Charlotte Date Doctor

Don’t isolate yourself worrying about spending money, losing your job, or your house value falling.  Now, right now, is the perfect time to focus on your dating life.  Why?  Well…

1.     Dating is fun (or at a minimum, distracting)

What better way to balance economic and financial fears than to throw yourself into an enriching dating life?  Whether your goal it to find ‘the one’ or to enjoy the scene, dating can expand your social well-being to offset more worldly concerns. 

If you are hair-pullingly-busy at work trying to salvage your department, dating gives you a break.  And if you are waiting to hear your fate or have recently become unemployed, well…you’ve got the time.

2.     Suggestions on cheap dates abound.

Despite pop culture assumptions about ‘ideal’ dates, the best dates require little to no money.  Google the phrase ‘cheap dates’ and you’ll get literally thousands of suggestions, from ‘free nights’ at museums (admission at the Mint Museum of Art is free on Tuesdays from 5 pm- 9 pm) to local theatre events (the 2009 Charlotte Shakespeare Festival ‘tis free’) to local wine tastings (check out Myers Park Total Wine or The Wine Shop on Park).

3.     Fabulous Charlotte restaurants are offering great deals.

Sign up for email lists for your favorite expensive restaurants, and you’ll receive weekly – sometimes daily – opportunities to indulge for a steal.  Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse recently ran a promotion for a three course meal for two for only $89. 

In addition, more and more restaurants offer a BYOB policy for a minimal corkage fee ($5-15).  Talk about impressing a date – bringing a special bottle of wine highlights your knowledge and taste (and saves you money since corkage fees rarely equal the restaurant’s mark-up).  Just make sure to call in advance – most of the time, restaurants will only allow you to bring in a bottle that is not on their menu.

4.     Coupons can be sexy. 

Another aspect of a ‘down’ economy is the fact that saving money is not only socially acceptable, but encouraged and admired!  Coupons provide the perfect excuse to initiate a date – ‘Hey, I’ve got a coupon from Nolen for 2-for-1 entrées if we each have a drink – want to go tonight?’ 

Coupons have the side benefits of allowing you to try a new restaurant you may not otherwise have selected (allowing you and your date to have a new shared experience together); providing a great justification for ‘treating’ your date (especially for women who are uncomfortable offering to pay); and offering access to a restaurant typically outside of your price range.  Find them in your mail, in newspapers, and in free local Charlotte magazines.

If you are still uncomfortable using a coupon during a date, excuse yourself and catch the host or server privately.  And don’t forget that the tip should represent the full food amount before the coupon’s discount.

5.     It’s a time of change… 

…use it as an opportunity to change your dating life for the better.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.