Did you know that the average prom night costs over $1,000? These days, most families can’t afford to spend as lavishly as they used to. So without further ado, here are 49 ways to be a frugal fashionista on prom night.
GENERAL TIPS
1. Buy your prom dress (and shoes, and jewelry, and accessories) from Lulus.com, of course! Cute clothes, reasonable prices and free shipping over $75.
2. Plan everything well in advance. If you wait until the last minute, you’re more likely to feel desperate and buy something too expensive.
3. As early as you can, start hoarding your allowance (or income from a part-time job) so you can afford to splurge when the big event rolls around.
4. Always compare prices. Call around to at least 5 different shops before choosing a florist, tuxedo shop, limo service, etc.
5. When in doubt, DIY. Why spend countless hours searching for something perfect AND affordable, when you can probably make it yourself?
6. Keep a level head. Movies make it seem like prom is the most important night of your life. But in a few years, you’ll probably wonder why you got so worked up.
DRESS & ACCESSORIES
1. Raid your best friend’s closet! No one will know that she wore the dress to a previous event; and even if they know, why would they care?
2. Dust off that bridesmaid’s dress and give it another whirl. If you don’t have one, chances are you know someone who does.
3. Go bargain hunting at your local thrift stores and consignment shops. In addition to being affordable, you can almost guarantee your look will be unique.
4. Go bargain hunting online! You can find ridiculous deals on beautiful gowns and shoes on websites like eBay or Craigslist.
5. Look for a shop that specializes in renting formal gowns, or check to see if your local bridal shops offer rentals.
6. Choose your own fabrics and design, and make your dress from scratch; if you’re not handy with a sewing machine, enlist the help of a friend, relative or affordable seamstress.
7. Check to see if an organization like Donate My Dress exists in your area; these non-profit groups provide free prom dresses to low-income teens.
8. Look for a local prom dress exchange event; if you can’t find one, take the initiative and organize one for your community!
9. See if you can borrow your mother’s (or grandmother’s) vintage jewelry and handbags.
10. Head down to the bead store and make your own jewelry. If you’ve never tried it before, you may be surprised how it easy it is.
HAIR & MAKEUP
1. Almost everyone knows one friend or relative whose hair and makeup always look fabulous; enlist their help on your big day, and thank them with a lunch or a return favor.
2. Hit up the local beauty school for bargain priced hair styling and nails.
3. Schedule an appointment at one of the beauty counters at your local mall. Buy the lipstick so you’ll be able to touch up throughout the night.
4. Plan a Mary K or Avon party at your house the afternoon before the prom, and invite all your friends over for free makeovers.
5. Host a manicure/pedicure party at your house; it’s easier (and much more fun) when everyone helps each other!
6. Search YouTube for hair and makeup tutorials. Practice, practice, practice!
7. Don’t spend a small fortune on tanning sessions; grab some self-tanning lotion at your local drugstore and fake the bake at home.
TRANSPORTATION
1. Have your heart set on a stretch limousine? You’ll save money — and probably have way more fun — if you split the cost with other couples.
2. If you live in a big city, consider downgrading to a chic, chauffeured but more affordable Lincoln Town Car.
3. Make an appointment for a cab. But shop around beforehand, or you never know what might show up at your door.
4. Really don’t want to drive? Ask a responsible older friend (or non-embarrassing relative) to chauffeur you for the night.
5. There’s no law against driving your own car to prom. Just make sure it’s clean. Look for coupons to your local car wash, or just bust out the hose and the vacuum.
DINING
1. Cook a romantic dinner for two. It’s less expensive than a fancy restaurant and sets a relaxed tone for the rest of the evening.
2. Invite a few couples over and make your own restaurant. Ask mom and dad to cook and serve. Set up a few small tables, add candles and soft music, and enjoy!
3. Eat a hearty meal before you go out, but splurge on a fancy dessert in a restaurant — especially if you usually say no to dessert. Prom Night’s a perfect excuse to indulge.
4. If you choose to eat a restaurant, don’t go in blind. Look at menus beforehand so you’ll know which eatery has the food you want at the price you can afford.
5. Imagine walking into your local fast food joint wearing tuxedos and ball gowns. If this sounds like hilarious fun, why not do it? It’ll make a great story some day.
FLOWERS
1. Get a price quote from at least 5 different florists before committing to a purchase. Bonus points for price-checking 10.
2. Choose less expensive flowers. Carnations are a traditional choice because they’re cheap and easy to dye in various colors.
3. Skip the fancy florist and head to the grocery store. The selection is usually smaller, but you’re sure to find something you like. They are flowers, after all.
4. Don’t go overboard with a massive bouquet. A few tasteful flowers will suffice, and it won’t weigh heavy on your arm all night.
5. Get crafty! Make your own corsage and boutonnière using a few inexpensive materials from a craft store and flowers from the grocery store.
6. Take advantage of your region’s natural beauty. Pick some gorgeous wildflowers, or ask your neighbors for donations from their gardens.
PHOTOS
1. Let’s be honest; a lot of those professional prom photos look awful. Ask an artistic friend or relative to take pictures before prom, and forgo the expensive train wreck.
2. Don’t have a talented photographer in your social circle? Trying recruiting a photography student from the local university.
3. If your photographer uses traditional film, ask if you can buy the negatives and have them printed yourself.
4. If you photographer uses a digital camera, ask if you can buy the files and print your photos at home.
5. This may sound crazy, but consider (gasp!) not taking pictures at all. Just put the cameras aside, get on the dance floor and enjoy your big night to the fullest!
POST-PROM PARTYING
1. If you live in a medium to large city, just take a stroll downtown. You may find live music and street performers, or just some great conversation and people-watching.
2. Find a safe, suitable outdoor space and organize an evening picnic for two. All you need is finger foods, a warm blanket and a sky full of stars.
3. Grab 10 of your closest friends and head to the nearest beach or lake for an old-fashioned bonfire and barbecue.
4. Not every prom night has to be romantic. Why not throw some bowling shoes on under that formal gown? Or does evening wear go better with roller skates?
5. Assuming your parents are cool with it, why not just party at home? They’ll be relieved, you’ll still have a great time with friends, and it won’t cost a fortune.
What did we miss? Leave a comment below with your best tips on how to save money on prom!
Join The Conversation (17)
This may sound ridiculous to some, but I went to prom MANY times an I saved mega bucks by getting a dress the summer before the next prom when dresses were 80-90% off . . . My senior year of prom my dress was brand new TWELVE dollars. If you have a constant weight or don’t mind buying a size larger with the intent of taking it in if need be (only costs about 20-30 dollars as well) then this can really cut down on costs!
Here’s a tip you kind of forgot on the dresses front: you can get really good deals on clearance priced left over holiday dresses
You didn’t mention shoes! A good tip is to try and pick a nice pair of shoes that you already own!
you can also buy your prom shoes at payless or another similar place because nobody has to know how much you paid (buy a pair of shoes that you will use again) btw they did barely mention shoes maria lol barely but still mentioned
Kind of going along with the whole “restaurant at home” idea, why not have a potluck? Then it’s guaranteed that everyone will like at least ONE thing on the menu, and it’ll will be a casual and relaxing way to start the evening.
Great tips! I also love the movie pics 🙂
If you have friends that go to other high schools, borrow their dresses! No one has seen it before, and no one will ever know =)
Thank you so much! This considerably lessens my stress. 🙂
$1000 on prom? Whoa! I remember I got my Jr. Prom dress for $15 at a Jessica McClintock outlet, I did my own hair and make up, and my mom made a garter for my date (a tradition at my high school for guys to wear one on their arm). No way did I spend $1000! I decided to go all out for my Sr. Prom and still no way did I spend $1000! On my dept store wages I didn’t have that much to spend, and my mom would certainly not have given me that much either.
Even though I am not going to prom this year I will be able to help my sister save money on hers. Thanks LuLu’s! My mother will be really happy.
Great tips. Wish I was reading this blog before my prom! 🙂
Great advice and cant wait!
This is great! I just bought my dress for so much cheaper then it really looks! I can’t wait for prom!
wow i wish i read this before my senior prom…i didnt even pay for the bid (which was 200$) and i spent well over 800 dollars on the night and the weekend
I have been to a few proms (three) and plan on attending a fourth because my boyfriend is a year younger than I am and goes to a different school. In a way, I’m a bit of a prom expert.
I have two problems with this list. The first one is the self-promotion in the first comment. Normally, this would be fine, but the dresses were severely lacking and the jewelry is not prom-appropriate. The clutches, however were fantastic, but there are only six available. Now the shoes… The shoe selection here is amazing. I only scrolled down a little bit before leaving because I knew that I would find many a pair that would fit my two previous prom dresses to a “t”.
For a dress I recommend going to the ghetto. If you are willing, go to the dirtier part of your city/town and find a bridal shop. They usually have reasonably priced bridesmaid dresses and will tailor them to fit if for a small fee. I also suggest going dress shopping several months in advance. I got my first prom dress 5 months before prom and my second one 3 months before. This will protect against any dress matching. If you do this, try your dress on a week or two before prom to make sure it still fits so you’ll have some time to get it fitted. In addition to this, don’t buy your dress too small. It will not encourage you to lose weight, trust me.
Another, more important thing that bothered me is that you suggest to go to the supermarket to get flowers.
DO NOT GO TO THE SUPERMARKET.
The flowers there will fall apart. I have been to so many dances and have seen so many broken corsages. Sometimes you can find a good one at a store, but chances are no. ESPECIALLY if you want white flowers. There is some kind of gas the produce releases that makes flowers wilt. And they don’t have really good florists like a flower shop would. Again, shop around again and try to find one in the ghetto. I know that sounds terrible, but really, it’s a lot less expensive and not nearly as dangerous as you would think.
I have another tip for something to do after prom, go to a Village Inn or a Denny’s or something like that, some place that’s open late. That way, if people drove there together they can be picked up by a responsible adult instead of the limo driver having to give everyone a ride home.
My last tip is about the limo. I suggest talking with friends about limos. One of my friend’s dad drove a limo and was able to give us a ride. See if someone is willing to put down more than you can afford and hitch a ride with them. If you’re fun to be around, they shouldn’t mind, as long as you can pay them back in another way.
Thank you so much for posting these tips! I just got engaged on New Year’s Eve and it’s been kind of a rollercoaster since the week after. Basically, we set the date, we have our guestlist, and we fell in love with a venue already. Just these 3 things alone have caused some stress ALREADY even though we aren’t getting married until next November. However, we are trying to lock certain prices in before they go up, which they tend to do with every wedding season that passes! Therefore, the prices of things are stressing me out. But I’m starting to relax now after reading this and realizing that we can have an inexpensive yet beautiful wedding! THANK YOU 🙂
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Lovely post. Thanks.