I received a text from my mom the other day asking if I still wanted my high school prom dress. My first reply was “why?” Turned out our neighbor’s daughter was still on a prom dress hunt. I, of course, said yes and carried on with my day. However, that short conversation left me reminiscing on my 2007 high school prom:
I went all out. My parents agreed to pay for half my prom dress…but that’s it. I worked part time in high school and quite a few of those pay checks went into that one night. My dress alone cost my parents and I $500! Now that five years have gone by, I can clearly state “I wasted my money.” I could have had the same experience for a fraction of what I actually paid.
I went to your typical American high school in a Connecticut suburb, where it’s not unheard of to spend a crazy amount of mulah on prom. Here is the breakdown:
Dress: $500
Shoes: $120
Jewelry: $50
Airbrush Makeup: $100
Hair: $60
Mani/Pedi: $40
I paid for all but $250 myself (thanks Mom and Dad!) I smartly passed on the limo, and chose to drive my reliable little Ford, but $870 for a dress and heels I never wore again, makeup that was just as stunning as what my best friend could have done and hair I could have curled myself…just ridiculous.
Now, I don’t regret it since I did have a blast. I’m just passing along the wisdom I have gained over the years. Save your money, don’t waste it on prom. You’ll thank me when you have to buy your first set of college books!