High School Graduation costs

[Mrs. Bradbury]

My youngest child is graduating high school next spring, and the costs involved are ridiculous. We just have a small amount of family/friends to invite to the graduation, and my son is definitely very low key, so I'm thinking of either simply email invitations or using some other kind of invitation instead of buying ones from the school's company.

Just buying the required cap, gown, and tassel is $102! That's nuts!

Are expensive paper invitations with the tissue paper and namecards still done, or are more families dragging this tradition into the digital age? Thanks for your help!

 

[crisi]

The last few we've gotten have not been the expensive order them through the school invites. They HAVE been mailed, but they have been sourced more reasonably.

 

[ceecee]

I guess we were lucky, our cap & gown, Invitations with the name cards and sweat jacket, sweat pants, keychain and tassel was only around $200.00. Friends of ours had Walmart do their invites with their daughter's senior pictures and they turned out nice.

 

[Narnia_girl]

We did the whole Josten route (official school source) with our first son but saved a lot of money by going less formal with our second son. I'm so glad we did that. Wal-Mart, Shutterfly, Winkflash, etc... all have nice options to make the announcements fit your child's personality.
We were so pleased with our experience creating our own that when our first graduated from college we did the same. I wouldn't hesitate to make them again rather than buy the "official" school offer.

 

[powellrj]

What people in our area do is make photo cards like people make for Christmas cards. It saves in two ways. You don't have to buy wallets to send and the invitation is much cheaper than what the school sells.

 

[dacraig09]

Whoever decides to start a business renting caps and gowns so every grad doesn't have to buy it to wear it only once will make a fortune.

 

[Styx Fan]

Our first child graduated last year.....expensive year for sure!

I don't know of anyone from his class that ordered the formal announcements. Everyone I saw was a photo card like those sent often at Christmas. We also sent that style, but went cheap on them. Some of the ones I saw were on beautiful paper stock and were the front and the back of the card. We got ours from Sams club and only had them printed on one side. Don't remember the price now, but it was the best I could find and they turned out very nice. Costco sells them as well as companies like Snapfish, Tiny Prints, etc. Also our local party supply store sold them.

 

[luvsJack]

Whoever decides to start a business renting caps and gowns so every grad doesn't have to buy it to wear it only once will make a fortune.

Already exists. Thats what dd's school does. They keep the tassel. Its $65 for that and the diploma. The CC I work for requires that the graduates buy them and they are still under $100.


Senior ad is $180 and year book $70.
Lucked out with Senior portraits, dil is doing them so just printing costs. And we will make her invitations online for a lot cheaper than the ones from Jostens or Balfour.

Still more costs than other years but some parents have already spent almost $1000, and much more if you count the class ring (dd didn't want one and I am buying her a nice necklace instead)

 

[tzolkin]

I really don't think any of this stuff is necessary (other than the cap & gown-- and yes, I can't understand why they don't rent them)

My DD is a Senior and I haven't purchased anything other than that. I'm sure it depends on the kid, but she doesn't really care about any of the other stuff and I think it's unnecessary. I was the same way when I was a kid and refused to let my parents spend their money on any of the "extras".

I always think of the graduation announcements as being a hint for a gift. If you plan to have a party, send invitations for that (via email or inexpensive cards). But the official announcements don't include that type of information.

 

[Stubbzilla]

I won't spend anything on high school graduation, besides what's required for the ceremony.A yearbook is worthwhile, I'd buy one each year. Growing up, and still, the only people I know who spend money on that kind of stuff like high school class rings, etc. are people who don't really have it to spend. I have a doctorate and I've never personally done anything special for graduation - no announcements, etc. I got a required professional headshot when I got my doctorate and spent about $50 on it. Rented my cap and gown and hood. I lettered in a sport my junior year and never got the letterman's jacket because it cost $250 and I knew I'd only wear it for a year.

For perspective, I'm not on much of a budget any more and I spend many thousands on my little cherubs' lessons and education. I'm still not forking over money on frivolous stuff.

I also view the graduation announcements as a hint for a gift. I'd get a cheap but nice looking announcement to save in a scrapbook or something, but I wouldn't give it to anyone except grandparents.

 

[luvsJack]

For some its not an announcement but an actual invitation to the ceremony. DD's will be invitations to the ceremony. There is no limit to how many can come for each graduate so they all send actual invitations. And they cost as much or more as what is known as "announcements". The OP said "invitations" so I am wondering if it is actual invitations she is looking for.

 

[HM]

Make your own invitations. DD did this with a photo card that was really cute. (DS bought the school ones).
Borrow a gown and tassle from a student that graduated previously. No need to buy something they'll wear once.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

You guys have some great ideas! I will definitely look into photo invitations. Thanks so much!

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Make your own invitations. DD did this with a photo card that was really cute. (DS bought the school ones).
Borrow a gown and tassle from a student that graduated previously. No need to buy something they'll wear once.

I have my daughter's gown hanging in her former closet right now, and they are actually about the same size. But cap, gown, and tassel are required purchases. The school must get a cut of what is sold.

 

[bcwife76]

Whoever decides to start a business renting caps and gowns so every grad doesn't have to buy it to wear it only once will make a fortune.

I've NEVER heard of having to buy your cap and gown. All the schools here (high school and university) rent caps and gowns. Graduates don't have to pay a penny for them.

 

[HM]

I have my daughter's gown hanging in her former closet right now, and they are actually about the same size. But cap, gown, and tassel are required purchases. The school must get a cut of what is sold.

Well, that's ridiculous.
My daughter's boyfriend (a year behind her and the same height) used hers. Just took off the collar.

They can't MAKE you pay, can they?

 

[Imanonymous]

Wow- I'm shocked cap and gown are REQUIRED purchases. It was very common at our school for siblings to use each others. My year they actually changed the gowns from a pinkish-maroon to a deep maroon; and about 50 of the 400 people graduating (including me!) were in the wrong color. Who cares- no way I was asking my parents to buy a new gown!

In college we rented- I don't know why more high schools don't do that.

 

[mjkacmom]

I don't send announcements, and there is a vey limited number of people who can attend (2 if it rains). The yearbook is $100+, I don't bother with an ad, and I can't remember what the gown costs (ds17 graduates in the spring, so I'll find out soon). I have 4 gowns hanging upstairs from middle school/dd19's graduations - I figure if someone needs a group costume, they can go as a choir.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

I have 4 gowns hanging upstairs from middle school/dd19's graduations - I figure if someone needs a group costume, they can go as a choir.

You are making me cackle!

 

[TallyTutter]

My youngest child is graduating high school next spring, and the costs involved are ridiculous. We just have a small amount of family/friends to invite to the graduation, and my son is definitely very low key, so I'm thinking of either simply email invitations or using some other kind of invitation instead of buying ones from the school's company.

Just buying the required cap, gown, and tassel is $102! That's nuts!

Are expensive paper invitations with the tissue paper and namecards still done, or are more families dragging this tradition into the digital age? Thanks for your help!

I totally agree! We used Pear Tree Greetings & were very happy with it. We designed our own but they have plenty examples & many templates.