Penny-pinching prom: Soaring costs force students to get creative for the social event of their high school careers

by Carol Azizian | The Flint Journal

Tuesday May 06, 2008, 4:09 PM

Charlisa King-Kyles, a 17-year-old senior at Flint Central Academy, bought her prom dress on the Internet to save money.

Instead of renting a limousine, Czar Sanders, 17, also a senior at Central, will drive his grandfather's Chrysler 300 to prom.

Rather than dish out big bucks at an upscale restaurant, Walter Czarnik IV, 17, of Davison High and his date are being treated to dinner at a friend's house.

With the spiraling costs of gasoline, food and other items, local students are finding innovative ways to pay for prom.

According to one Web site, www.promdress.net, a sample budget for a young woman could amount to $500 or more, including a dress, shoes, purse, hose, undergarments, hair, manicure, wax and/or tan and boutonniere.

A guy could spend around $200, including tuxedo, corsage and dinner, the site noted.

Then there's the cost of renting a limo, tickets for the event and dinner at a restaurant.

King-Kyles said she saved money from working two jobs and paid less than $200 on the Internet for her halter-style, black and silver dress.

She works at President Tuxedo and the Vanity store at Genesee Valley Center. She recently joined the Army National Guard.

"Everything (else) will be paid for between me and my date," she said.

"A lot of people get fancy and go to dinner out of town (meaning the Detroit area). I might go to Applebee's," King-Kyles said.

Central's prom is Saturday at the Sarvis Center in the Flint Cultural Center. Dinner will be served there, but many students prefer to go out to eat.

Sanders said he's driving his grandfather's car so he doesn't have to pay for a limo.
"I have my tux," he added. "My mother rented it for me."

Tarik Everett, 18, another senior at Central, worked last summer in his uncle's dental office to put away cash for prom and other expenses. For transportation, he's borrowing a Mercedes from one of his advisers, he said.

Everett received his tux for free from President Tuxedo because he referred seven other guys to rent tuxes from the store.

The store has a prom representative program that allows students to earn discounted or free tuxedos. Last year, 260 teens became prom reps, according to David Leppen, manager of the Genesee Valley shopping center store. Seventy-five received free tuxedos, and the rest earned discounts on their rentals, he said.

Czarnik set aside money from his job as a secretary in the Davison High School principal's office to rent a white tux with a lavender vest and to pay for prom tickets.
The Davison High prom is May 17 in the school gym.

Along with three other couples, Czarnik and his date will be treated to a meal prepared by the mother of one of his friends.

"She's a chef at a restaurant in the Detroit area," he said.

Ca.Tina Perkins, 17, a senior at Central, said she intends to foot the bill for dinner, probably at a local restaurant, because she invited her date, who's from the Detroit area.

She's giving her uncle gas money to pick up her date. They're splitting the cost of tickets.

Her father bought her dress, she said.

With three other couples, they're dividing the cost of a limousine. "We're either going to Detroit or Troy for (after) parties," she said.

Despite the rising costs, some people choose to splurge on prom because it is their last hurrah in high school.

Madison Mitchell, 18, a Davison High senior, said she and four other couples are traveling to the Kruse & Muer restaurant in Rochester for dinner.

"My date and I are friends," said Madison, who works part time at an ice cream shop. "We're splitting the cost of tickets, dinner and a limo."

"It's the last shebang. You only get to do this once."