By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News
Teenagers all across the United States who plan on going to prom this year are expected to spend in the neighborhood of $1,000 on the big night, with about one-third of that amount going toward the “promposal.”
The promposal, an elaborate invitation to the big dance, is becoming a regular event, according to University of Illinois Extension Consumer Economics Educator Pam Atkinson.
When broken down by region, the Midwest scores as the least expensive, with $515 spent for prom and $218 for the promposal, as compared to the most expensive, the Northeast, with $738 spent for prom and $431 for the promposal.
Social media is one of the big factors that has caused the price of prom to skyrocket, with promposals being photographed or videoed and shared online. Because of these new expectations from teens, some parents are facing what is expected to be an average of $919 for prom in 2015, according to the 2015 Visa Prom Spending Survey.
The average does vary widely by region and household income. Prom spending includes attire, limo rental, tickets to the dance, flowers, pictures, food, after party and accommodations.
Visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/989wjez and tell us in the comments what prom was like for you, what you’re experiencing with your children and some deals you’ve found along the way to make the special event a little easier on the wallet. Make sure to post pictures of the special day too!
