Budgeting for the Homecoming Dance

HoCo season is almost upon us! While there are many traditions and events that surround this All-American tradition, the one we are most excited about here at Queenly is obviously the iconic Homecoming dance! Homecoming is typically the first high school dance students get to experience, and is essentially Prom in the fall!

Preparing for the homecoming dance may seem a little daunting at times. While it may be tempting to go all out, your bank account may say otherwise. Homecoming costs today can vary depending on what you choose to do and how much you are willing to spend. When shopping for your homecoming dress, shoes, makeup, jewelry, and also let’s not forget a ticket to the dance, prices can start to add up real fast. Well guess what, it doesn’t have to be that way! Don’t let the fear of these potential costs scare you away from enjoying what may be your first high school dance!

Trust me, you can still have the night of your life while being cost conscientious about how and where you spend your money. It’s never too early to start learning how to manage our financials so that we can afford to create memories that will last a lifetime! Below we will walk you through our guide in planning your homecoming budget. Get ready to look fabulous, dance the night away, and budget like it’s nobody’s business!

In order to begin any budget, it’s important to have a general idea of how much certain items and experiences cost. Once you know that information, it’s time to start brainstorming and planning on ways to save, so you can create some of your best high school memories without breaking the bank. Below we are going to breakdown some of the expected expenses one might make when planning their perfect homecoming. Also note, don’t feel pressured to go all out and spend a lot of money on every single expense! We’re here to help you with money-saving tips that will still allow you to have your dream homecoming night!

Ticket (Football Game & Dance): Typically Homecoming is centered around a homecoming football game and then followed by a celebratory dance, both of which usually require tickets to attend. Tickets for the high school football game can cost between $10-20 and then the ticket to the dance can cost anywhere between $15 - 50 depending on your school. One cost saving tip for both of these tickets is to invest in a student activity or ASB card early in the semester if it’s offered by your school! ASB cards come in clutch throughout the school year, and saving money on a ticket is just one way you’ll be able to utilize this awesome discount!

Dress: Our FAVORITE thing to talk about when it comes to homecoming is obviously what dress are you going to wear?? In comparison to prom, homecoming is a semi-formal dance, meaning you can feel free to wear a shorter or more casual dress, romper, or even a jumpsuit! Maybe you already have something in your closet that would be perfect for the dance! Or if you’re not looking to splurge, you can always shop for a pre-owned gown from Queenly!

Shoes: Shoes can cost anywhere from $0 to $70. The best place to start here is your own closet! Maybe you’re down to go the cool and comfortable route and wear sneakers with your dress. Or if you’re looking to splurge you can get yourself a cute new pair of heels to wear!

Accessories (Jewelry/Purse): I am a firm believer that accessories like earrings, necklaces, bracelets, or even a cute clutch are what help add that finish touch to the perfect outfit. How much you spend here is truly up to you! Costume jewelry is fairly inexpensive or you can even try asking around to borrow accessories to save even more!

Nails: When it comes to nails you can expect to pay anywhere between $0 to $50. If you already have some nail polish at home, painting them yourself is a great way to practice self care and cut costs! Other nail options could include buying press-on nails at the drugstore for $10 or going in to get them done for anywhere between $20 to $50!

Hair & Make Up: Going the DIY route for hair and makeup is another cost efficient way to get glammed up for the big dance! Youtube has a ton of really great makeup tutorials you can follow along with. If you look to get it done professionally, then the prices can vary depending on where you go and the level of expertise of your stylist.

Corsage & Boutonniere: Corsages and Boutonnieres are honestly pretty optional expenses but can cost between $10 to $50. As mentioned earlier, homecoming is a lot less formal than prom and so a lot of the time students opt out of getting these floral accessories. But perhaps you are going to the dance with a special someone and want to make the most out of the night, then purchasing or even creating a DIY corsage/boutonniere may be the way to go!

Now that we have a ballpark figure of how much everything could cost for Homecoming, it’s time to decide how and where we are going to spend our money. Don’t be afraid to try something new, whether that’s DIY-ing your hair/make up to trying to budget out your expenses for the first time. Use our Homecoming Expense Tracker below to calculate your budget for the big day! Our suggestion with how to go about filling this is to start with your MUST HAVES and then work your way through the rest of the items on the list.

$______ Ticket (Football Game & Dance)
$______ Dress
$______ Shoes
$______ Accessories (Jewelry/Purse)
$______ Nails
$______ Hair & Make Up
$______ Corsage & Boutonniere
Grand Total $ ______

Budgeting can feel like a daunting task at times, but it honestly is a lifelong skill that is never too early to learn! So with that being said, we hope that this list has been useful to all those excited to attend the homecoming dance this upcoming fall! At the end of the day it truly doesn’t matter what you wear or how you look, what matters most is the memories you make and the people you surround yourself with! Happy HoCo season everyone!