Dating on a Budget: Doing Dessert!
I often desire going on dates to my favorite restaurants. The ambiance is conducive to conversation and if all else fails you can talk about the food. But sometimes, the most romantic restaurant is a budget killer. I firmly believe that any restaurant is budget friendly. Rachel Ray has proven that on her hit show, $40 a Day time and time again. The best way to stick to your budget in a restaurant is to go for any meal but dinner. Yeah, you know the most expensive meal in the universe is dinner.
Take a page out of my fantasy and go on a dessert date. Even in the most expensive eateries, you can usually get dessert for less than $10 a person. I mean bona fide dessert from a restaurant with a full table setting and maybe even a tablecloth. How romantic would it be to ask for two spoons so that you can share? I’m not talking about the 2 apples pies for $1 at McDonalds either. But that could be cute, huh? Then you could go to a park bench and share. Or even make dessert at home. Not a baking guru? Have you seen the things you can get out of the freezer section or bakery at your grocery store?
Don’t have a sweet tooth? Try brunch or breakfast in a nice cafe. If you really want to keep the feel of an evening date, try a late afternoon lunch. Dinner service usually begins around 4 pm so if you get there before then the host will be more than happy to give you a lunch menu. Scared? Call the eatery to double check the time and prices of their meals. I know you don’t want any surprises when the bill comes.
Dating is nerve wracking enough without having to worry about how your date perceives your food choices or spending habits. So do yourself and your date a favor and keep it simple.
Tamara: I hadn’t thought about it before, but dessert dates are a better alternative to the coffee date since they’re easier to incorporate alcohol.
And a little alcohol always helps on a first date… to borrow lyrics from the Blind Pilot song, “Your breath was courage laced with alcohol.” We’ve all been there! Thanks for the post.
This is such a great idea, Tamara. And Nina’s right. There’s a great place in Phoenix that is at the top of a tall hotel. The restaurant rotates and you get a great view of the city. I could never afford to eat dinner there. But a dessert and a martini. Heck yeah!
Dessert dates are also a good way to find out how your potential mate handles food in general without the muss of a meal. (Maybe this is more a female phenomena?)
Someone who spends their time saying things like “Oh no.. I really shouldn’t..” and giving analysis of every calorie? Not for me! ANd I certainly would not have wanted to go thru that type of hell over a meal. Just think, the bread is brought to the table “Oh noes- carbs!” then the point counting begins. Salad time- a sermon about “being good” ensues. Yuck. Food is food to me- neither moral nor amoral. Then the undefined hell of picking an entree that doesn’t seem overly “piggy” or too boring. I swear to you that I am not overly focused on how people eat- but there are days I want to scream about some of these behaviours– and I don’t even date. This is the type of junk I just witness daily at lunch with peers!
Nina: The alcohol does help some loosen up, but for me it makes me sleepy. Even just 1 drink…will have me out for the count.
Serena: Yes! That sounds like a place I want to frequent!
DivaJean: I don’t think it’s just a female phenomena. I know plenty of guys who are constantly watching what they eat. But I hope for one date, that can let go and indulge a little.