High school and college life seem to revolve around homecoming for the first few weeks of school. This game lets each school show off what they have while allowing the students to pump up their school spirit and have a great time. The only problem with the event is it can often cost an arm and a leg, if you’re not careful. The best thing about homecoming is you can do a whole lot to help cut down the price, if you’re willing to put in a little elbow grease. Between DIY projects and cutting the corners on some aspects of the occasion, your student sized budget won’t falter. With these ten tips, you’ll be able to look and feel your best while cheering on your team and having the time of your life.
1. Reuse Dress
There’s lots of school dances to attend, so you may not want to blow all of your dance budget on such a minor occasion. Homecoming is more about the team spirit aspect of the occasion than the dressing to impress aspect, even if it doesn’t feel like it at first. Instead of blowing your budget on a brand new dress, you can easily make one of your old dresses into something new. There’s lots of ways to transform last year’s prom dress, or other dress into something amazing. May it be dying it to suit your school’s colors or adding a few features to transform the dress into something extraordinary. You may even want to combine a few of your old dresses to make on spectacular new one. There’s lots of sewing tutorials online if you’re concerned about this aspect. Of course, if you’re a freshman and don’t already have a dress or if you outgrew your old ones, then you might consider checking out thrift stores to see what you can find.
2. Mums
In many states, the mum is what truly shows off your school spirit. Generally, you buy your own or your date provides you with one. Of course, if you purchase a mum in the store, you could end up spending over $100. Even some of the smaller mums ring in a bit pricey, which may be hard for some budgets to deal with. The good news, is mums really aren’t that hard to make and the supplies are fairly cheap. You can easily special order ribbon with your team’s mascot, if you so choose, or you can simply use your team’s colors. Fake mums are always pretty cheap and can even be bought in bulk if you want to share the costs with friends. You can add just about anything to your mums too! Bells, whistles, pendants, the sky is truly the limit here. The good news is, all of these items are pretty cheap and you should be able to find them at any craft store or stores that are already selling mums. If you’re not sure where to start, there’s lots of tutorials online.
3. Skip the Salon
Between facials, manicures, pedicures, makeup and hair, your salon bill for homecoming can really skyrocket in a hurry. If you’re planning on going the whole nine yards with your hair and nails, then you may want to consider doing it from home. One of the easiest ways to do this is to actually have your friends come over before the big event, so you can help one another out. If you gather up a small group then you can easily eat, do nails and hair and ensure everyone looks their best before you all head out to the game. This is a great way to expand the experience of the occasion and will allow you to have a bit more fun. There’s lots of tutorials online for hair, nails and makeup. You may even work together to create custom homecoming looks that will leave the rest of the school jealous of your styles. There’s also many tutorials online that will help you transform your style into a more professional look, so everyone will think you went to the salon.
4. Volunteer
If you’re worried about the price of tickets for the game or dance, then you may want to see if there’s any ways you can volunteer your time at the school to get free admission. Sometimes, the school will offer a signup sheet for this, so make sure to keep your eyes open. Of course, if you make an appointment to talk to the guidance counselor then you can easily explain the situation and see if there’s anything you can do to help us. Usually, the school needs students to help sell the tickets, set up for the event, and clean up after the event as well as students to bring in and set up refreshments. If you’re lucky, you can snag a job for the dance and the game so you won’t have to spend a cent on this aspect of the celebration. Although you will be partially working throughout the event, you will still be able to experience the fun.
5. Go to an After Party
Most groups, or couples, like to get together after the game to go out to eat. Although this can be a great way to end a night, you may want to consider a cheaper alternative. An after party is a great way to extend the fun of the occasion without actually spending a penny. Generally, people will start talking about after parties a few weeks before the big event, so make sure to secure your invite before homecoming rolls around. This will allow you to skip out on the fancy restaurant that you’ll probably end up going to again for prom night anyway. After parties usually have food to spare and will give you the chance to mingle with people who skipped the whole homecoming extravaganza. It is also a great way to make more memories that will stick with you for years to come. Of course, make sure the party is responsible and won’t land you in trouble.
6. Eat Before
You may not believe it, but eating before you go out will actually save you quite a bit of money. Usually, the homecoming game starts later in the evening, which gives you plenty of time to grab a bite to eat before you head to the game. If you’re full when you make it to the big event then concession stand temptations won’t win you over as easily. Usually, the concession stand tends to be overpriced, which can leave your food budget hurting after a mere snack and drink. Plus, the food isn’t exactly the best for you and many of the snacks can actually leave you feeling hungrier than when you bought the snack, which will mean spending even more money. Not to mention, most of these messy snacks can get on your clothing which means you’ll lose rental deposits or clothing you own may be ruined for the big dance. If you can manage to avoid snacking at the game, then there will be plenty of finger foods to snack on when you get to the dance, which should be absolutely free of cost.
7. Join a Group
If you’re looking for a free way to get into the game then your answer could simply be joining an activity or club that is required at the game. Obviously, football players and cheerleaders already get into the game for free, but there’s other options if this isn’t your cup of tea. Band is another major group that helps make homecoming as amazing as it is. Of course, there are other behind the scene activities that will give you easy and free access to the game. If you’re interested in medicine, then joining sports medicine will do your transcript a few favors and will allow you to spend time at the games for nothing at all. It is also mandatory for many photography or journalism students to be at the game and dance, so grab your press badge and have some fun while adding to your extracurricular list. If you’re not sure which activities will help you out, then talk to your class advisor or a guidance counselor. You may be surprised as to which clubs can ensure you a seat at the big game and maybe even the dance.
8. Buy Tickets Early
A lot of homecoming games are open to the public, which means the prices will go up when you when you buy them at the ticket booth. Usually schools will offer you plenty of time to buy your tickets at the school, so make sure to take them up on this offer. Advanced tickets are usually discounted, which means you won’t be able to beat the deal. Of course, if you somehow manage to miss the ticket sales then make sure you show up to the ticket booth before the game begins. If you use your student ID then you may still be able to buy them at a reasonable price. If you’re not a student and wish to see the game then try going to the school to see if you, too, can grab an early deal. Some schools have even begun to post tickets online, which will make early purchases even more convenient.
9. Sell Collectibles
If you can’t find a way to save money on tickets and other homecoming expenses, then one of the best things you can do is channel your crafty side. There’s a lot of awesome things you can make to help boost your school’s team spirit. Luckily, most of the crafts are cheap to make too. You can easily make t-shirts, buttons, bracelets, signs and other simple crafts to sell to earn a little extra money. If you want to go all out then you might try wooden lawn signs or necklaces. Of course, you should check with your school to make sure it is okay to sell the items on campus, if not then try to find other places to sell them. Word of mouth can be one of the best ways to get the message across. You may also post online to help boost your sales. With any luck, you’ll have enough money earned to get yourself to the game or dance.
10. Skip the Photographers
It goes without saying that there will be a photographer at the school on the big occasion. Many people feel obligated to use this service simply because it is there, which won’t do your budget any favors. It’s a rare occasion that these photos turn out how you want them to, especially when you pay in advance. Thus, it’s wiser just to skip the trend altogether. Of course, in this day and age everyone has cameras that are pretty high quality, be it on a phone or actual camera. So, there’s no reason you can’t get your amazing photos without paying a cent. Usually, families will be busy clicking away at the beginning of the night, but you can also take turns with friends to make sure you all get a few awesome photos to help cherish the moment.
Homecoming is a special time that will allow you to make memories you’ll hold on to for years to come. Even though it may cost a bit of money, you should be able to avoid many of the costs so you can enjoy the occasion without worrying about the financial aspect. You may even be able to have a bit more fun without the added stress!
