For the record, I alyaws paid for first dates. But many women expected the guys to keep doing this for all dates, every time. This is probably a bit less so today, but I tried doing that too, for as long as I could. But even coffee' dates can get expensive. On a student budget, I could scarcely afford the $30-40 we're talking here, for simply coffee, cakes & drinks & tips & gas& parking. I was pretty much broke, and I never let this fact be a secret from anyone, but I usually found ingenious ways of working around it. I often was lucky enough to win tickets to concerts and dinner off of our local Classical & Jazz NPR station, by guessing the artists playing, the year or even the particular orchestra playing. Often as not this was to the one or 2 decent sit down' chain venues they had in town at that time who alyaws wanted to drum up more student business'. To this day, as often as she ate in them with me as a student on our dates, my dear wife will not step foot in that certain chain. Not that the memories were not swell, she never quite liked the food! But it was what I could afford, so that's where we went. If I was living in NYC, I would have been written off by any number of lovelies for such a low rent' maneuver. My wife understood, it's how she grew up too. I'm desperately glad not to be dating now. I know that given my personality and peculiar ways, I'd present a strange case to most of the gals out there. I imagine I still do. But I still think many people are not being given the chance to even come to the table with whatever they have, as they are barred at the door for the lack of funds to enter. Most of us start out poor from school, and then it slowly gets better. I'm still a pretty cheap date. Valentines Day for us was pizza and Belgian beer at a new place around the corner. Sure we do fine dining too when in the mood, and I've come to enjoy a good Port after dinner too. But I'm willing to be that I'm about the most frugal member of my family. Possibly the most solvent too, and for good reason, eh? Cheers & Good Luck!, VJ'

by Bella 04:56:03 AM 2012.05.16