One of the biggest costs is always the dress. One of the best ways to get a really good dress for far less, it so find a dress you like in a magazine like "Seventeen" or "Your Prom", buy the material for it, and have a talented relative or friend copy the dress for you. If you don't have such a relative or friend, then the long lead time you give yourself will at least allow you to find a great deal at consignment shops, designer outlets, or maybe even on the internet.

　　With patience and resourcefulness, you're sure to find something just perfect for the occasion. The dress doesn't even have to be perfect, if you can see something that is "almost there" and that can simply be altered to into a dress you really want; then go for it. Buying an affordable dress and having it altered will still cost far less than getting an expensive dress.

　　If you have a friend who is the same size as you, but who goes to a different school, you might also want to try sharing the cost of a dress. That way you can get a great dress literally at half price. Just make sure that the dates of your proms are far enough apart to allow for dry cleaning.

　　Your next big concern will be hair, a good way to cut costs here is to get a simple haircut, and then do the styling of the hair yourself, or have a friend do it. Long lead time lunadress will allow you or your friend to practice styling your hair just as you want it form prom night. This should help you save quite a bit as well. Make up is just as simple if not more so, unlike hair which may vary in length from the last "practice" till your prom, your face will be the same. Experiment with colors, see what works for you, and eliminate the cost of having it done at a parlor.