Two value meals at McDonalds are $25. A nice two plus hour dinner is going to be $75 a person without alcohol. The transportation/bus sounds high. It should be $1000-$1500 to get a decent coach bus for the night. The big thing is what happens after the dance. Is the bus transporting to a specific house? To a parking lot where cars are waiting? The end of dance stuff is the difficult thing with large groups. Some will want to leave the dance. Some will want to stay.

I would ask about the bus pricing. And, be involved in the decisions about leaving the dance and what happens next.

I will say that my kids were always thinking they would leave pretty early, but they always stayed and always had fun at the dance part.

Do you all ever eat out? We eat out a few times a week at local places where a burger is $18 and a salad is $30. A “nicer” place would have a $30 entree and a nice place would run $50 and up for an entree plus $16 drinks or wine could easily be $25 a glass for some tubing cheap. Our family of 5 usually spends $200 on dinner with one shared appetizer and no dessert at local places. Even chick fil a is $60 for my kids. $75 doesn’t seem outrageous.

I'll add that it's more reasonable if it's his only prom. If he's planning to go to prom multiple years or multiple proms at different schools, then it isn't reasonable as a repeat thing. If he's one prom and done, there's more of a reason to splurge.

It's really not that unreasonable. As someone else said, 50 kids will probably require a separate room and many restaurants charge for those. A large group is usually subjected to a minimum gratuity. 20 per cent would be the minimum.

Op here - yes they plan on going to prom

So between the party bus for several hours, dinner, prom, and post prom until 3:30 in the morning… it’s a long and expensive night.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That seems high, but also not shocking if it includes appetizers, cocktails, sodas, main course and dessert. The cost also includes the tip. Unfortunately eating out is expensive.

Who on earth wants to eat that much before going to a dance? When you’re all dressed up? That doesn’t sound fun.

They don’t go to the actual dance or they just stop by, which is even worse after they pay the money for the ticket. OP, are they going to the actual prom? The cost isn’t that bad if they aren’t buying the prom ticket, which some don’t bother doing since it isn’t about even going to the school dance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just grateful you don’t have to shell out for a dress and shoes I’m hearing $1000 from friends

Your friends are financially irresponsible and dumb.

This is why Americans are in the stupider time.

As a person that could easily afford this for all of my children I will survive trumps takeover but you and your friends will not.

You're free to be a miserly as you want. Others can choose to spend as they see fit. Some of us have plenty of money despite what is going on financially right now.

It's on the higher end of what I would consider reasonable but not outrageous. A cheeseburger at some of the nicer places can be close to $30. Add in appetizers, a drink and tax and tip and you're close to $75.

OP. What restaurant?

My guess is this is a private room situation which has a cost plus likely a mandatory gratuity of at least 22%. Large groups of teens are difficult and venues charge for it. They are losing alcohol sales by taking a group this big and need to recoup that revenue

Yes.

Anonymous wrote:My kid and their friends literally went to Cheesecake Factory before prom last week.

My kid’s group of friends talked about going to Cheesecake Factory but it was too pricey for a few of them so they went to Shake Shack instead.

Anonymous wrote:Are they going to The Inn in Little Washington?
Yes, OP, these prices are outrageous.

No doubt a few queen bees appointed themselves to make all these decisions.

Can DC break off with a smaller group?
You aren’t the only parent questioning this.

Clueless.

Proms are a killer from a cost standpoint...luckily my DS just drove his date and their dinner plans were pretty straight forward.

Soapbox time...Back in the day, we had our Prom at the local country club and a sit down dinner was included...that made things a ton easier. Plus, the senior parents planned an after prom event that was required that you attend. That lasted until the early AM and we got continental type breakfast at that...

That being said, that's a huge group for dinner. Not surprised at the cost though once you factor things in overall.

$75 seems on high end of reasonable if includes tax and tip and not everyone figuring out how to split the check. Yes, it could be done for less but it’s not outrageous.

Enjoy!

Anonymous wrote:Are they going to The Inn in Little Washington?
Yes, OP, these prices are outrageous.

No doubt a few queen bees appointed themselves to make all these decisions.

Can DC break off with a smaller group?
You aren’t the only parent questioning this.

The misogyny is strong with this one.