Prom savings

I am so proud of my daughter and her friends who all went to prom on a shoestring budget. The great part is that it they came up with the idea of saving. Finally teens are wizing up to the fact that prom expenses are such a rip-off.

Three of the girls (one of which is my daughter) wore previously used dresses from other friends. All but one girl did their hair themselves or with the help of mom or their friends. All did their own make-up. They opted to skip the costly limousine and drove in groups in their cars. Then they asked my husband and I to cook them dinner. It cost each teen $5 for the dinner, which included a main course, dessert and drinks in a beautifully decorated setting!

We cooked penne rustica for the main course, leaving the chicken and shrimp separate so that vegetarians or people with health or religious eating preferences could enjoy it as well. Hot rolls, french bread and a salad completed the main course.

A few of the moms volunteered help. One mom got the use of the church cafe and decorated the cafe in gold and black to match the Prom's Vegas theme. She had glasses individualized with each person's name on it. Clear plastic plates and silver colored plastic ware gave an elegant touch. She also made a big bowl of sherbet punch and water for drinks to go with dinner.

A second mom volunteered her house for the pictures in her garden. She made a raspberry punch, chocolate dipped strawberries and cream puffs for dessert.

A third mom volunteered her home for the after party. All in all, this group of 17 teens had a smashing time at a fraction of the price.

The one cost they all had was for corsages and boutineers. I made the boutineer, which my daughter gave her partner, myself. I bought a bunch of 4 roses at Walmart for $5.00, a stem of baby's breath at the florist for $1.50 and with some floral tape that I already had, assembled the bouttineer according to the instructions on http://www.ehow.com/how_4868909_make-boutineers-fresh-flowers.html and viola!

Parents of both boys and girls really appreciated these huge savings! Smart Teens!

Think about this for your teens next year.
Thrifty