dating
Nickel and Dime-ing You Way to Love
As the economy has spiraled downward, many of us have had to re-evaluate our budgets. This may mean cutting back on going out to dinner, going to the movie theater, or going out on dates—what NO dating? Now, relax, you don’t have to give up dating. Just because you are on a budget doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything special for your dating partner. You just need to plan out and find ways you could be saving money for your dating experiences.
First, make of list of things that you can live without. Maybe, you stop every day at the local coffee shop for a latte and danish. What does that set you back–$5.00? If you made coffee at home and ate at home, you could save $25.00 a week. All right, so you don’t drink coffee, but you eat out for lunch every day during the work week. Same concept as the coffee. Just bring your lunch from home, and you save at least $25.00 a week. Again, the money you saved can be put into your dating fund.
Secondly, make a habit of gathering up loose change and putting it in one place. You will be amazed how much money you can find by searching your pockets before doing laundry, looking in the couch cushions. Also, ask your bank if you can deposit this change into your savings and checking account, but be careful since some banks charge fees for this service.
Finally, look for ways that you can reduce costs. For example, if you live near public transportation, take the bus or subway rather than driving yourself. Maybe you and a co-worker live near each other, you could always suggest car-pooling. This has the immediate money savings, but also save wear and tear on your vehicle.
As you plan your budget, if you follow these saving techniques, you can have a great date that won’t break the bank. Your dating experience will help relieve your financial stress and not add too it!