Contrary to what you’ve been fed by movies and TV, an economical first date will actually boost your chances of a love connection. Here are the reasons why you should be thrifty with your money and with your time during that introductory evening:
Keeping the Pressure Low
Quick, cheap dates are simple by nature, allowing for the most organic atmosphere to bring out the most natural interaction. You’ll
both loosen up and get a better sense of one another, for better or worse. A second date should occur only because you want it to, not because you feel invested.
Fostering Conversation
A good hour of conversation is the only thing you really need on a first date – everything else is distraction. Think of it as a casual interview, during which you’re paying keen attention for potential connections. Skip the small talk and go straight for “medium talk.”
Limiting Resources
If you’re an online dater (or just a ridiculously adept schmoozer) you might end up on four dates a week — and who can afford to pour limitless time and money into a schedule like that? Don’t lose your patience or desire to keep doing it. If there’s a spark, don’t worry – a second date will follow.
Standing Out
With a unique, low-pressure rendezvous that’s more “friendly get together” and less “wife screening” or “booty call,” you’ll tread a different path and set yourself apart from her other suitors. Most women don’t expect
to skydive from outer space on a first date — just the promise of a nice time with a genuine dude. Save the parachutes for date number two.
Keeping It Simple
First dates can go any which way, and when you’re burdened by spending time and money on someone you should’ve never met in the first place (or vice versa), spending extra money just adds insult to injury. Keeping things simple mitigates the hit to your wallet and your free time.
But what if you’re too excited to scale back?
A blind first date isn’t a romantic encounter – it’s something you hope will lead to a romantic encounter. Even if you’ve sent lots of witty, insightful emails back and forth, she’s still a stranger. For that reason, a long, expensive date at a fancy restaurant will only distract from your initial evaluation of each other. It’s just a first date, and although there might be a glimmer of passion, it’s not the real thing. ….At least, not yet.
So what are some good, fast, cheap first dates?
A Picnic in the Park
A couple of sandwiches at the park on a beautiful day will get your farther than a dark, loud, uptight restaurant will.
A Walk
Take a walk on the beach, through the mall, in the park, across city streets or anywhere you please. Yes, you can actually suggest that for a first date. (But you can count on dropping some dough for date two.)
Coffee Shop
A cup of a coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate) has a very high cheap-to-makes-her-happy ratio. And what serves conversation better than a hot beverage?
Listening Party
For music fanatics, a listening party could be the perfect thing. You’ll either geek out over the same artists and genres, or expose each other to something brand new.
Frozen Yogurt
Let’s be honest with fuck buddy: there isn’t anything quite as exciting to any woman or man of any age as ice cream. Plus, at the fro-yo shop you can afford to tip a very high and philanthropic percentage on your $9 purchase.
But what about chivalry?
Indeed, there are many ways to be chivalrous: You can toss your coat on a post-rainstorm puddle for her to delicately traverse; you can cut her steak into bite-sized pieces; you can refrain from playing Nordic viking metal in her presence. But being a gentleman is really about who you are and how you act – you don’t have to pay for that title with your money or your time.