• If you've got teenagers, you already know how expensive high school can be. Besides food, clothing and school supplies, a whole host of extracurricular activities are competing for a share of your wallet - even as you frantically try to save for college and your own retirement.
• One of the biggest expenses you'll encounter is prom. Gone are the days of borrowing dad's suit and crepe paper streamers in the school gym: Today's proms are often more like a Hollywood premiere with limousines, designer gowns and swanky after-parties.
• I'm not kidding. According to a recent nationwide survey conducted by Visa Inc., the average U.S. family with a high school student attending the prom expects to spend $978 this year. Surprisingly, that's down 14 percent from last year's survey average of $1,139 per family.
• A few other interesting statistics the survey uncovered:
• • On average, parents plan to pay for about 56 percent of prom costs, with their kids picking up the remaining 44 percent.
• • Parents in lower income brackets (less than $50,000 a year) plan to spend an average of $733 - a considerable share of the family budget. Thank

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