Prom. It is a night filled with dancing, extravagance, and fun with friends. But lately, it seems that students have turned prom into a competition of who can spend the most money on the dance.
Students pour out hundreds of dollars for limos, party buses, clothes, dinner, and tickets, and before they know it, the bill is rather long and the price is steep.
“Our group is going in a party bus, and we all have to pay $60 a piece,” junior Gabe Graves said. “All of the expenses for prom add up really fast especially for the guys who have to pay for themselves and their date.”
While some of the expenditures are justified, such as a dress or tuxedo, most students go overboard spending a small fortune on “high-end” dresses, designer shoes, shirts, ties, and other accessories that they most likely will never wear again.
Don’t spend $500 on a dress in a specialty shop. Hunt for sales at some of the big-name department stores. One student said she paid only $45 for a dress off a sale rack at J.C. Penney.
“I definitely think that students pay way too much for prom,” senior Zach Serrott said. “Three-hundred dollars or more is way too much to spend on a dance that only lasts a single night. Prom should only cost between $100-$225 and not a cent more.”
While some students try to be thrifty and save a dollar or two, other students say that all of the money spent on prom is worth it.
“I think that it doesn’t matter how much people decide to spend on prom,” junior Brandon Manuel said. “It is supposed to be a fun night and let’s face it, a lot of these kids are paying for prom with their parents’ money.”
While prom is a fun-filled night, you don’t have to spend a small fortune on it, which might keep some people from going.
Guys, when renting a tux, choose the more reasonably priced one. Don’t fall for the marketing gimmicks that say the only way to impress the girl is to rent the imported silk coat, vest, tie, and pants that will set you back $250. For $100 you can get an equally nice tuxedo from somewhere like Celebrate Tuxedos for a fraction of what Men’s Wearhouse would charge.
When choosing the restaurant the group wants to go, opt for the least expensive one that’s not located in Downtown Atlanta where the cheapest entree is at least $30. Or ask your mom to create a home-cooked meal for you and a few friends.
Also, when deciding on which form of transportation to take, don’t pay the big bucks for a party bus. Choose to go in a smaller group and find which limo companies have the cheapest rates and divvy up the cost between the group members. Is it really that bad if your parents dropped you off? They’ve done it for years. Even if you might be embarrassed, it’s a free ride.
If you look carefully, you can find plenty of places to save money without sacrificing any of the magic that of prom. The mentality that you have to spend wads of cash on a one-night-dance is ridiculous and causes some kids to think that they can’t afford to go to prom.
While prom is a fun-filled night with friends, dancing, and great memories in the making, you don’t have to spend spend a small fortune to have a great time. Put down the debit cards and reach for the coupons instead.