Prom Night: Four Tips to Look & Feel Fabulous Without Breaking the Bank
1. Dress for less – The most important part of prom for most young ladies is their dress! Everyone who is at the prom wants to have the prettiest dress and some dresses can cost up $500, but for those moms who want to incorporate frugal living into their daughter or son’s prom shopping experience, try online shopping at websites like RueLaLa.com, Asos.com, ideeli.com, Gilt.com, and beyondtherack.com. These websites offer designer clothes for 40 – 80% OFF. This way your son or daughter can arrive to prom is style without it costing you a fortune. Most of the websites offer clothes for both genders, but if this route doesn’t work for you, consider having a dress or suit made for your child by a local seamstress. I had my prom dress made and after material and labor, it cost about $150 – which isn’t too bad for a prom dress.
2. Split the limo cost — Renting a car or limo is a popular way of arriving at prom in style, but of course this isn’t cheap. Splitting the price with your friends is probably the most cost-effective way of footing the bill, and it can be fun to arrive together as a group. Also, make sure to shop around to get the best deal. Generally speaking, the cost of renting a limo will rise as you get closer to prom night, so it can pay off to book early for a good deal.
3. Hair and make-up 101 – Paying a professional stylist to do hair and make-up for prom can cost a pretty penny. I suggest that about one month prior to prom moms and daughters do research online or look through magazines to find out what type of hairstyle and make-up they want for prom night. From there, head over to YouTube.com and search for prom hair styles. Run a practice test of the desired hairstyle and make-up application in advance so you know you can create the perfect look on the actual night of prom. YouTube has thousands of video tutorials where girls and their mothers can learn how to style hair and do make-up and it’s FREE.
4. Buy Gift Cards at Discount Prices — If you daughter or son ends up falling in love with a dress, suit, or shoes that are NOT on sale and are in a major retail store, check out Gift Card Granny and Plastic Jungle to buy gift cards at discounted rates. This will allow you to buy those items and save some money too.
About the Author: Samantha Savory is a recent communications graduate whose mission is to financially succeed and thrive in today’s economy. As a dedicated employee of Consolidated Credit, Ms. Savory writes about her personal experiences with finances including frugal shopping tips, ways to save money and tips for how to be financially independent.