Don’t Go Broke For Prom
April 13, 2015
Between the dress, ticket, shoes, hair and other accessories, the cost of prom can be overwhelming, but there are ways to avoid high costs. These simple tips will help you to stand out at prom without feeling guilty about the cost.
- Go for a vintage look.
Shopping at antique shops can offer gorgeous dresses with elegant designs that will provide a unique look for a fraction of the price. Dresses like this can be found in resale shops like the Top Drawer and Something Borrowed Something New, both located in York.
- Get stick-on nails or wear long gloves instead of getting a manicure.
Don’t stress over trying to get a manicure appointment. Nail stickers and press-ons come in all different designs and cost less than half the price of a manicure. Long gloves also serve as a classy and unique look for prom and can avoid the manicure all together.
- Wear a hand-me-down, or swap dresses with friends.
If you have a group of friends in other schools or relatives who have old dresses, have a dress swap instead of buying a new dress. The styles of dresses do not change too much from year to year, and it seems like a waste of money to wear a dress once and never wear it again.
- Make your own corsage.
Try making a corsage out of fabric rather than going to a florist. This way the corsage can be personally designed and will last forever.
- Get a ride with friends.
There is no reason to overpay for transportation to prom. Instead of getting a limo, get a group of friends and ride together. It will be just as much fun and free.
- Buy a dress from a business that is going out of business.
When a store goes out of business and everything must go, everything goes on deep discount. Have the fun of getting a new dress while getting it heavily marked down. This will also provide you with a unique dress since once the store goes out of business no one will be able to get the same dress. Stores like Debs that recently went out of business had dresses marked down by over 50% and the JC Penneys at York Galleria also has dresses marked down as they are going out of business.
- Find a dress and shoes that can be worn after prom.
It seems senseless to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress that will only be worn once, especially if it’s not your senior prom. Find a dress that can be dressy enough for prom, but can later be made casual to get your money’s worth out of it.
- Rent a dress.
There is no reason to pay full price for a dress that will only be worn once. Get your dream dress for a fraction of the price by renting it rather than buying it. Local bridal shops like David’s Bridal and Renaissance Bridal offer formal wear to be rented for prom season and Men’s Wearhouse rents out tuxedos as well.
- If you already own a suit or tux for choir or band, just buy a vest.
Do not waste money on a full tux. Men in choir or band usually own a suit for that already, so just buy or rent a vest to complete the outfit rather than buying a tux.
- Watch hair and makeup tutorials, and do it yourself.
Getting a hair appointment for the day of prom is difficult, expensive and stressful. Youtube and Pinterest are filled with hair tutorials for any desired hair style. Find a tutorial and either learn it or have a friend or family member help you get your hair done.
