High school homecoming - how much will you spend and who pays for it?

[Sadeesmom]

I was having a discussion this weekend with a local mom group, and the questions in the subject line came up. I was honestly shocked at some of the answers.
20 years ago, I spent about $100 on a dress & shoes plus my parents paid for my hair & make up.
Our current household finances are different than what I grew up with, so I was expecting to cover all expenses as the parent, expecting double, maybe triple that amount, but some of the amounts these other moms threw out in this discussion blew my mind.

Knowing that costs across the country (& world) vary greatly, as well as household dynamics, I'm still curious - what are you spending for your son or your daughter's Homecoming this year & who is actually paying for it?

 

[Moliphino]

It wasn't a big thing at all when I was in high school. There may have been a dance, but I didn't go to it.

 

[soccerdad72]

Nothing. My son has a newer suit that he'll wear and he's on his own for paying for the tickets and dinner.

 

[amylevan]

Nothing. My son has a newer suit that he'll wear and he's on his own for paying for the tickets and dinner.

Most of the boys here don’t even wear suits to homecoming just dress pants, tie, and a nice shirt. The girls wear dresses but not prom dresses.

How formal is your homecoming that the moms are spending so much? I can see the girls here spending $100 on a dress plus money to get their hair done (some, not all, as again it’s not real formal, so a lot just wear their hair down). What other costs are there?

Now prom on the other hand…

 

[bjscheel]

No tickets to buy for my girls' homecomings. Dress costs varied, one was $8 at a thrift store, one $13 on clearance, and the most maybe $100 for a long dress to wear on Court. Usually I did their hair, if not that was maybe $35-50? Boys bought the corsages if they had a date.

 

[HopperFan]

Homecoming is a dance in the school gym. Most the kids go in groups and just have fun. Dresses are usually short, boys maybe a tie.

I don't think I spent anything for DS, honestly don't remember him even going because such an unimportant event. If he did he wore what he had and bought his own ticket. I think DD went freshman year with a group of girlfriends, dress would have been one she had or we picked up on clearance because wasn't going to spend much. She would have bought her own ticket.

If they went to dinner, they paid themselves. I would have provided transportation. Most I would have put out for either ... maybe $40.

*DS went to 2 proms, DD went to 1. Cost me a bit more, but they paid for most their expenses.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Granted, it was a long time ago, but I'm not even sure was a dance. Maybe just a homecoming football game?

I think today's homecomings have been so blown out of proportion, not unlike proms, even weddings have also been done.

 

[mjkacmom]

I don’t think there is even a homecoming dance, just a football game. Now senior prom is another story, hundreds spent on dresses, hair, makeup, nails, flowers, limos, $100 tickets, prom houses….

 

[kdonnel]

My daughter went to all the formal events at high school. In the 4 years we only bought 1 dress that was in the $200 range. The rest of the time her friends, who were all very close in size, traded dresses. Looking back at the pictures you can see the same dresses on 10-12 different people throughout the years.

I did end up having to buy a suit her freshman year as she was in the homecoming court and as her father I was invited to participate during the half time show.

 

[Elle23]

Do y’all not live in mum country?

I can’t remember what my son spent on clothes for homecoming, but it was nowhere near the $350 he spent on his girlfriend’s mum (I think we spilt the cost).

 

[AppleDumpling]

Homecoming here is a small parade through town and a football game. The chosen king, queen, and court ride in convertibles in the parade and get announced on the field at halftime. No dance. The only HS dances are junior and senior prom.

 

[Funfire240]

We were just looking at dresses for my freshman yesterday. She is planning on going with a group. The two dresses she is considering are both $60. I laughed how fancy they are because back when I went (early 90's lol) we just wore skirts and tops/sweaters. The nice thing is we have a wedding to go to in February so the dress she picks will double for that. I told her I would pay for her hair if she wanted but she cheers that Saturday for the freshman game so not sure how much time she will even have. She wants her nails done and I said that's all on her for that extra. Their dance is in the H.S. gym.

 

[lanejudy]

Not a big thing when I was in school, not a big thing in our town now. $2 student admission to the football game, another $2 admission to the powderpuff game the next night (charity event). I'm not even sure they have a dance, but if so the kids wear something they already have nothing super fancy. Back in my day the homecoming dance was just a regular school dance -- most wore jeans and a t-shirt.

 

[kdonnel]

Do y’all not live in mum country?

I can’t remember what my son spent on clothes for homecoming, but it was nowhere near the $350 he spent on his girlfriend’s mum (I think we spilt the cost).

My wife has a friend in Texas. I don't remember how it came up but she explained mums to us. Nothing like that exists in my area.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Most of the boys here don’t even wear suits to homecoming just dress pants, tie, and a nice shirt. The girls wear dresses but not prom dresses.

Ours isn't even that. Homecoming is a "jeans and t-shirt" event here. Maybe a sweater if it's cold outside.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I didn't even spent $100 on my homecoming dresses I think I spent something like $120 on my prom dresses. I was fortunate that I had a friend who was close to my size so for 1 of the homecoming dances I borrowed a dress that she had.

That said I do think dresses have gone up in costs over time (like many clothing).

Homecoming dresses varied at my school. Some wore shorter but many of us wore long dresses but they weren't uber poofy/fancy.

Prom was long dresses and poofy/fancy dresses.

WPA (Women Pay All) dances were usually less dressy than homecoming but still dresses. I often wore a shorter dress (often velvet style).

Both homecoming and prom were big but my group of friends were not ones to rent limos and go to uber fancy restaurants but we def. knew some who did. Homecoming for our school was in the gym, prom was typically held off site. Both years prom was at the country club nearby although for our senior year we were supposed to be held at the NFL stadium but unfortunately that had gotten double booked with another school.

I will say I worked at JCP when I was 16/17/18 so I was able to get a discount on the dresses that I bought from there.

 

[Minnesota!]

Homecoming isn't a big thing here - a game, a very informal dance that, so far, neither of my kids had any interest in. Will see what this year holds. Sophomore son is adamant this is the year he has a girlfriend, ha!

 

[mrs. magoo]

Homecoming is not a big thing here at all. My kids did not even go to a dance. Prom and Ball is where I spent some money but the dresses were never more than $120.

 

[kymom99]

Homecoming here is a football game on Friday where the candidates dress up a little. I bought my son a shirt and tie. He had pants and shoes. The dance was Saturday. I bought another shirt and a tie that matched his dates dress. We also bought a corsage for her. He bought his own ticket.

 

[Elle23]

My wife has a friend in Texas. I don't remember how it came up but she explained mums to us. Nothing like that exists in my area.

That’s so crazy to me! Mums are just a way of life here in Texas!