For some reason, when out and about with my sons, strangers feel inclined to either warn me about how much trouble the future holds ("All boys?! I don't envy YOU!") or how very fortunate I am to have offspring that won't get all hormonal and pissy every four weeks. I assume parents of girls experience the same thing ("All girls? Whew, no jock straps or foot funk for you, lucky thing!") and I've have never given much thought to these infoprophecies. But there was one I did buy into-that having boys is less expensive than girls.

It starts early on. For every five racks of lacy pink apparel in a children's store, there is one row of blue clothing embellished with either a dinosaur, a vehicle, or some type of ball. Sometimes all three! Boys don't wear tights or ruffle panties, need matching headbands or shoes every color of the rainbow so parents spend way less on accessories. And according to the old rules, other than the rehearsal dinner and booze at the reception, the groom's parents definitely had a sweetheart when it came to paying for weddings. Being all modern and progressive, we'll pay for half the wedding expenses (provided the bride stealing my baby boy is not a total hag, of course.)

However, having just experienced our first high school homecoming formal as parents, I'm starting to rethink the whole boys-are-bargains myth.

Renting the tuxedo was our first clue that this would be a night our VISA card would remember. We had rented cars in the past for less than one night of being a sharp dressed man cost! Savvy shopper high school girls found adorable dresses on sale (or at consignment shops or Ebay) that they own and can wear again. Point for girls.

Then there were the flowers. The single rose boutonniere that no one knows how to attach to a lapel anymore -$8 plus tax. A lovely wristlet of baby roses for a lovely wrist- $25. Again, point for the girls.

Guys (or rather, the guys' parents) are in charge of paying for tickets for the dance, dinner for two, gassing and cleaning the car, while girls' expenses include a hair appointment, manicure, pedicure, and new shoes.

Assuming the boys attended every formal from sophomore year on, we'll have paid the expenses for 12 Homecomings and 4 Senior Proms. Suddenly those antiquated wedding payment plans don't seem quite as lopsided-the parents of boys have pre-paid in high school!