Off Topic Prom

[Muddlethru]

$125/head for the prom X 2 because we are paying for son's girlfriend. Now the group of girls rented a limo months ago. It comes out to $200/seat. My son is not the prom type. He does not like to dance and really did not want to go the prom. We forced him because I wanted him to experience going to the prom and he has a girlfriend who really wants to go and who has actually made plans with her girlfriends (12 of 14 do not have dates) to go. They rented a limo and a house by the beach. Now that my son has agreed to go, he is forced to go on the limo. Honestly, $200/seat is too much. They are all meeting a a friend's house and taking the limo to the school which is 10 mins. away. Then they take the limo back to one house. It is a total of 20 mins for $200. I'm not too keen on that. His college will cost us $56,000 a year if we don't get any aid. The school has already determined we do not qualify for any financial aid. I want to cut cost where I can. I guess we can "afford" the $200 but I think that is unreasonable and unnecessary. Am I being too cheap?

 

[bogwoppit]

No you are not cheap, prom is just an overhyped money sucker.

My son rented a tux, went to the dinner and came home, he was not the party type, still isn't.

DD went to her prom, but I bought her ticket, I do not get why her boyfriend should pay. Because that really means bf's parents, and that is not cool. We rented a town car to take them, $50 a kid. I drove them home the next day. I still thought that was more than enough.

$200 for a ten minute ride would be a bit much for me.

 

[Midwestmommy]

Am I doing the math wrong, or are you saying $200 times all the other couples just for the limo??. I agree with the poster, rent a towncar, buy a cap and drive them yourself. Renting a beachhouse! Hope they are all 18.... We must be strict cheap meanies here in the midwest.... no way no how would my underage kid be going to a rented beachhouse without adult (parent) chaperones at said rented beach house. I think I am going to offer my daughter a brand new bike and helmet to take with her to college NOT to go to prom when the time comes.....

 

[Midwestmommy]

But then again I also won't be buying her a new car in her teens like is expected in certain circles in some places in the U.S. She is getting my really old car and I am buying myself a new one... And I will tell her to be grateful because one of my siblings blew up our car before I turned 16 and I never got anything with a motor that I didn't earn myself. Yep, cheap mean strict mistwesterners!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

No 1 son ball in 2 weeks, he wanted a local kilt, found a ladies on sale for £50 ($85) and am shortening it. Suit jacket already owned, sporran $10 from ebay. He is going with a friend from gym, his plan is for them both to flick up the runway !

Ticket £30 ( $50), location 15 miles away. Security provided by the firm hubbie works for so transport is dad's van.

After-party is traditionally camping on the clifftop - no way my 15 year old son is doing that, so home with dad (and dad will get paid to be there - result)

 

[bogwoppit]

Oh and DD"s dress cost $50 from a regular store, she did her own hair and make up.

 

[Natasha]

Son is going to prom this weekend….our first experience. It is all ridiculously expensive right down to the corsage! The HS my dd will be going to had prom this year the same weekend as regionals, so we may not have to worry about prom for her…. she had 8th grade dance last weekend, that was enough for me!

 

[bogwoppit]

I am always telling my US based friends that I would not be able to deal with all the formals you have. Proms, junior and senior. Middle school grad, homecoming, formal this and that. It seems that they are always buying dresses for something.

We have one prom at the end of high school and that is plenty for me. One more kid to go, and then I am done. HAve the $200 put aside for her special night, I think that is PLENTY!

 

[magmom]

So, 12 single girls plus 2 couples = 18 kids x $200 = $3600. Does the $200/seat cover both the limo and the rental house? Personally I think I'd have more of a problem with the "house by the beach" part than the limo.

It sounds like your son would be more than okay with backing out. But, if social commitments have already been made, I think you may be stuck.

 

[gymgal]

Have him tell his girlfriend that she can have fun in the limo with her friends and he will meet her at the prom. The girls will have more fun in the limo by themselves anyway without any boys. I am so glad mine are home schooled, and they have shown no interest in dances. Lol

 

[gymnastbeth]

Yikes! Unfortunately my prom is the same way... Each ticket this year cost $115!!!! I bought my dress for $40 from a thrift store and am doing my own hair, makeup, nails. But still, I'm not convinced that it's worth the money!! (I'm definitely not a "party" person, so prom isn't even a huge deal to me)

 

[raenndrops]

@bogwoppit
When I was in high school, PROM was the only formal event $25/ticket for Juniors... Free for Seniors IF they had paid their class dues for all 4 years of high school and they had helped with set up the year before. $25/ticket if not. Homecoming was right after the football game or the day after the basketball game. Only the Homecoming Court dressed up. Everyone else was wearing what you wear to the game - jeans and a shirt. SO much better than now.
I went to homecoming... didn't go to Prom. Didn't and still don't like dresses.
My siblings all went to Prom. Younger Brother went solo for 10 minutes in a suit jacket bought on clearance the year before for Boys State. Younger sis went spur of the moment... wore a friend's dress (the girl had 2 and talked my sis into going... her date was a male friend). Youngest sis went solo in a dress that was given to me for childcare kids to use for dress up (but it was beautiful black velvet and strapless, so I wasn't going to let them ruin it). Fit my baby sister perfectly, but she was not liking the "straps" (the little strap things they put in so the dress can hang on a hanger ... she also failed to mention that to me when I gave her the dress a month before Prom). My other sis and I drove an hour "home" and got there 3 hours before Prom to help her get ready. Instead, we took my stepmom to the ER 15 minutes away, got her admitted an hour and a half later, ran to the store and bought some black lace (20 minutes), ran back home (15 minutes) and I sewed straps into the dress while other sis did youngest's hair and make up AND got her to the Prom (15 minutes in another direction) right on time. NEVER AGAIN!

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

Oh my, the only dance that we have here at all is after our Graduation in grade 12, we have the commencement one day, and then a banquet dinner and dance the next night. I think tickets were about $80 each. I bought my dress for banquet $100 online and bought my commencement dress for $40, a friend did my make up and I did my own hair. My mom brought me to get a pedicure as a present, but I would have done my own nails easily.
Spending that much seems ridiculous to me, I never would have expected my parents to pay for all that for me. I am glad we don't have so many proms and homecomings and other random dances here. Especially because I am not a partier or a dancer.
Oh and the $10 I spent at 7-11 after with a friend when we went in our dresses to buy slurpees and candy.

 

[kandkfunk]

My DD is a sophomore and she just went to prom with her junior BF. Her dress was $70 and I had to have it hemmed for another $40 (she is a short, big ribbed gymnast after all). Her BF's tux was more than her dress. Their tickets were only $28 and it was at a really cool venue - the sky lounge/restaurant at our local pro soccer field. They went with a friend who drove and had a cheap dinner. They had the opportunity to go on a party bus after prom until 4 am for $50 each, but she's only 15 so I wasn't having any of that.

 

[sce]

Oh and the $10 I spent at 7-11 after with a friend when we went in our dresses to buy slurpees and candy.

Love this!

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I thought prom glory was really for those who were never going to amount to anything...you know the kid who 20 years down the track all their class mates have degrees/successful jobs and happy families. Meanwhile they are working at Walmart living with their 18yo child, baby-parent is long gone and has since been replaced with several drop kicks. A least they have prom to look back on

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I thought prom glory was really for those who were never going to amount to anything...you know the kid who 20 years down the track all their class mates have degrees/successful jobs and happy families. Meanwhile they are working at Walmart living with their 18yo child, baby-parent is long gone and has since been replaced with several drop kicks. A least they have prom to look back on

and I though cynicism was a British trait !

 

[emilykatherine]

My brother just went to his senior prom. My parents had to buy both tickets because his date was only a sophomore, 60$ per ticket, he had a tux from choir so all my mom had to buy was a bow tie to match his dress. He drove them their, and they at dinner at Jonny rockets because the hotel were it was held was right next to a mall. ( a bunch of kids in prom closes at a mall, it was funny)

 

[GymBee97]

how much is that limo!?? $200x 10 = $2000 for the night - NO WAY WOULD MY SON OR DAUGHTER be in on that one.

 

[Hayleigh]

I'm in my final year at school in the UK so my prom is also this year. But my ticket is £30 for prom entry an extra optional £5 for access to the photo booth at prom and £15 for a year book and £15 for a leavers sweatshirt. Me and my mum came to the agreement that she would pay for the £35 for prom and I am paying the £30 for a yearbook and leavers sweatshirt.

We are also making things cheaper as my birthday is 3 weeks before our prom, so I'm getting my dress, shoes and accessories from my parents. My aunt is doing my hair as she is a hairdresser and my uncle is paying for me to get my nails done at a salon a few days before.