With the end of the school year approaching fast, it's an exciting time for high school seniors. That's really the case for students who are getting ready for a rite of passage they thought they were going to have pass on because they couldn't afford it - their prom.
The problem - prom can be expensive. But even as prom season is winding down, students who thought they couldn't go, are coming up with creative, cost-effective ways to attend the big dance after all.
"Originally, I didn't want to go to prom. I felt if I were to take my money out just to get a dress, it would make it harder on my family, " says Ballard High School senior Rosemary Le.
Times are tough, but add up the cost of a dress, jewelry, shoes, hair, make-up, pictures and it gets painful.
"We're definitely seeing a correlation between the state of the economy and the need of the girls because it trickles down so quickly," says Jaime Untz. "You know, if your parents can't pay the light bill, they can't afford a dress to go to the prom."
Untz volunteers for The Ruby Room in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood - a charity that gives away free accessories and gently worn gowns to girls in need. Untz says that need is more obvious than ever.
"We've already given away more dresses this year as of two weeks ago, than we did last year total, " says Untz.
"Some of these dresses originally sold for $300 and $400 dollars, so add up all the frills and we're talking about $500 to $700 dollars in savings."
The next expense: hair and make-up. Ladies, go to a beauty school instead of a salon. Since the students need live models to work on, they usually cut that cost in half.
Corsage: go the grocery store. Spend $8 instead of $30. A lot of stores now have florist-quality flowers in house. Maybe even consider bringing your date a single elegant rose. It's a classy option for the class of '09.
Now for you guys - tuxes are nice, but if you can find a decent jacket at a thrift store - that can do the trick.
Photos: they don't have to cost a fortune anymore. Take your digital camera along and snap your own quality pictures.
The problem - prom can be expensive. But even as prom season is winding down, students who thought they couldn't go, are coming up with creative, cost-effective ways to attend the big dance after all.
"Originally, I didn't want to go to prom. I felt if I were to take my money out just to get a dress, it would make it harder on my family, " says Ballard High School senior Rosemary Le.
Times are tough, but add up the cost of a dress, jewelry, shoes, hair, make-up, pictures and it gets painful.
"We're definitely seeing a correlation between the state of the economy and the need of the girls because it trickles down so quickly," says Jaime Untz. "You know, if your parents can't pay the light bill, they can't afford a dress to go to the prom."
Untz volunteers for The Ruby Room in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood - a charity that gives away free accessories and gently worn gowns to girls in need. Untz says that need is more obvious than ever.
"We've already given away more dresses this year as of two weeks ago, than we did last year total, " says Untz.
"Some of these dresses originally sold for $300 and $400 dollars, so add up all the frills and we're talking about $500 to $700 dollars in savings."
The next expense: hair and make-up. Ladies, go to a beauty school instead of a salon. Since the students need live models to work on, they usually cut that cost in half.
Corsage: go the grocery store. Spend $8 instead of $30. A lot of stores now have florist-quality flowers in house. Maybe even consider bringing your date a single elegant rose. It's a classy option for the class of '09.
Now for you guys - tuxes are nice, but if you can find a decent jacket at a thrift store - that can do the trick.
Photos: they don't have to cost a fortune anymore. Take your digital camera along and snap your own quality pictures.
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