by Gianna Gammello

If there was a way to do prom without breaking the bank, wouldn’t you want to try it? Not all proms have to end in wasted money and immense stress. In this month of Palisades Declassified School Survival Guide, we will be discussing how to do prom on a budget, starting early. 

With the Junior Class putting pedal to the metal on preparations, knowledge of prom is becoming more clear, which means that prom itself is closer than expected. Prom is almost always immensely expensive and if kept to the last minute, can be very stressful and even more expensive than normal. With that, starting on prom planning early can help not only decrease the stress, but also the cost. 

The first step to saving on prom is to start early. Learn when the event is and what you want to do for your prom. This could be what kind of dress you want to wear, how you want your hair or makeup styled, etc. Map out what the expected cost is going to be. Often times people will wait and spend all their money for their prom essentials but it ends up being too expensive, but too late to do anything else. If you take the time to plan out an estimate of what your costs will be, you’ll have an idea ahead of time and can come up with ways to allot money to this budget. With this, spreading out your expenses over time rather than all at the end allows the overall cost to be more manageable. 

Another step for attending prom on a budget early is to discuss with your family who will be paying for what. Often times families will pay for their child’s prom dress or suit but the cost of the prom ticket and other styling is on the child to pay for. This will help you to plan your expenses better. 

Another key way to save money on prom is to look for dresses early. Stores often start putting out dresses in January to February. With this, dresses in stores may be cheaper when you buy them before prom season starts – though this may not apply to all stores. 

This rule can also be applied for accessories and shoes, which stores have all year round. Often times stores will make these items more expensive during the seasons they are being sold the most, so buying them ahead of time could save you money on these items. 

On the topic of dresses, it is not uncommon for individuals to make, tailor, and or style their own dresses. This is an excellent way to save money but needs to be started early, especially if you are going to make your dress entirely from scratch. More commonly than completely making your own dress, people will buy dresses secondhand and sew and style them to their liking. Though this may not take as much time as making a dress from scratch, this should still be considered and started ahead of time. Take a look at your local thrift stores or sale sections of department stores for gowns. Consider buying a dress with a relative shape or style you like and go to crafting stores to buy gems, threads, ribbons, etc to style it the way you’d like. This is an excellent way to not only save money but also make your dress the way you want it to look or fit. Additionally, don’t be scared to use a sibling or family member’s dress or suit! Reusing these outfits is a great way to get the money’s worth out of the dress or suit from when it was purchased, and no, your dress/suit does not have to be one that has never been used or seen before!

In terms of extras for prom, if you know you want your nails done for prom, to save some money you could consider doing them yourself. Think about this ahead of time in case you need to practice doing your own nails. You could also see if a friend knows how to do nails and converse with them if they can do your nails for you. This is a much cheaper alternative to going to the salon and is a skill that will serve you for life.  

Additionally, many people tend to get spray tans before prom to make their dress color suit their skin tone better after being out of the sun all winter. Because prom tends to be before the summer – where most people naturally tan – and also people may leave this the last minute,  a significant amount of money ends up being spent on spray tans. To combat this, consider whether you want to be tan for prom ahead of time and allot yourself time to tan naturally. There are plenty of warm days between March and May where you can sit out in the sun. This will not only allow you to have a natural looking tan in time for prom, but you saved money and now have a natural tan you can build upon during the upcoming summer. 

Planning everything ahead of time allows you to get access to sales and creative oppurtunities which helps you save money, but you also get to book appointments for hair, nails, and more things ahead of time. Nail and hair salons especially may not have availability during prom season due to the increase in business, so securing a spot ahead of time proves to be most beneficial. 

In total, saving money on prom begins with starting early. Whether that be booking your appointments early or starting to DIY your dress two months in advance, all help you to save time, stress, and money. Prom doesn’t always have to break the bank; take these tips to make prom fully enjoyable. Stay tuned for future articles from Palisades Declassified School Survival Guide on doing prom on a budget – closer to prom with even more tips on how to save the most time, stress, and money.