For many Ball State University students, Spring Break can get pricey. The cost of preparing for and going on a vacation can add up quickly.
During recent weeks, students began shopping, tanning and planning for their Spring Break endeavors.
Cindy Simcoe, executive team leader of Headlines at Target, said people have been trying on and purchasing bathing suits for a while now.
Stores such as Target and Wal-Mart started stocking the shelves shortly after the holiday season with popular Spring Break items such as flip flops, sunglasses and men's and women's swimwear. Flip flops range anywhere from $7 to $20, sunglasses anywhere from $8.50 to $18, men's swimwear from $7.50 to $18 and women's swimwear from $12 to $27 per piece.
"Bathing suits have been a hot commodity, and sandals and flip flops were put on the shelves after Christmas," Simcoe said.
Students have also been spending money at various tanning places to prepare for Spring Break. They often use beds, lotions and sprays to get ready for their vacations.
Rick Smith, manager at Tan U Very Much, said the store has tried to fulfill people's desire for a high-end salon in the Muncie area.
"We constantly try to keep prices low and our lotions are 40 to 50 percent cheaper than at other salons," Smith said. "For Spring Break, we try to get people in around this time by giving first-time clients a free visit in order to match our competitors' prices. We also always have a discount for Ball State students."
The tanning season went from February to April, which are probably the three most important months for tanning facilities since everybody is preparing for Spring Break, Smith said.
Lauren Mathew, an employee at A Place to Tan, said it had specials every month but also has specials for certain occasions such as Spring Break and Mardi Gras, she said.
"People come in and use the beds but, if they want, we have a lot of lotions they can choose from and buy," she said. "We have a lot of samples that people can come in and try if they do not want a whole bottle. Lotions make you 40 to 50 percent darker because more light will be absorbed when the skin is moisturized."
Smith said Tan U Very Much continues to install new lamps, and the outrageously hot lamps are preferred by many of their clients. They also maintain beds with older, less intense lamps for people just starting the tanning process, he said.
"We want to help people prepare for Spring Break as safely as possible," Smith said. "We counsel tanning gradually, and if someone steps out with a burn, I feel we have failed them in a way."
Mathew said A Place to Tan charged on average $6.50 per session, but the price depended on which bed was used. A Place to Tan does not give discounts to Ball State students because almost everybody who tans is a Ball State student, she said. The store does, however, give Ball State alumni tanning discounts.
Smith said, "People are happy with our prices because they get what they pay for, but we can still afford to be quite liberal in our pricing for our customers, especially our regulars."
Some students also buy tanning lotions to help prevent burning. Popular sunscreens include Coppertone, which is sold for a price of $9.49 for an eight-ounce bottle, Banana Boat, which is sold for $7.99 for an eight-ounce bottle and Panama Jack and NO-AD, which are sold for $6.99 for 16-ounce bottles.
Though students go to several places over Spring Break, according to paradiseparties.com the popular 2006 college Spring Break destinations include Acapulco, Bahamas' Cruises, Cancun, Panama City, Puerto Vallarta and South Padre Island.
Students going to these locations can plan on spending anywhere from $45 to $375 a night staying in popular hotels, according to travelocity.com. The top hotel deals include Panama City at $45 to $176 a night, Acapulco at $53 to $235 a night and Cancun at $45 to $375 a night.
Students going to beach destinations might choose to partake in activities such as banana boating, parasailing, jet skiing, snorkeling and scuba-diving, which in turn can add more money to the cost of the vacation.
"All I have to pay for is gas and food," sophomore Coryell Akers said about her trip to Orlando. "I don't have to pay for the condo I'm staying in because it's my boyfriend's landlord's time share."
But the money she does have to spend is worth it because otherwise, she would be stuck in Muncie, working, she said.
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