Over the Top Prom invites- Is this now a thing?

[nugov2]

Glad I'm not the only one not spending $1000 for a prom dress!! That's just crazy....DDs dress was $130, shoes $15, jewelry TBD (shopping tonight for that but i expect it to be l
fairly inexpensive )hair and nails should be around $100. It's a dance! At our school it's held in the cafeteria for goodness sake, there's no way Id pay more than I already am for this lol!

Honestly, I have no idea what I will or won't spend as my dd is 9. My dress and everything was pretty high back in '94 and tickets to go cost around $160. The fact that I have only one dd makes it easier to say yes to more. Again, it is under the column of disposable income. I would never go into debt over a dress, vacation, activity..anything that isn't a must, but if we have the money and she loves it I wouldn't say no. Of course I wouldn't take her out looking at $1000 dresses if we didn't have that to spend. I just know in our area(suburb of Chicago) that the price range now seems to be right around that for what most girls are spending.

 

[cabanafrau]

Wait a minute, do we have adults on a thread criticizing kids for wanting attention with promposals and other adults on a thread either humblebragging about sky is the limit or thrifty spender budgets for dresses?

 

[drinkme]

I think we spent around $200 for everything

I'm taking dd tomorrow shopping for her prom dress. After reading what people have spent I'm hoping to get something for under $200. My dd is only a freshman. I told her I wasn't buying 4 prom dresses!

 

[Art 1]

That's a little excessive for just a dress. I think with my dress, shoes, and jewelry I probably hit that mark.

That was a lot of money all those years ago. :

 

[JanaDee]

Wait a minute, do we have adults on a thread criticizing kids for wanting attention with promposals and other adults on a thread either humblebragging about sky is the limit or thrifty spender budgets for dresses?

Hmm, I'm not "humblebragging" and I have never in my life been accused of being thrifty, so I'm not quite sure where I fit.

Spending $1,000 + on a prom dress is foolish and won't ever happen in my house. Does that make me thrifty? Or am I just using some good ol' fashioned common sense?

 

[luvsJack]

Hmm, I'm not "humblebragging" and I have never in my life been accused of being thrifty, so I'm not quite sure where I fit.

Spending $1,000 + on a prom dress is foolish and won't ever happen in my house. Does that make me thrifty? Or am I just using some good ol' fashioned common sense?

It may be foolish to you, but trying to get a nice dress for less than $200 may seem foolish to someone else.

If someone's budget will fit a $1000 dress and that is what they want to spend their own money on then it isn't foolish at all.

 

[cabanafrau]

Hmm, I'm not "humblebragging" and I have never in my life been accused of being thrifty, so I'm not quite sure where I fit.

Spending $1,000 + on a prom dress is foolish and won't ever happen in my house. Does that make me thrifty? Or am I just using some good ol' fashioned common sense?

I guess that's a matter of perspective & I'll leave you to decide. I was just calling out the absurdity of adults calling out the young 'uns for ridiculousness of some new fangled fad and adults on the very same thread trying to project an image of either profligate, carefree spending or thrifty, wise spenders.

 

[Art 1]

Hmm, I'm not "humblebragging" and I have never in my life been accused of being thrifty, so I'm not quite sure where I fit.

Spending $1,000 + on a prom dress is foolish and won't ever happen in my house. Does that make me thrifty? Or am I just using some good ol' fashioned common sense?

It makes you neither really, thrift or with common sense, it just makes you, you.

Some people borrow a dress, others a thrift store. Others find them on sale, others spend more. There is no right or wrong, it's whatever the person wants and feels comfortable spending.

If bills are paid, college money set aside and so forth and someone want to spend more, it doesn't make them have less common sense than others.

 

[JanaDee]

It may be foolish to you, but trying to get a nice dress for less than $200 may seem foolish to someone else.

If someone's budget will fit a $1000 dress and that is what they want to spend their own money on then it isn't foolish at all.

FTR, I am not the one that threw out the $200 figure.

 

[luvsJack]

FTR, I am not the one that threw out the $200 figure.

Ok. Just fill in without whatever amount you would pick.

 

[nugov2]

It makes you neither really, thrift or with common sense, it just makes you, you.

Some people borrow a dress, others a thrift store. Others find them on sale, others spend more. There is no right or wrong, it's whatever the person wants and feels comfortable spending.

If bills are paid, college money set aside and so forth and someone want to spend more, it doesn't make them have less common sense than others.

Exactly. I didn't find people bragging one way or the other just comparing what they spent. I think it is relative to cost of prom as well. When you are spending a few hundred on a ticket you are probably in an area where prom is not in a HS gym and people go a little more crazy. Again, I don't think it is about spending the most or the least, but staying within your disposable income. I think someone who spends $200 or $1000 on a CC that they cannot afford are both being foolish IMO.

 

[DeaverTex]

Wow. Times have changed, haven't they? I agree with the PP who mentioned that it's changed from "the prom" to just "prom". Back in 1969 (yeah, I know, the Jurassic) it was "the prom", probably because there was just one. It was for seniors, but if your date wasn't a senior (or even a student) it was OK. The fancy part was dinner before the prom started, and it was over by 10:00.

The after-prom was semi-official, with a real popular band instead of the 1950's rejects who played at the proms, and the dress code was "Don't get arrested." Much nicer.

A few guys did something a little special to ask their dates (don't know about the girls), but not much. No limousines (except for two schools, and they only got one or two) or other special stuff.

But, as long as it doesn't get out of hand (breaking the budget, spending money the kids don't have, asking parents for money beyond the basic necessities) then I think the promposals are kind of cute. Heck, I didn't put that much work into proposing to Mrs. Tex. We were just sitting on the sofa in her BOQ, watching sitcoms. She accepted anyhow.

 

[drinkme]

I'm taking dd tomorrow shopping for her prom dress. After reading what people have spent I'm hoping to get something for under $200. My dd is only a freshman. I told her I wasn't buying 4 prom dresses!

We went shopping last night. Looks like my budget will go up a little bit. She did find a very nice dress for under $300 and I had my cc out ready to buy it but we found a stain on it. I wasn't going to spend that much on a dress with a stain.

We will be out for the hunt again today. Wish me luck!

 

[MrsPete]

My daughter would have died, I think her dress was $1600.

I hope you and she are happy with the spending habits you've established. I know I'm happy with mine.

Wait a minute, do we have adults on a thread criticizing kids for wanting attention with promposals and other adults on a thread either humblebragging about sky is the limit or thrifty spender budgets for dresses?

No, I see a casual discussion. Sounds like you're taking it more seriously.

FTR, I am not the one that threw out the $200 figure.

I said $200 is the budget I've given my girls for prom. Incidentally, their budget for smaller dances (i.e., semi-formal or military ball) is $100. I think those are nice middle-of-the-road numbers.

I think someone who spends $200 or $1000 on a CC that they cannot afford are both being foolish IMO.

Totally agree: If you're buying on credit and can't pay, even $50 is over-spending.

We went shopping last night. Looks like my budget will go up a little bit. She did find a very nice dress for under $300 and I had my cc out ready to buy it but we found a stain on it. I wasn't going to spend that much on a dress with a stain.

We will be out for the hunt again today. Wish me luck!

I wouldn't spend that much on a dress with a stain either -- but if I thought it was a stain that would come out, I'd ask for a reduced price. We did that once with a semi-formal dress: It was a rip rather than a stain, so it was a little easier to be SURE all would be well, but they gave us half off the dress. I was happy to whip out a needle and fix the dress for that price.

 

[drinkme]

We went shopping last night. Looks like my budget will go up a little bit. She did find a very nice dress for under $300 and I had my cc out ready to buy it but we found a stain on it. I wasn't going to spend that much on a dress with a stain. We will be out for the hunt again today. Wish me luck!

We found a dress. Went to Peaches in Chicago. What an experience. Lol. Typical chicago store the way they run it. The store is just in a boring little strip mall with a 7-11 and a Subway. When you pull into the parking lot there is someone there telling you where to park. We got there 1/2 hour before opening and stood in an ever growing line. We met a family from davenport Iowa in line. Their whole family came: mom, dad, & brother. Lol. Anyway, when the doors opened everyone had to stand around & wait to hear the rules. Then when the rules were announced the action started. Anyway if anyone wants to hear all details on how you have to shop here & the rules, let me know. It's rather amusing & kinda fun experience. Anyway she found her perfect dress & now we just have to wait for it to come in next week. They were out of her size in the color she wanted.