2709: Cheap But Great Dates by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits on Romantic Dates & Budget-Friendly Dating

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[00:00:59] This is Optimal Finance Daily, Episode 2709 Cheap But Great Dates by Leo Babouda of Zenhabits.net

[00:01:08] And I'm your host and personal finance enthusiast, Diana Merriam.

[00:01:12] Welcome back to Optimal Finance Daily, where I'm here with you each and every day to read from some of the world's best blogs covering personal finance.

[00:01:22] So with that, let's get right to today's article as we optimize your life.

[00:01:27] Cheap But Great Dates by Leo Babouda of Zenhabits.net

[00:01:37] Reader Adam Lehman wrote with this request,

[00:01:41] I'm a single college guy, so how about some articles on creative free dates or something?

[00:01:46] I'm sure this could apply to married men as well.

[00:01:49] Great question.

[00:01:51] I particularly love it because it's something that I've become good at myself over the years.

[00:01:56] Yes, I'm a cheapskate, but I'm also a bit of a romantic.

[00:02:00] So I've had to get creative in order to win my date over without spending too much.

[00:02:05] What follows are just some ideas.

[00:02:08] The key is to use your imagination, and you'll be able to come up with a bunch of your own.

[00:02:13] But here are some that have worked for me.

[00:02:15] Read, I got another date instead of being rejected as usual.

[00:02:19] And that I hope work for you.

[00:02:22] Number one, picnic.

[00:02:24] One of my favorites.

[00:02:26] I like to pack a basket with homemade sandwiches, really hearty good ones with good bread.

[00:02:31] Fruits, cheese, desserts, candies, wine, snacks, and all the utensils and napkins.

[00:02:37] Find a great spot for the picnic.

[00:02:40] Sunset is probably the most romantic time.

[00:02:43] Number two, treasure hunt.

[00:02:46] Another favorite.

[00:02:48] I set this up beforehand, writing clues on pieces of paper and leaving them all around town.

[00:02:53] Each clue led to the next, and at the end was a gift.

[00:02:57] You'll have a blast driving around.

[00:02:59] It's best if the places and clues are meaningful to the two of you.

[00:03:04] Number three, home cooked meal with candles.

[00:03:07] A specialty of mine.

[00:03:09] Even if you can only cook one thing well, you've got it made.

[00:03:13] Pasta or steaks are easy and sure bets, although I don't eat steak anymore.

[00:03:18] A good dessert tops it off well.

[00:03:21] The candles are a nice touch.

[00:03:23] Pick some flowers too.

[00:03:25] Most women love a man who can cook, especially for them.

[00:03:29] Number four, massage.

[00:03:32] This is most likely only appropriate if you've been going out for a few dates.

[00:03:36] But if you're close enough for a good massage, this will win her over.

[00:03:40] Get some scented massage oil.

[00:03:42] Do the entire body, starting with the head, down the neck, the back, legs and feet.

[00:03:47] Skip the tempting areas, or at least save them for last.

[00:03:50] Or the massage might not last long.

[00:03:53] Number five, the beach.

[00:03:56] I live on an island, so this one's easy.

[00:03:59] If you don't have a beach, any other nice natural setting, like a lake or river or mountain, will also work.

[00:04:05] You can pack a picnic or just get some bathing suits and some beer and have a great time.

[00:04:10] Number six, festivals.

[00:04:13] Look in your local paper.

[00:04:15] You might find all kinds of festivals, from movies to dance to desserts and more.

[00:04:20] They cost very little and they're a blast.

[00:04:23] Walk around, make jokes, sample everything.

[00:04:26] Number seven, old movie marathon.

[00:04:30] Nothing's more romantic than great old movies.

[00:04:33] Pop some popcorn, get some candy and watch them in your living room wrapped in blankets.

[00:04:38] A few surefire recommendations.

[00:04:40] Casablanca, Roman holiday, Sun Like It Hot,

[00:04:44] Breakfast at Tiffany's, have anything with Audrey Hepburn.

[00:04:48] Number eight, window shopping.

[00:04:51] Walk around and look at stuff at some of your favorite stores.

[00:04:54] Antique stores, used bookstores, unique clothing.

[00:04:57] Try stuff on, make fun of stuff.

[00:05:00] Make it fun.

[00:05:02] Number nine, watch meteors.

[00:05:05] Get a blanket and look up at the stars.

[00:05:07] It's best if there's a meteor shower.

[00:05:09] Shooting stars are magical.

[00:05:11] Otherwise, learn a few constellations and point them out to her.

[00:05:14] Ponder the mysteries of the universe.

[00:05:17] Number 10, play in the snow or water.

[00:05:21] If you've got snow, you've got magic.

[00:05:23] Otherwise, a pool or ocean or lake are also great ways to play.

[00:05:27] Playful is good.

[00:05:29] So is a little innocent physical contact.

[00:05:31] Roll around.

[00:05:33] Number 11, museum.

[00:05:36] I love museums.

[00:05:37] They're fascinating.

[00:05:38] If the girl thinks they're fascinating too, you've got a winner.

[00:05:41] ZOOZers are fun too.

[00:05:43] Also carnivals.

[00:05:44] Buy cotton candy.

[00:05:46] Number 12, family barbecues.

[00:05:49] If you've been on a couple of dates,

[00:05:51] you might be comfortable bringing her to a family gathering.

[00:05:54] A casual one like a barbecue is probably better to start with

[00:05:57] than Thanksgiving dinner or something.

[00:06:00] Although going to a wedding is also fun.

[00:06:02] Barbecues are great because there's good food and it's free.

[00:06:06] Also, if your family's a lot of fun, you've got free entertainment.

[00:06:10] Number 13, Shakespeare.

[00:06:13] I like watching plays, especially by the Bard.

[00:06:16] If the girl likes that too, well, she's worth her weight in gold

[00:06:19] as far as I'm concerned.

[00:06:21] And Shakespeare is very romantic.

[00:06:23] Quote her some lines afterwards.

[00:06:26] Number 14, Sundays.

[00:06:29] Delicious and fun share toppings.

[00:06:32] And number 15, poetry reading.

[00:06:35] These can be a lot of fun,

[00:06:37] especially if you have a poem you can go up and read.

[00:06:40] Write one especially for her and tell everyone it's dedicated to her.

[00:06:44] Then have some beers and watch the others.

[00:06:46] Poetry can be very romantic,

[00:06:48] unless it's the angry kind, in which case it's a lot of fun.

[00:06:52] Again, you can probably come up with a million more of your own ideas.

[00:06:56] I hope these sparked some good ones.

[00:06:58] And if you use any of these, you don't have to give me credit.

[00:07:01] But do write to me to thank me if you get lucky.

[00:07:04] You just listened to the post titled, Cheap but Great Dates

[00:07:12] by Leo Bobauda of Zenhabits.net

[00:07:15] and I'll be right back with my commentary.

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[00:09:07] This article reminded me of questions

[00:09:10] I often see in online groups and forums.

[00:09:13] How do you go about dating when you're focused

[00:09:15] on financial freedom?

[00:09:17] One post I saw was by a guy who met someone

[00:09:19] he really connected with.

[00:09:21] It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime connection

[00:09:23] and he was totally infatuated with this woman.

[00:09:26] But she didn't care much about personal finance,

[00:09:29] and he was hesitant to allow himself to continue

[00:09:31] to fall for her because he worried

[00:09:33] she wouldn't make a good life partner.

[00:09:36] This seemed a bit silly to me for a few reasons.

[00:09:39] Firstly, it's a rare thing to experience fireworks

[00:09:43] with another person, so when it comes along,

[00:09:45] I think it's a good idea to savor it.

[00:09:48] Many people are in our lives for a season

[00:09:50] and ultimately will not stand the test of time,

[00:09:53] so I think it's best to remember that

[00:09:55] it's better to have loved and lost

[00:09:57] than never to have loved at all.

[00:09:59] Infatuation with another human

[00:10:01] is an incredible life experience,

[00:10:03] something no amount of money can buy.

[00:10:06] You can still enjoy it without it having

[00:10:08] to lead to marriage or a lifelong partnership.

[00:10:11] And secondly, he was definitely putting the cart

[00:10:14] before the horse and trying to solve

[00:10:16] for a problem that didn't exist.

[00:10:18] This was a new relationship.

[00:10:20] They weren't making plans at this point

[00:10:22] for a serious commitment, so to cut it short

[00:10:24] over a mismatch on financial goals

[00:10:26] felt premature to me.

[00:10:28] But I think that does it for today.

[00:10:30] I hope you're having a great day.

[00:10:32] Thank you for being here, and I'll see you

[00:10:34] on tomorrow's episode, where your optimal life awaits.