Every year upperclassmen and select sophomores go to prom. People spend lots of money on clothes, shoes, makeup, hair, and accessories for one night. Prom is about the experience of hanging out with your friends and having a good time, but for many, the cost of prom can be too much. The added expenses from the tickets and food can be a lot, so what can be done to make it cheaper?

This will be my first year going to prom, and instead of going out of Lakeville to prom dress stores I stayed local and went to Goodwill. Not only is shopping at a secondhand store better for the environment, it is also less expensive which makes it accessible for people. When you buy from thrift stores you decrease waste and help your community. Thrifting does not have to be a one-time thing though, it can be something you do every so often. When you thrift, you stop buying into the microtrends you see everywhere and take clothes or items that could end up in a landfill to a new home. I ended up buying shoes and a dress for under $40, so doing this saved me hundreds of dollars. 

When you’re out shopping last-minute for prom or in general, consider all the places you could go to save money and help our environment.