By Daisy Cortes—

Girls:

The first and most important way to save money on prom is to plan ahead. You don’t want to rush at the last minute, like many girls will do. Students look forward to prom all year. In fact, it is a highlight of the whole senior year. Why not start saving a certain amount every week, maybe even sit down with your guardian and decide on a reasonable budget.

Saving money to stay within a budget is easy if you know how to cut corners. Have you ever thought of borrowing or renting a dress? It is cheaper and who knows it might even look better. The best part is that no one will ever know. Just smile when your friends tell you how great you look, knowing how much money you saved. The savings don’t stop with the dress. You can have a family member; or a talented friend do your hair and help with your makeup. You can be hassle free on prom day, not worrying a about keeping appointments and rushing around using gas. Not only will you save on gas, but you will be able to share some time with family and friends on your special day, making it even more special. Don’t forget to have a friend or family member take photos to capture all the memories rather than paying for an expensive portrait. Be sure to take care of a dress that doesn’t belong to you. Return it cleaned along with all the accessories that you borrowed.

Guys:

There are plenty of ways for the guys to save money for prom too. The first expense is finding a tuxedo. You can save on the cost of a tuxedo rental by borrowing one if you can. If you can’t, then shop around. Prom season offers many offers and sales on tuxedo rentals, especially if you book early.

If you are creative you can make the corsage yourself. Arranged flowers are very expensive but creating a corsage for your date will be even more special than if you just bought one. (It is not as hard as you might think.) Spending anywhere from fifty, and maybe even a hundred dollars for a nice corsage, is very expensive. If you make your own and then personalize it to the tastes of your date, your money saving creation will make a much greater impression than if you spent a fortune at the florist.

Boys are responsible for the transportation so why not carpool with your friends and their dates to split the travel costs. This is an evening for friends, so why not arrive together. A limousine is nice, but once you are in the prom, you don’t need it, and you don’t even see it. Save some money and drive together.

The main thing is to plan ahead. You can find many ways to save money for prom if you just take the time to plan. Have a great time at the prom!