1pageatatime Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 How much of the cost do you pay vs how much your teen pays? I'm talking.... Clothes--tux/suit/dress & accessories? Makeup/hair/nails? Shoes? Dinner? Dance ticket? Post-event activities? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 How much of the cost do you pay vs how much your teen pays? I'm talking.... Clothes--tux/suit/dress & accessories? We use consignment shops - so probably $25. Makeup/hair/nails? Done at home - so maybe $8 for supplies. Shoes? We haven't needed to buy them specially for the prom before, but it looks like we will have to this year - $30. Dinner? It is a homeschool prom which includes a pot-luck buffet dinner - $5-10 for supplies for a dish? Dance ticket? $25 Post-event activities? $10 for ice cream at Friendlys. TIA! We start getting our clothing and supplies long in advance so that it doesn't hurt so much all at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 We do not do them because the cost is very prohibitive and though dd and ds were invited, the reputation of the events is so horrible, that they turned down the offers. Tickets alone were $50.00 each, one picture was $25.00 etc. If ds were going, we would shorten the pants on dh's tuxedo - he's going to replace it anyway - and take in the coat a little so we wouldn't need to rent one. Since I do floral arranging, I would make the corsage for him to give his date. There would be no renting of cars...the old Ford taurus will do, and he and his date could go dutch on the tickets. No frills, lol. If dd had decided to go, I would make her gown ( I have several patterns and with coupons to Joann's or ordering from fashion fabrics.com) it would probably cost less than $60.00. If I didn't have time to sew, I know of three thrift stores we could raid for a dress. She would wear a pair of heels she already has, and since she's good at doing her own hair and make-up and would not have needed to pay. I would have sprung for nice hose and maybe, just maybe, having her nails done. Prom is just not something we prioritize financially. Typically, the moms around here indicate that $400.00 on dress, shoes, hair, make-up, mani/pedi, tickets, etc. is a low, tight budet, and often the boys spend just as much because they rent a limo and are responsible for flowers and many times a dinner before arriving at the prom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I paid all of ds' portion when he went to a local high school's prom, as well as when he went to a homeschool proms. For the local school prom, that was only a tux. The girl (just a friend) bought the ticket. They had dinner at the prom, so it was included in the ticket. For the two home school proms, tickets were only $20/each. I bought both his and his date's.Dinner at an inexpensive restaurant (Applebees) with a group. I gave him money to cover his and his dates. If I hadn't he wouldn't have gone as I cared more about him participating than he did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Both of my two sons went to their junior and senior proms. They paid all of their own expenses. They both had jobs every summer and were lucky enough to snag some spring labor with their uncle before prom each year. I always offered to do dinner for their dates and group of friends, but they both turned me down and instead opted to pay for it themselves. To save money, one of my sons used his own white shirt, black pants, and shoes and only had to rent a jacket, cumberbund, and bow tie. We live in a small, rural area, so while the prom is an expensive night out, I don't think it's as big of a deal as in larger metropolitan areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 How much of the cost do you pay vs how much your teen pays? I'm talking.... Clothes--tux/suit/dress & accessories? Makeup/hair/nails? Shoes? Dinner? Dance ticket? Post-event activities? TIA! DD went to homecoming with her boyfriend. I paid for her part because I don't want her working at her age. ( I am very, very busy most of the week and don't want to drive her around on my nights off to babysit. I had many rides home in drunk parents cars to let them drive her) Her date is 15yo, insisted paying for the dinner $40 and the tickets, which were $20 each. I figured out a way to slip him a $20 for something else, but it was to sneakily help with the cost. LOL We paid $50 for her dress $30 for jacket $10 for clutch $5 for hair accessory $20 earrings $65 makeup...She doesn't like makeup and neither does her boyfriend, so she only planned to wear mascara and lip balm. The day of homecoming he gave her a quarter size hicky on her neck. The top of her dress was white, so I took her to ULTA to get cover up that would match her skin and stay put against her dress. It was $40 but you could not see it at all! The person there, also used a beautiful spray on foundation, a smidge of blush, and powder. She looked flawless and natural. I bought her a nice lipstick $25, that was just a tint above natural, again so it would stay put better than lip balm but give her a bit of color. I lightly lined her eyes for pictures. She now uses the cover up for everyday use and it has lasted since fall so it was a good buy (they had to work off the price to pay me back). It matches her skin perfectly so she can spot treat without showing up. $40 shoes- casual dressy flats that will last for several years. I was going to get her nails done on the day of the event as a surprise for her, but the makeup session took up that time instead. It would have been $20-25 or so for a polish and tip at the mall. Post-activity was hanging out at his house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Clothing: We bought ds a tux on eBay for $150. He's used it twice. Rental would have been more. Dd has not gone. She's in 10th grade. She has already said she wants to search consignments first. I think her budget would be $50 including shoes--at the most. She may also look at the local prom dress give away. Hair: Ds got his regular cut at the barber just before the event for $15. I will offer dd to get her hair done, but she's insanely practical and probably will not accept the offer. She does her own makeup and due to allergies, she has be I control of makeup used. Tickets: $50 each Dinner: Ds went with a group one year. His dinner was $30, including tip. After breakfast: The PTA usually hosts a breakfast tickets are $10, if they choose to attend. We live in a very high COL area. The neighborhood school is very diverse and has a35% free lunch population. Tickets to events are highly discounted for those either free lunch and the local rec center collects and gives away prom dresses, shoes and accessories. The dress give away outfits a large number of girls each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 The day of homecoming he gave her a quarter size hicky on her neck. I honestly didn't even know hickeys were still a thing. I probably would have been ticked about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Ds is a jr. and I'm paying for it. He hasn't had a job that paid enough for him to save anything before this summer. (He does start a job in a week, so he will probably pay for most of it next year) Tux and mask (masquerade theme) prob about $100 Prom tickets $80 per couple dinner $40 per couple (we are renting a boxcar at the train museum, and a friend is making all the food. our prom doesn't include dinner) corsage.. I don't know yet, as we haven't ordered it.. prob $30 ish Ouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 How much of the cost do you pay vs how much your teen pays? Dd isn't paying anything (she does not work). Dh, I, and the extended family are footing this bill. Clothes--tux/suit/dress & accessories? Dress & jewelry ~ $200-$250 Makeup/hair/nails? Makeup and hair will be done by big sis (she's a cosmetology student). Nails are ~ $15 (Eyebrows and 'stache wax are another $15) Shoes? ~ $60-$80 Dinner? Dinner is at the prom Dance ticket? Prom tickets are $200 per person Post-event activities? Everyone is chipping in $35 for a dance club Other costs: limo ($40 per person), boyfriend's boutonniere ($10-$15), clutch bag (~ $20-$40) (Dd goes to a high school in Manhattan and her prom is going to be at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 How much of the cost do you pay vs how much your teen pays? I'm talking.... Clothes--tux/suit/dress & accessories? I buy their dresses- usually under $10 at thrift stores. Last year, Diamond spent $25 to add steampunk details to a $10 dress i bought. I have also paid $20 to have a dress hemmed and straps made from the extra fabric. Makeup/hair/nails? $0.00 Thhey wear makeup they already own and do it themselves. I can do their hair, nails & pedicure- so maybe $5 if they need to buy a new nailpolish. Shoes? Diamond wore Ballroom shoes she already owned, to which she added temportary steampunk details. Any new shoes to match a dress would come from Payless, so under $30ish Dinner? Included with Prom ticket (homeschool prom) but really- what moron decided fried chicken and rigatoni would be fun to eat on a date in formal wear? Dance ticket? $35... Diamond and her guy friend each paid for their own ticket. Post-event activities? There were none... but they's be on their own to pay for that. TIA! Diamond also spent about $10 to make her date;s steampunk buttoniere. To be in any formal posed photos there was a $12 charge and everyone got a CD of all the photos taken that night. Biggest waste of money- I think they hired a former homeschooler who has a nice camera and no clue how to take photos. I mean, who doesn;t know to GET THE SHOES IN THE PICTURE? I mean really- get the whole dang outfit in! And the lighting sucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in SJ Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 My 16yo dd is going to "Mormon Prom" this year. The church puts on a formal dance as an alternative or in addition to school proms because of the reputation of proms around here. This year it will be held in Monterey. Kids from Oakland to Monterey go. You can go if you are not a member of the Mormon church, but everyone who goes has to have a current "dance card." To get a dance card you have a quick interview with a church leader where the dress code and code of conduct are explained. Anyhoo: We got her a gorgeous Marilyn Monroe halter style dress in champagne silk at a thrift store for $12 We found the dress in the Fall last year and picked it up. There is always somewhere to wear a pretty dress :) She will wear a black lace cap sleeved tee under it. $6 Sparkly heeled sandals $7 (same thrift store) Bought nail polish to match the dress for $7 A evening clutch, on the clearance table at Sears $7 She will do her own hair & make-up with what she has. The boutonniere is $10 The tickets are free The kids get together in groups and the parents put together a fancy dinner for them (one family provides the location, other families provide the food, dessert etc) Transportation will also be worked out by the parents There is a photographer there who takes pictures for free & posts them to a website where you can print them yourself or get prints made at Costco. All in all it is pretty reasonable because we start thinking about it so far ahead. Amber in SJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 How much of the cost do you pay vs how much your teen pays? Dd isn't paying anything (she does not work). Dh, I, and the extended family are footing this bill. Clothes--tux/suit/dress & accessories? Dress & jewelry ~ $200-$250 Makeup/hair/nails? Makeup and hair will be done by big sis (she's a cosmetology student). Nails are ~ $15 (Eyebrows and 'stache wax are another $15) Shoes? ~ $60-$80 Dinner? Dinner is at the prom Dance ticket? Prom tickets are $200 per person Post-event activities? Everyone is chipping in $35 for a dance club Other costs: limo ($40 per person), boyfriend's boutonniere ($10-$15), clutch bag (~ $20-$40) (Dd goes to a high school in Manhattan and her prom is going to be at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square) :svengo: That's my entire paycheck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 My son and three of my daughters went to prom. We paid for their outfits: for our son, a tux rental and for our daughters the dress and shoes but they were under $100 for everything. The girls and their friends did each other's hair or did it themselves, and they either painted their own nails or didn't bother. Prom tickets were $25 each (that included dinner); my son paid for he and his date himself, both times. One daughter had a date who paid for hers both times, but two daughters were adamant about paying their own way (even though their dates wanted to!). They each paid for their date's corsages or boutonnieres themselves. So: children paid for tickets and flowers we paid for clothes Those were their only expenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Clothes--tux/suit/dress & accessories? Oldest - I paid for the dress Middle - my mom sewed the dress Rest - they did Makeup/hair/nails? If they don't do it or I don't do it, they pay Shoes? I paid. Dinner? Included in the price of the ticket Dance ticket? They paid Post-event activities? They paid. Or did you want actual amounts? I don't remember dress amounts but I know oldest's was around $100 for each dress. I thought I was paying materials for middle's dress, but Mom hasn't told me yet. Shoes were no big deal. We tend to go to Rack Room for shoes, so $30? Prom tickets are $50 each. But include dinner and a picture. It's a homeschool prom. ETA: Limo. My oldest's daughter's senior prom. Large group of girls went together - I there were 18 of them. One of the parents found a local limo that we could rent for one hour. Each of us paid $10!! Including tip. And the girls didn't know. It was awesome seeing their faces when they caught sight of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 The dance is £80 per person, including dinner and dancing. Parents are invited, so that's three tickets. He owns a tuxedo (sings in a choir). We'll be taking him, so no transport costs. There is an after-event party - I suspect it will be bring-a-bottle, probably on the beach if the weather is good. He'll probably need a taxi home, so about £15 for that. We are paying for everything. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 We live in a fairly HCOL area, but I've been blessed with a daughter with very classic taste. That stuff never seems to cost as much. She leaves the house looking like a blonde Audrey Hepburn and we've never spent more that $40 for a dress. We'll be dress shopping for prom next week. Now because I typed this it's going to get expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magic Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 My 17 year old is a junior at the public school and my 16 year old is a homeschooled sophomore. The 16 year old works part time as a plumbing apprentice and makes $10 an hour. We have agreed to pay for all of his work clothes, boots, tools, etc. but he is responsible for his entertainment. The 17 year old does not have a job because we feel that carrying good grades (he currently has a 4.0+) and volunteering is his job. Both boys are attending the local high school prom this year. Our eldest has a tux that we bought his freshman year but he wanted a new cummerbund and bowtie to match his date. We paid $10 on Amazon for the set that he wanted. Our second son had grown so much that he needed a new tux coat (we found one on clearance at JCP for around $50) and dress shoes ($20 on sale at Target). We also ordered him a vest, necktie, bowtie, hankie set to match his date. We paid for all of the formal attire since it will be worn multiple times and shared between family and friends. As far as tickets go, they are $20 each/$40 for a couple and we expect the boys to pay for tickets for themselves and their dates. They are both going with friends and the youngest one was asked by the girl but I still want the boys to pay for them. We are giving our eldest some money in his Easter basket to go towards prom tickets. They pay if they go out to eat but we pay if they eat at a house. This year they have decided to do a progressive dinner so they can take pictures at each house before they eat a course. We are serving the entrée at our house. They pay for corsages but we pay for supplies if they choose to make the corsages. They really enjoy making them and do this together as a group. After prom is included in the price of the prom ticket. I am a chaperone and know that there will be plenty of food, drinks, activities, and prizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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