WOODBURY — We’ve seen price breakdowns all over TikTok about how much people are paying for prom, including their dresses, dress shirts, heels, nice shoes, nails, makeup, hair, and so much more.
People are buying dresses that cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars, but for those who don’t want to throw away a good chunk of their savings on a dress and acrylic nails, or a suit and nice dress shoes, we offer a solution.
Step 1: Buy dresses, shoes, and suits second-hand.
Over the past two years, we’ve borrowed dresses from family and friends and it was 100% worth it. There is no need to spend your whole paycheck (or more) on a designer dress/suit for one night. If you are insistent on buying a new dress/suit, buy something that you know you’ll wear for other events. Something classy, elegant, or whatever fits your style.
Sophia’s brother, James Lingley, rented his tuxedo from Macy’s and returned it a few days after prom. He also used a tie he already had that matched shoes that were already in his collection, putting an original touch into his fancy outfit. Not only did it save him money, but it also made it more special.
Not only are you saving money, you’re helping the environment and repurposing and giving new stories and meaning to clothing that was worn by another person.
Step 2: Do your own hair and makeup (or get a friend/family member to do it).
The average cost for getting your hair and makeup done for prom can be between $150-200, which can be a major splurge if you’re working with a professional.
We do our own hair and makeup every day, so to hire a professional artist for one night, that’s sort of ridiculous. If you don’t know how to do those things on your own, you can always ask people you know to help out. There is also a whole realm of YouTube videos to guide you and help in looking your best for the big night.
There is a nine-out-of-10 chance that you know someone who won’t mind doing it for you otherwise.
Maggie Hines, Maya’s sister, and a student at Watertown High School, got her hair done by their aunt who used to be a hairdresser. They both got the quality of a professional hair stylist without the price.
If you are cut close on options, a curling iron can be $30 at a discounting store, pretty cheap if you ask me, compared to other ones at full price. We recommend TJ Maxx or Marshalls. Make sure you sign up for a TJ Maxx Rewards credit card for an extra 10% off. Specifically at the Southbury location. (Shameless promo, my store needs credit card sign ups)
Step 3: Don’t splurge on nails.
There are super cheap gel kits on Amazon you can get to do your own nails without having to sit at the salon for hours. They’re usually cost-effective. If you really don’t feel like it, coerce a mom, sister, or a friend do it for you. It doesn’t even have to be acrylics; you can just paint them and call it a day if that’s more your style. These stayed on for weeks.
Step 4: Create your own corsage or bouquet.
Attending an agricultural school can be useful during prom season. However, some people do not take advantage of it. You can make your own corsage or bouquet using the equipment and skills you acquire in the greenhouse/floriculture production class.
You can also go outside in the yard (if you grow your own flowers) or go to the store and get flowers for less than 5 dollars. Just be sure to check for bugs.
Nobody wants a spider in their bouquet. One time, a friend of ours was picking flowers outside to give to her little sister and a huge garden spider crawled up onto her arm. Needless to say, we all learned our lesson that day.
Otherwise, in Southbury, more specifically ShopRite, there are flower bunches to customize your own bouquet, and you don’t even have to put it together — they’ll do it for you. There are also cheaper premade bouquets you can get from Stop and Shop.
It is simply unreasonable to be buying a whole bouquet of flowers that can carry a hefty if you get the really nice ones. Making your own corsage/bouquet can be more meaningful and special, especially because it was made with love.
“Creating your own flower arrangements is a smart and fun thing to do,” junior greenhouse student Chase Knapp said. “It’s a fun thing because you can [make corsages/bouquets] with friends and family to individualize your experience a little more.”
Step 5: Take your own photos.
Whether it is a photo of you and your friends looking out at a beautiful sunset, posing by a waterfall, at a barn, or somewhere monumental is a very special part of prom for everybody. These are the photos we will look back on for years to come, and eventually, your children will criticize how you look in them. (Just ask my mom, who posed for a picture at her prom in 1998, and now her daughter, going to prom in 2025, has on her phone and laughs because the photo shows her closing her eyes.) It’s truly a vicious cycle.
But do you really need an expensive photographer that is going to be charging you a lot for some photos that your kids will eventually poke fun at you for?
All you need is to train a younger sibling and they won’t really ask for anything except maybe Robux and some candy.
When you’re the subject of a photoshoot, you have the photographer take a bunch and and you pick out your favorites.
Your sibling will do the exact same thing. Just teach them to endlessly tap the camera button — at least one of them has to be suitable for Instagram.
Step 6: Cut some extra costs.
Prom does not need to be expensive, period.
The TikTok trends of people spending $100-200 for each step is absolutely insane. I have seen someone spend over $5,000. It doesn’t need to be like that. There’s no reason for your parents to take out a second mortgage on your house for a pair of super nice shoes and a $600 Sheri Hill dress or a fancy suit.
Make efforts to cut out anything unnecessary out of your prom spendings. Have your parents or friends drive you to the venue. Organize who will do what. Who’ll do hair, who will do makeup, who will drive, that sort of thing.
For prom last year, I (Sophia) was driving everyone and buying snacks. We stopped at a gas station and got water for the trip. It was the beginning of June and we fit five people in my tiny Toyota Corolla.
We made it there perfectly safe and we had a fun time, too. Before the trip, we made a shared playlist so everybody could get a chance to listen to their music because nothing is worse than being stuck in a car with people who have horrid music tastes and having to listen to that forever. The only downside was that I didn’t get home until about 1 in the morning after driving everyone home.
If you add it all up — the hair, the makeup, the nails, the fake tan, the tux rental, the flowers, the photos, etc. — your bill will be longer than the time we have left in this school year.
And we’re sure there are people who may want to add in a limo, an afterparty, or a dinner before or after prom in this financially irresponsible mix. We guess a splurge can be acceptable for senior year, but is it really worth it when you’re an underclassman or junior attending this event?
“I think that it’s OK for people to spend money on prom,” says Indigo Kimball, a Nonnewaug sophomore. “People should be able to spend money at prom, but for seniors it’s their last event of the school year. It’s their last year to make a big announcement and get dressed up. The girls and guys deserve to have one last night to be with one another at an event. They can be themselves in a different aspect.”
All of these principles apply to homecoming just as much as they do for prom.
“I got my dresses at Goodwill,” says Nonnewaug sophomore Zinnia Marcus. “They were relatively cheap, they were $40 compared to $200. It was definitely a good choice because they were brand new and very good quality. It was affordable and it is just as good quality as the ones from the mall. I suggest buying your dresses there because it is a way better deal. It shows that you do not need to go all out for these school events and empty your wallet.”
Overall, spend your money wisely and have a good time at prom this May. Be safe and look your best.
This is the opinion of Chief Advocate senior reporters Maya Hines and Sophia Lingley.
