Dating can be an incredibly fun and rewarding time in a single person’s life. Throughout the pandemic, and even during the lockdown, we’ve planning virtual dates and socially distanced dates for our clients. We know dating can come with additional stress and worry. The process of finding someone you might want to spend the rest of your life with can be tricky and even expensive. Many busy entrepreneurs and business professionals who don’t have time to date will invest in hiring a matchmaker. However, if you’re on a budget, you can follow these tips to ensure you have prepared yourself financially for dating.
Find the Perfect Spot Ahead of Time
One of the best ways to kick off dating is to take some time to plan it out ahead of time. First, you’ll want to spend some time researching to find the perfect spot. This will not only allow you to tailor the location to your date’s liking, but it will also let you to prepare for the cost. Picking the perfect spot ahead of time will help ease your nerves as well since you will already have a feeling for the mood, lighting and how to dress. If you are looking to save some money, you can also get a feel for how much the activity will cost. For instance, if you pick a 5-star restaurant, you can plan, and bring extra money for the bill. When you do your research, a crucial part should be to take some time to check out reviews on where you’re going, so that you can make sure you’ll have the best time possible.
Create A Date Night Fund
After finding the perfect spot for your date, the next step is to make sure that you have enough money to cover the costs. Creating a budget is an easy way to ensure that you have enough to cover the whole date (and potentially a second date). If you’re planning on taking your relationship to the next level, and you think that more dates will be in your future, it wouldn’t hurt to save up additional money for those to plan ahead. Allow yourself to have some extra wiggle room in your budget for special occasions, like occasions centred around the holiday season, for example. Budgeting also involves looking into the specific process and tools that you are using to manage your money effectively. Whether you’re more tech-savvy or enjoy devising a financial plan through a planner or spreadsheet, determine what works best for your dating lifestyle and stick with it. Banking applications can help you manage your money online and receive real-time checking account alerts about your balance. While notebooks can be an excellent organizational method, they can make it slightly more challenging to keep up with your finances on the go.
Look for Deals
You’ve taken the first leap to get your finances in order by setting up an additional spending account that is specifically for dates, and the next step is to start looking for some deals. As we all know, going out to eat or merely going to the movies can add up quickly. To avoid debt and to limit the amount of money you spend on entertainment, consider using online coupons to lower your total cost. Whether you’re going to a restaurant, travelling, or planning a staycation, look into all of your discounted options first to determine where you can save money and get the most out of your money. Depending on where you look, websites may give you discounts on different tourist attractions, so if you have any travelling planned as a part of your date, you can have all the bases covered. Saving money on each date can allow you to spend more time together by having more money for future dates!
Determine Common and Inexpensive Interests
If you find that you’ve spent more on dates than you had initially anticipated, don’t stress. Communicate with your partner about new and more affordable ideas for both of you to plan together. Some of the most romantic and best dates are the ones that don’t cost either of you a dime. It’s about the time and energy you put into it and looking at it as an excellent opportunity to get to know each other no matter what the experience is! If you are both interested in spending time outdoors or fitness, plan a hike somewhere local. Outdoor dates will allow you to enjoy the fresh air while you bond. Maybe exercising isn’t your gig? Luckily there are plenty of other costless date ideas that will enable you to both to save money, and focus more on the importance of talking and enjoying each others’ company.
Consider a Side-Gig
If you’re looking for additional ideas to successfully save money for date planning along with utilizing coupons and researching, it may be time to pick up a side gig. Don’t let that scare you, though. There are plenty of available opportunities to earn extra cash while on a date or right before, one of which is mystery shopping. When a company pays you to go out to a particular restaurant and evaluate them based on specified criteria, often, they will compensate you for your meal as well as pay you some extra money on the side. In other words, they pay you to go out on a date!
Dating is supposed to be fun, and an activity to learn. As a professional matchmaker, we encourage all of our clients to focus on the positives. We coach our clients to be present on their dates, instead of being in their head! Don’t allow yourself to worry so much about the financial aspect of dating that you forget to enjoy your time. Have fun, try new things, and lastly, enjoy every minute of it!
