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Visa study finds that the avg teen's family spent nearly $1000 for prom in 2014/2015

Ron Mexico

Member
It was a spur of the moment thing, I cheaped out and got a white tux. Thought I was hot shit until we got to the Italian restaurant, then I truly knew fear.

Funny you say that. My date wore a black and white dress (about the only memorable part of that night but anyway)...my dumb ass thought it would be the best idea to wear a complimentary tux-- white tux with a black lapel.

God I looked like a smacked ass.

Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane 1998.
 

cr0w

Old Member
Funny you say that. My date wore a black and white dress (about the only memorable part of that night but anyway)...my dumb ass thought it would be the best idea to wear a complimentary tux-- white tux with a black lapel.

God I looked like a smacked ass.

Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane 1998.

That's when my prom was too. Every time I see the picture of my dumb ass with the Dawson's Creek hair and white tux I break down laughing. I was so proud of myself.
 

Brinbe

Member
Fuck that shit!
And fuck, prom was 13 year ago now in the grand old year of 2004 and I didn't spend near to even half that total. Damn, time flies.
 

Ploid 3.0

Member
I had a friend who was throwing a birthday party for his four year old son.

The guy was going all in with full expenses in the thousands... For a 4 year old.

I was like, WTF, you make the same salary as me. That is overboard.

We did not agree, he thought I was being a cheap ass

But man, I barely remember any of my birthdays

Some people just are careless

I used to play in the yard with my nephew who was around 6. At around 12 I asked him if he remembered the games like soccer, hot or cold finding objects hidden around the yard and he had no clue what I was talking about. Felt bad man, I did save a picture of him playing in snow they he didn't remember though. Thankfully I didn't help throw a expensive parties. I'll buy them things that are useful and last since they tend to stick around and keep them busy, but I wouldn't go all out on something that's temporary at months - 6 personally.
 

see5harp

Member
I see a lot of quinceras in the public park when the family is taking pictures. Seems cheap as fuck compared to the bar mitzvah parties I've seen.
 

Ron Mexico

Member
That's when my prom was too. Every time I see the picture of my dumb ass with the Dawson's Creek hair and white tux I break down laughing. I was so proud of myself.

My parents came up to visit when I moved last year. Dad offered to help move and ended up helping move some of the smaller boxes. After they left, I go out to my garage to see he blew up a copy of that old prom picture and hung it on the wall.
 

Brinbe

Member
And lmao! Wtf @ promosal? Me and the girl I was seeing at the time were just eating at Wendy's and I asked her there. Why the fuck would anyone spend 300+ bucks on that?

Kids today are dumb as fuck.
 

Hazmat

Member
The only reason I can think of to spend hundreds of dollars asking someone to prom is if you're actually propositioning an escort.

Kids: get your shit together and stop wasting your parents' money.
 
More from the article on that:
Hmm. Some sort of gift makes sense, but I'm still lost on how the 'average' teen is spending $342 on this. Remember, you're only getting one promposal per couple - so the 'average' household is only paying for half of that proposal. This study is suggesting families spend as much on the prom proposal as they do on the event itself.

I did some digging, and found the 2015 press release the article seems to be referencing.
http://investor.visa.com/news/news-details/2015/Cost-of-High-School-Promposals-Hits-324/default.aspx

The study was done via phone survey of 3041 households, weighted for households with multiple teens, etc. Not to call the whole thing into question, but it does also appear to be advertising a prom budgeting app. So I can't help but doubt their findings here.

Another interesting tidbit from the study.

Families with a total household income below $50,000 a year plan to spend $1109 on the prom. Disconcertingly, those families making under $25,000 will spend a total of $1393 for the prom, while families who make over $50,000 will spend an average of $799.
 

besada

Banned
I wish I'd had your connections. We'd have been arrested if we even sniffed a wine cooler.

Older brothers for the win. I picked it up a day earlier and we stashed it in my buddy's shed. We had the after party at his place, so we had the booze shed. Much craziness ensued. I woke up with a Basset Hound licking my face.
 
Senior prom was 8 years ago for me and I spent about $200 between my prom ticket, renting a tux, and a corsage for my GF at the time. And I thought that was excessive at the time, was almost a whole paycheck for me back then.

There was this rich girl who had this ridiculously expensive dress that was all white and dragged about 5 feet behind her on the ground. Looked like a wedding dress and she stuck out like a sore thumb. Inevitably some guy stepped on it accidentally, ripping it, cue obligatory meltdown. Was hilarious.
 
Doesn't sound that crazy compared to what I spent when you factor in inflation. Tux, limo, flowers for the girls, attendance fee, after party stuff. Complete waste of money then and now tho.
 

cr0w

Old Member
Older brothers for the win. I picked it up a day earlier and we stashed it in my buddy's shed. We had the after party at his place, so we had the booze shed. Much craziness ensued. I woke up with a Basset Hound licking my face.

Ah yeah, I didn't think about the brother thing. Mine was already out of the house and states away. Probably for the best, I still managed to side swipe someone's car and I was stone cold sober. Tried to cover up the fucking scratch with nail polish.

My first experience with booze as a teenager ended with me trying to tackle a bonfire because I thought it was too hot. Fucking Jager.
 

daveo42

Banned
I think I spent $100 on a tux, corsage, and dinner for my date and I in total for prom. $1k on prom is just insane.
 

GulAtiCa

Member
I can barely remember what I paid for my senior prom. We did do a limo for the 6 of us to dinner to prom then to end of event. So with dinner, limo, tux I was maybe doing $500 max? But that was 13 years ago now, so I can barely even remember.
 

Amikami

Banned
Was homeschooled for the most part. Didn't go to prom even though it was offered. Never regretted not going like some people seem to. Never will. This convinces even more, although my parents wouldn't have spent more than $80 even if they wanted to. Never understood why it had to be a big deal. A limo...really? lol whatever makes people happy I guess. If they got it flaunt it.
 

jph139

Member
I legitimately thought "promposal" was a fake marketing thing and/or sitcom plotline. Like, I graduated in 2011 and I don't remember it being widespread at all.
 

cr0w

Old Member
Man these walks down memory lane make me wonder what DJ Rick Rick is up to these days. He did a pretty good job at mine.

EDIT: Apparently he recently made an appearance at the Taste of Columbus Festival, which was hosted by Booger Brown.
 
My parents would've killed me if spent over $200, let alone nearly a thousand. I managed to get my dress on super sale, but that required a strenuous search through countless stores.
 

Ron Mexico

Member
Man these walks down memory lane make me wonder what DJ Rick Rick is up to these days. He did a pretty good job at mine.

I don't remember the DJ's name who had to play it, but I can't see "I Will Remember You" being topped as the worst prom theme of all time.
 

dcassell

Banned
7 years ago was my senior prom. Tux rental was $100, dinner was $30, tickets were $25. That was it, and I felt fancy as hell in a rented tux in small-town Oregon.

Some of my friends in California tell stories of having prom on a rented yacht or at Disneyland, like what the hell is that. Our prom was literally in a renovated barn, and it was awesome.
 

Drain You

Member
Wow thats insane. Me and my gf at the time took my 94 VW Golf, rented my tux for like 70$ and had a great time. Probably spent another 30$ on a corsage too. Kids prom age are old enough to have a job, I don't really see why it should fall on the parents to pay.

Also this whole take a limo to prom thing needs to stop. I thought it was a waste 10 years ago and I think its a waste now.
 
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