Dating On a Dime.... For the Fellas!

I was listening to a radio program where they had set two people up on a blind date. The hosts were following up to see why the girl never returned any of the guys calls for a second date. When they reached the woman she said the date went well, he was a cool guy. So, what was the issue? No love connection…or was she ‘just not that into him’?

She hemmed and hawed and finally spit out the truth. Long, shallow, story short, the guy had pulled out a coupon on the first date, buy one meal, get one free and everybody wins! She was turned off. Hey, he has to watch his pockets too right? She didn’t see it, thought he was cheap and didn’t like cheap men…

Shallow? ABSOLUTELY!

With that said, the truth is, we don’t want to see the coupon – not on the first date. Well, blatant coupon use is only okay once you’ve become a couple. Crazy, I know, but the case nevertheless. His mistake was making it known. Her mistake was writing him off for it. Talk about being harsh! She probably missed out on a really great guy by being superficial.

So, this inspired me to write a post on frugal dating for men. I’m on your side. Dinner for two, a movie (with snacks) could easily amount to $100 if you’re not careful. As your Financial Coach, I just cannot condone spending that much! I reached out to my male Facebook and Twitter friends to help me compile this list…thanks guys!

So, here’s ‘How to Date On a Dime’!

1. By all means – use the coupon! Just pull the waitress to the side – on your way to the bathroom and slip it to her. Let her know you don’t want it to be known and if there is an issue with it, to call you away discreetly.

2. Pick dinner or a movie, not both. If you are doing both, catch the matinee movie. $5 - $7.50

3. Try to go to matinee movies only

4. Dinner – stick to places where you can eat between $8.00 and $15.00 per person, $30 - $50+ per plate dinners are for special occasions. Yes, even if you can ‘afford’ it. (We’ll talk about this more in another post)

5. Seasonal fun - ice skating in the winter, outdoor concerts in the summer … normally equate to a low cost  or free date.

6. Cultural events, festivals, etc. can also be easy on the pockets.

7. Do a little homework, find things to do that YOU can afford. If you leave it up to some women you won’t have any money left at the end of the date.

8. Don’t talk about money, how broke/not broke you are or trying to save during the date – turn off for sure – just plan it out.

Alright fellas, I hope I’ve been some help – let me know how it goes!

Your Financial Coach,

- Dorethia
www.connercoaching.com

Change? - No Thank You.

We all balk at change sometimes. No matter how progressive we are or how flexible, there are times when we wish things would stay the same. I experienced  this recently while entering one of my favorite
remote-office-coffee-house locations. I rushed in, secured my spot and could not wait to order my favorite sandwich. A wonderful chicken salad variety on honeywheat bread! I'm getting hungry thinking about it! Well, they no longer served it! But politely offered me another version that was creamier and included almonds and cranberries. NO THANK YOU! The original was PERFECT to me....why did they have to mess up a good thing?

Some of us are experiencing this in our finances. We were doing fine or getting on our feet, when something unexpected invaded our lives. Whether it is an illness, job loss, or other blow to our financial progress, we have to adapt, regroup, and find another route to overcome the situation. Remember that there is ALWAYS a solution - NO situation is hopeless. Don't get discouraged by having to start over, just be diligent and you will be surprised at how quickly you recover!

~Dorethia

Make a great impact this Christmas! Give the Gift of Financial Coaching! http://www.connercoaching.com/
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