It all started last year when I spent $645 on a class ring.

I didn’t expect to see Herff Jones again after purchasing my ring, but the company is back again to haunt my wallet for my senior year, too. From ordering cap and gowns, to buying grad-packs, they are the go-to.

Everyone always talks about the “perfect senior year,” filled with everlasting memories, but they don’t tell you what the cost of it actually is. You really only hear the good or the bad parts of what happened during someone’s senior year. Walking into this year, I really didn’t know what to expect or how much I would be spending.

Senior pictures were $300 because my mom wanted the package, not to mention that it was $40 to take the pictures. Cap and gown, that’s about another $70; grad-pack: announcements and other cards will run another $25. At the end of the year, there’s Prom, $95 for the ticket, plus a dress so that may be a little over $100. A Yearbook is going to be about $70 and then Grad Bash is $115.

That’s over $800, and that doesn’t even include the costs of hair, makeup and nails for prom or any new events that have not been announced yet.

If someone told me the costs of everything beforehand, I would’ve started saving my freshman year.

So here’s a tip: start saving money now. It doesn’t matter if you are a freshman, sophomore, junior or a senior, start saving now.

It’s never to late or early to save money for your senior year.