If It's Not "On the House" -- I Don't Want It

I think when Ryan decided to go to Prom, he thought the only cost involved would be buying the actual tickets to the dance.  ($20.00 - which he's already complained to me about being too high.)  After all, he just barely became "dating eligible" with his recent 16th birthday, so he's never even been to a school dance before.  And, frankly, he doesn't spend his "thinking time" thinking about things like the logistics of PROM -- there's way too many sports stats to fill up that time with!  :)

It would be an understatement to say that Ryan has been BLOWN AWAY with the total expense associated with PROM.

And because "entertainment" is one of the categories that our children are responsible for funding themselves (they all have opportunities to earn money, IF THEY CHOOSE), it's been quite fun to watch, and SO GOOD for him to experience how to spend his money - which will surely aid him in his maturity.

Wanting to go to PROM, but NOT wanting the financial obligation, he asked me (accused) if I paid for my own [Girls' Choice] High School dances that I went to.

Of Course.

It was MY date.  Who else would pay for MY date.  Did he think my parents would?  HOW EMBARRASSING for your parents to pay for YOUR dates!!!
{He silently agreed.}
But that didn't stop him from going to his Dad with the same question:
Dad, did YOU pay for your PROM dates?
Uhhhhh.....errrr....uhhhhh....ummm....I...can't...remember...
(We all laughed our heads off at his response....and his attempt in trying not to look like a loser!)

So, I told him he needed to rent a tuxedo.
He asked how much that would cost.
I said, Let's google it.
Google told us it could run about $90.00.
Ryan, who knows he footin' the bill, said he didn't need to wear a tux.
I told him HE WAS GOING TO PROM.  And PROM = TUX!
He thought wearing his regular church suit would be just fine.
I told him it would be fine IF he was going to the Homecoming dance, but THIS IS PROM!
I even polled my Young Women at church, and they want their dates to wear a tux - this "proof" helped a little.
Then he came up with the idea to just wear his Tuxedo shirt, bow tie, and cumberband with just regular black dress pants that he had to wear in his Percussion performances last year.
I asked him when's the last time he'd actually worn that shirt.
About a year ago.
Fuhgget about it!  (He's most definitely grown since then!)
We found a website online that has an interactive "Customize Your Own Tux" program.  I set Ryan up on that and he found "the look" he liked the best.

    Pink Tuxedo Shirt

Shiny Silver Vest & Hankie 

White Jacket with Black Trim

Black Tux Pants (with striping) 

Black & White Shiny "Tux" Shoes

And then we went to the Tuxedo Rental Shoppe.

They didn't even carry pink tuxedo shirts - you have to special order them for $25.00

The Hankie and the shoes are not included with the tux rental - the hankie is an extra $4.00 on top of the tux rental.

The white jacket with black trim is considered a "speciality" tux -- with a 300% price increase over the lowest-priced all black jacket.

The black & white shoes were $18.00 vs. all black shoes for $12.00.  (He tried telling me he could wear his regular black shoes he had at home - nope!  They are NOT "tux quality.")

But, Good News! There was no price difference on black pants with or without striping.

Ryan quickly change "his taste" in tuxes.

(Although, if I were paying, I'm sure he would just "have to have" that first choice!)

He decided on this one:

 {the most conservatively priced tux}

But, we did find out, had we ordered MORE THAN a week in advance, we could've gotten a $20.00 discount instead of the $10.00 one we did receive.  Lesson learned for next time.

Then I told him he had to get her a corsage.

He replied, They better not cost more than $10.00.

Oh, They will!  I informed him. 

{groan}

Why can't I just pick her a flower from our yard?

#1  We don't have any decent ones in our yard.  #2  THIS IS PROM - and she'll be getting you a boutonniere! 

Why can't I just tell her, you don't get me one, and I won't get you one? 

THIS IS PROM - she needs a corsage. 

While grocery shopping at Harmon's this week, I noticed they have a good-sized floral dept. and there was a lady there, so I went up to her and asked if they did corsages, by chance.

They do!

And there are different "levels" of corsages.

 A wrist corsage with an elastic band.

 A wrist corsage with a crystal beads bracelet look.

 And a wrist corsage with rhinestones as the bracelet. 

Which all increased in price as the wrist band got fancier.

I reported this all to Ryan when he came home....he didn't even know what crystals and rhinestones were!

I'm going with the regular elastic band, he immediately decided.

He's also been combing the newspaper ads for coupons to the "Get Air" Trampoline Park they are going to as part of the leading-up-to-PROM activities.

And they're doing a progressive dinner at three different boys' houses to avoid a high restaurant bill....although Ryan's dream is to go to Ruth's Chris for PROM....and have someone else pay for it, of course!

One of the boy's sisters is a "budding photographer," so she is taking them on location for their PROM pictures.  They'll be better and less expensive than getting pictures at the PROM venue anyways.  

 IT'S SO INTERESTING HOW YOUR "NEEDS" CHANGE WHEN YOU GET TO FORK OVER THE CASH YOURSELF!!!

:)

*As a sidenote....according to Wikipedia, ( I had to refer Ryan to the Internet again - it has more clout than I these days!) Prom expectations/traditions ARE everything I was telling him, but it also sited an interesting (& disturbing) fact:  The cost of prom in the United States in 2012 averages $1078 per family.  
WHAT?!?  Obviously, the "United States" is very different from Utah.  That gives Ryan something else to be grateful for!