PARENTS are forced to spend up to almost £400 for their child to attend a school prom, new research has found.
Those with girls are spending as much as £392 – £157 more than the average of £235 for boys, according to a study from buy now pay later provider ClearPay.
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This factors in costs such as the average costs of tickets, travel, make-up, clothing, accessories and hair-styling.
Meanwhile, primary school proms appear to be growing in popularity in the UK, adding further costs for parents during their children’s schooldays.
Nearly a fifth of parents (19%) surveyed said their child had attended a primary school prom.
They appear to be especially popular in the East Midlands, where 26% of parents surveyed said their child has gone to one, as well as London (25%) and the North West of England (23%), according to the survey.
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Mini-sized prom outfits also appear to be growing in popularity.
Clearpay said its own sales data indicates annual growth in spending on children’s formalwear, including prom dresses and suits.
For nearly a fifth of families (19%), grandparents are helping parents to finance proms.
Aunts and uncles are also contributing in around 14% of cases, with the child themselves spending on their own prom in around 12% of families.
More than two-thirds (68%) of parents agreed that social media has made prom spending feel more competitive, and two in five (40%) admitted feeling judged by other parents if their child’s outfit is not impressive enough.
How to cut the costs of your kid’s prom
Many families are finding ways to manage the cost, with two-fifths (40%) of parents setting a specific budget and sticking to it, more than a fifth (21%) doing hair, make-up or nails at home rather than using a salon, and 14% buying preowned outfits.
Despite the costs, nearly seven in 10 (69%) parents feel that a prom is an important milestone that should be celebrated properly, and more than three-quarters (76%) said seeing their child dressed up was worth every penny.
Renting a dress or suit tends to be cheaper than buying a new one. High street retailers including John Lewis and H&M offer formalwear rentals.
However, you could save in the long run by investing in a good quality suit or dress your child can re-wear over and over again.
You could also browse for a second hand option on sites like Vinted or in charity shops, where you could save hundreds of pounds on prom outfits.
To save on a swanky car rental, why not try booking the Lux ride through taxi app Uber.
Only selected top cars such as Mercedes, BMW and Jaguars will come through the service.
OnePoll surveyed 2,000 parents across the UK of children aged 18 and under in May for the research.
