Prom? Affordable? Those are two words that you would never place together… until now.

I am going to share some secrets I have learned from past school dances and watching other girls spend too much money. If your parents are giving you a spending limit, or if you have to pay for things yourself, this is the article for you.

First of all, you are going to need a dress. This is the bank breaker. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips for when you go dress shopping:

• Find girls who have already gone to prom and buy their dress for cheaper off them or borrow it.
• Shop the clearance racks. There are usually perfectly good dresses that look amazing and are on sale.
• Don’t be afraid to shop consignment. The dresses are in good conditions and are easily alterable.
• Online stores like lulus.com and windsorstore.com have beautiful, while affordable dresses.

Next on the list is your manicure. Do not let Instagram fool you into thinking your nails have to be done at the salon. If you want to splurge on this to feel pampered, no one will judge you. It feels nice. But if you are trying to save big bucks, take a look at the dollar store press-ons. If you do not like the look of those, there are several girls within the school that will charge up to $20 for a fresh manicure themselves. Tasia Selby does amazing acrylic sets and you can see some of her work on her Instagram @nailzby_tasia.

After that, you are going to need shoes. Again, thrift stores/consignment stores are the way to go, but do not overlook rewearing a pair from your last school dance. If they match the dress, they match the dress. I have borrowed a pair of shoes my friend wore for a homecoming dance and they looked great. I didn’t spend a dime on them and they were in great condition.

The final step is hair. Here are a few tips I have picked up…

• Never, ever, spend more than $50 on an updo.
• Get a family friend to do it for free or a low cost! There are so many women who went to or are in cosmetology school who would love to do your prom hair.
• Do it yourself. I did my hair for homecoming and it was so simple and beautiful. Here is a link for simple hairdos that look elegant that you can do at home.

Save your money and look amazing. It’s a win-win.