Saturday, October 26, 2013

First Dates on a Budget

There’s nothing a girl finds sexier than a fun yet responsible man.
A first date is your chance to create a lasting impression.  Who knows, maybe your date will end up being your lifelong partner (or more likely, a one night partner).  To make that first impression count, you’ll need to be charming, entertaining, a good conversationalist, and most importantly, you don’t want to come across as being too frugal.

Does the guy always cover the first date?
There’s nothing worse than being perceived as a cheapskate, and as the guy, you’re on point to cover the date.  There are some exceptions to this though.  If the date goes poorly and you’re not planning to see each other again, feel free to propose splitting the cost.  You might surprise the girl, but it’s equitable and as a smart investor, there’s no reason to continue investing in something without any future return.  For girls, first dates can be excellent money saving opportunities, unless the date goes poorly, in which case the guy might propose splitting the cost.

You’ll quickly find out that first dates can be costly endeavors.  For example, if you’re eating at a fancy restaurant and the waiter asks you if you would like wine with that delicious aged filet mignon, the only appropriate answer is “of course, the cabernet sauvignon sounds delightful”.  If you’re full at the end of the meal and you’re offered dessert, you must respond with “what a wonderful idea, what do you recommend?”  Although you might be full and feel heavier at the end of the meal, you can rest assured that your wallet won’t be contributing any of the weight.

First date ideas
To minimize the hits to your wallet on first dates, here are some first date ideas that are sure to impress while still allowing you to be fiscally prudent:
  1. Invite your date to play tennis.  Even if you haven’t played in a while, there’s no need to fret… the more time you spend picking up the tennis balls, the more opportunities you have for a good conversation.  As an added bonus, you’ll get to see your date in a nice athletic outfit.
  2. If tennis isn’t your sport, you can go walking or hiking.  For bonus points, you can also pack a picnic that you prepared ahead of time.  This gives you ample time to get to know each other while also enjoying the great outdoors.  Depending on how the date is progressing, you can either speed up or slow down the pace.  If the date goes extremely well, you can even stop by a market at the end of the walk to pick out flowers together for your date.
  3. If you’re more of a traditionalist, there is always the option to go on a coffee date.  It’s low cost, gives you plenty of time to talk, and offers an easy exit strategy if things don’t go according to plan.  Be advised to avoid the split the cost option here.  Seriously, coffee only costs a few dollars.  If things go well, you can arrange the next date.
Using these date ideas, you’ll be able to find the love of your life without busting the bank.  There’s nothing a girl finds sexier than a fun yet responsible man.