Lauren Holzmann | staff writer
The countdown to prom is on; many students are finding themselves scouring between the couch cushions for any last minute change. While many students are blinded by the glitz and glamour of prom, the true costs become apparent as the days dwindle down.
Dashing from store to store to pick up last minute necessities, students are finding that the sparkly must-have items are slowly adding up. From the make-up to the fancy outfit, the long term pre-set budgets were broken before the ticket was even purchased. Plus, on top of all of that, you have the dress, the shoes, paying someone to do your hair, nails, makeup and so on. The list could be endless.
However, the ones lucky enough to catch a prom date, are able to keep the bank account happy. For the ladies, that is. The poor guy, after planning the perfect “prom-posal”, realizes what he got himself into when he found out that he now had to pay $110 instead of the $55 he would have had to pay if he had just kept his feelings inside. Now, on top of his empty wallet, if he were a real gentleman, he would take his lady somewhere nice and fancy to eat. Although, maybe them taking care of those expenses for the girls and only having to rent a tuxedo (which could be in the range of $60-$250), he could finally catch up to the arm and leg that the girl has to fork over.
With girls, you can never have enough. The more shoes to choose from the better or the more nail polish shades, the nicer you will look. Typically, for a girl, the prom planning starts at age six. She dreams of the perfect dress and all of the accessories that will turn her into an elegant princess. However, that adds up really quickly. Most dresses sell anywhere from $100 to $400 and up. Those gorgeous pair of sparkling pumps will probably cost anywhere from $40 to $80 if they are that pretty. Plus, in order to look glamorous, you absolutely have to make sure that you get only the best of the best to do your hair which together could cost at least $80 if they are nice. Oh and don’t forget that shiny jewelry you have been drooling over since you were in sixth grade; that could range anywhere from dirt cheap to made for millionaires.
Many underclassmen may dream of the day where they get to walk through the magical doors to a new dimension of sweaty kids and loud music. But, what they don’t know is that their prior college savings funds, will turn into prom funds for just one year. Just one night, at a dance that only lasts five hours. All those years of savings will shortly be blown into the wind.
