Summer officially begins for all fifth and sixth formers on June 12. Above all things, one of the major events on the minds of most, if not all, fifth formers, is their 2010 graduation ball.

The graduation ball is a special event in the lives of most TEENagers. It’s a night of pure fun and excitement with your friends and everyone in your year group. With the ball seeming closer than ever, it’s very tempting to go on a shopping spree, splurging as you get your ball dress, shoes, accessories and so on. But remember, we are in a recession and many of our parents may not be able to afford to spend large sums of money on the ball alone.

So before you go buying on things you probably won’t end up using anytime after the ball, or paying more for an item you could get cheaper elsewhere — you must first figure out how much you already have available to spend. Also, what you will be expected to pay for the essentials. This will help you plan how much you need to save and/or how much you will need to ask your parents for.

Ball is all about preparation. From finding the ultimate gown to the perfect pair of heels, it’s all about finding everything that’s perfect for you on your special night. You need to plan out your expenditure step by step, and TEENage is here to give you the guidelines to planning your ball budget.

1 Your Dress

The first thing on the list and probably the most important is your ball dress. Ball is a formal event, and formal dresses tend to be very expensive. Unless you borrow a dress or head to discount stores, it’s hard to find a good dress for less than about $5,000. But a great dress can take you into your college years, so it’ll be money well spent.

2 Your Accessories

Shoes, purse, necklace, earrings — whew that’s a lot! The final touch on every outfit is always the accessories. The wrong accessories can make a perfect outfit look so wrong. It is a bit tough and sometimes very tricky to find the right accessories for your outfit, especially with the varying costs for the accessories. Considering some items maybe more expensive than others and you may go to different stores to buy different items, you just may end up spending more than you expected. Your best bet to cutting cost is to try to incorporate a few things you already own with your new pieces.

3 Your Ball Tickets

The cost of the ball varies widely by region. The cost also depends on where it’s being held – a hotel like the Pegasus would probably be pricier than your high school auditorium. And if your ball is just dancing and no dinner, tickets will be less expensive. So it’s best to find out the cost of your tickets beforehand.

4 Your Ride

Arriving at your ball in a limo with your date, your friends and their dates may seem like a must-do. It would be not only fun, but glamorous as well. Unfortunately, limo rides are not cheap and this is a major expense that can dig deep into your pockets (especially with gas prices gone up). If you do not want to take the limo route, look into borrowing a nice car from someone’s parents. This can be fun and inexpensive at the same time.

5 Your Hair

How do you want to style your hair? Do you want it to be flashy or simple? Up or down? The cost of a hairdo varies. It depends on what kind of service and style you get, and it also depends on where you go. A blowout is often less pricey than a dramatic updo. But if you (or your friend, mom or sister), have a way with hair, you should try doing it at home.

6 Your Make-up

A good tip is to test out different looks and shades of make-up about a week or two before ball, so that you know what works best for you. You can do it yourself or budget in a trial run with the make-up artist. Just remember if you take the make-up artist route, speak up if you don’t like how the make-up looks – you are paying a lot of money to get it just right. But if you plan on doing your own make-up, don’t forget to account for any new beauty products you may plan on purchasing before ball night.

7 Your Nails

As with your hair and make-up you can go either of two routes, the at-home or the beauty salon route. Obviously, the at-home route is cheaper, but your decision to do your nails at home also depends on the resources you have available to you. If you have a fully stocked manicure kit and have a skilled manicurist/ pedicurist available then perfect; but if you’re missing a few key items or a person to do your nails it’s probably best to go to a professional to do your nails. Try out different colours and see what works best with your outfit.

8 Your Meal

Dinner is usually served as a part of your ball package. However, in cases where it’s not or if you have plans to eat beforehand, you need to budget in a meal into your ball expenses.

9 Your Photos

Your ball photos are usually sold as a part of your ball package. However, if you want additional photos, the cost of your ball portraits will depend on how many prints you order. The ball photos are sold in packages where you get a combo of 8″ x 10″, 5″ x 7″, and wallet-sized pictures and sometimes even a digital download. Count how many copies you actually need beforehand and don’t just order the largest package.

10 His Boutonniere

Not a definite must, but it can be a fun addition to an outfit. Roses are the most popular choice for boutonnieres, but there are cheaper options, like carnations. If you’re not feeling picky, go simple and save.