Prom season is coming up and we know that you are excited! Most importantly, you are excited to find “the dress” that will blow everyone away when you walk into prom. However, prom dresses can be really expensive. It’s just not fair. On top of the dress, you need to save money to buy accessories, shoes, get your nails done and so on. Why does prom have to be so dang expensive?

Well, guess what? There are some ways that you can cut down on your costs by saving money on your prom dress, which is the bulk of your budget. Check out the money saving tips that will still keep you looking fly when prom day hits!

Plan Ahead

Now, you need to plan a little ahead of time. Like, start now. When shopping for a prom dress in general, you want to give yourself breathing room so that you’re not stressing out last minute looking for the best dress. Make sure you have an idea of what you are looking for, but keep an open mind as well.

Buy Used

This will be one of your best options for saving money on your prom dress. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a used dress. Seriously, no one will know. Often your local thrift store has all year to store up prom dress donations and puts them all out around prom season. Check in frequently and even inquire about their prom dress inventory. You will never even know that these dresses were used, since most were worn for only a couple hours! This is the best way to get a killer deal on a prom dress.

Borrow From a Best Friend

What are besties for after all? Raid all your best friends’ closets! Especially if some of them have already attended prom before, you’re sure to find something that works. Prom dresses often only get worn once, for a couple hours so it will be nice for that dress to get some more action!

Go Vintage

Does your mom or a family member have any dresses stored away from their heydays? Believe it or not similar styles are now “in” from past eras. This type of dress is also something that can be found at a thrift store. With these a little DIY may be required, but if you like doing that sort of thing and want to make a prom dress that is truly “you” and original, this is your best option, other than making it entirely from scratch of course.

Want an entire guide on how to save on all aspects of prom? This one is pretty cool: 49 Ways to Save Money on Prom.

We hope that these money saving tips helped and that you find the absolutely perfect prom dress for your special day! Regardless of what option you chose, we think you’ll wow everyone at prom, and even wow your wallet, in a good way of course!