We are considered as the generation that avoids commitment. We’re ditching the traditional idea of what love and relationships looks like. Many of us either totally putting off commitment in relationships, or considering them for later. This means we are dating for longer periods than our parents did.
Almost everything in life costs money. Including dating. Therefore, there’s always a good chance of one becoming a victim at some stage of the plague called the Food Digger.
The Food Digger is defined by the Urban Dictionary as ” someone that dates, establishes and maintains relationships with a sole purpose to eat, and get food at someone else’s expense.”
However, there is a way of avoiding being the victim of people who are just after freebies from the date. This is especially important when you are still on the come up financially.
1. Create a spending limit for each date
We can do crazy things trying to impress someone we like. From buying expensive gifts, to getting unnecessary hair and beauty treatments. Not forgetting going to restaurants, games and events we really can’t afford. In some shape or form, we’re all guilty of this. This is where setting a spending limit on each date comes in handy.
Mark, a 27 year old I.T Developer says he uses this technique every time. “There’s a certain amount I budget towards my entertainment and going out. So whether I have a dates or not, that’s the amount I’ve allowed myself to spend on that area of my life for that given month.” Since you are still supposedly trying to impress your date this approach can help you forecast how much you’d end up spending when doing certain activities on a date. Thus helping you avoid unplanned splurges during the date.
2. Do something you’ll actually enjoy
There’s nothing worse than spending money towards something that you absolutely hated. Anyone who’s watched a bad movie and paid the full price for it would know. Granted, if the date was spent on something that was not worth its price then this could give you an opportunity to get to know more about your partner. However, making sure that the date activity is something you’ll actually enjoy ensures that you will not write off the experience completely should things not work out between you and your date. Don’t think of it as a selfish insurance of enjoyment since you’ve invested money in it. But rather a choice to live your best life through every experience.
Alaina a Beauty Consultant says she applies this principle regularly. “I once went on a race track date with one guy. Things really didn’t work out between us down the line. But I had so much fun that I still value that experience.”
3. Consider cheap thrills
There are tons of great things to do for a date that don’t cost much or that are absolutely free. Apps like Eventbrite are extremely handy in this case, since they can help you find and locate cool, interesting events in a given area that will cost you nothing. A really nice list of affordable date ideas was compiled by Marie Claire and you can access it here.
4. Be yourself
There are numerous stories that go viral on the internet showing the extent to which people will get into debt pretending to be wealthy. FYI, here’s an article that helps you tell if someone is pretending to be wealthy or not. Therefore it is always important to be your authentic self so you don’t end up spending way more than you can actually afford on a date. There’s no harm in a bit of splurging to impress. However, if it will cost you not having enough money for gas to go to work (to make more money) for the rest of the month then it’s really not worth it.