $10 at Trader Joe’s and find a tutorial on YouTube. This would be a fun and meaningful activity to do with friends in the hours before the big event.
Total: $10
Money saved: $100
Pictures
For the frugal-minded, there’s always the iPhone. For something almost equally cost-effective, and certainly much cheaper than professional photography, consider purchasing a disposable camera. The camera itself costs around $10 and the digital development of the pictures costs $15 at Walgreens. Aficionados claim the photo quality is better than that of smartphones and this option is definitely more festive.
Total: $25
Money saved: $150-300
Dinner
Why spend hundreds on a group dinner out when you can get friends together for a potluck instead? Organize who’s bringing the pasta, the salad, the drinks, and the dessert. This makes for an even better photo-op, incorporating the inevitably hovering parents, and bonding experience for the participants.
Transportation
Inflation has reached the limo industry. Every limo company charges around $120 per hour plus a mandatory 20% tip! And you aren’t hiring them twice, so that amounts to around four hours of limo service, bringing your total to north of $500 for the group. Ummm, no thank you. The only affordable option is to choose a designated driver and pay for parking, still cheaper than ubering.
Total: $20
Money saved: $500
