Long Relationships

A night out on the town can be a lovely treat for a couple, but it can be pricey. Dinner, drinks, and entertainment can slim down even the fattest of wallets and the pressure to pick up the tab can weigh heavily on the male counterpart. Balancing a special night against a lofty price tag can be tough. What’s a couple to do when she wants to be treated to Chez Expensive, but he can’t get over the high prices for food that he doesn’t even like?

A conflict like this usually has a few different issues swirling simultaneously:

His Side
- Why does she need expensive food to have a good time?
- I can’t afford dates like this very often, but there’s a lot of pressure to spend more money more often.
- I hate trying to convince a waiter that I know French or how to order wine.

Her Side
- I’m not high-maintenance, I just like good food.
- Why can’t he understand that it’s nice to have a night away from the daily routine?
- It’s fun to dress up and spend the evening together.

First, women connect a special night out to a partner’s affection and intention because of the planning and extra effort involved. The time is set aside for the two of them to spend it together, which is always important. To be fair, men don’t often feel comfortable in a formal dinner setting and the quality time doesn’t always alleviate a feeling that they’ve been robbed.

I think the solution here lies somewhere between hitting up the local diner for a burger every weekend and ordering escargot at the French bistro downtown. Here are a few suggestions for settling the dining-out dilemma:

Strike a balance of cost and frequency
If a couple is saving for a major purchase like real estate or a car, even saving small amounts of money every month can make a significant impact to that bank account. Saving does not mean, however, that a couple needs to take away all traces of luxury. Instead of going out to a high-end restaurant once a month, a couple might only splurge every 6-8 weeks. On the other hand, a couple could choose to less expensive options more frequently, like brunch on the weekends.

Leave after the first act
If indulging in a multi-course meal is out of the question, just go early for drinks and appetizers. The atmosphere and good cooking of the establishment will permeate to these small bites and the shorter time commitment will free up time to spend elsewhere, if desired.

Take charge in the home kitchen
Who says that fancy meals can only be had at restaurants? If you’re not comfortable making something that sounds French, learn to make dinner staples, like spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, or macaroni and cheese, and serve them at a table dressed with cloth napkins, lit candles, and supermarket flowers. Turn off the television for the night and pop in a Sinatra album. Being in the privacy of a home means that couples can improvise a dinnertime dance without a thought about who might be looking on. Best of all, cooking at home is always less expensive and the effort it takes is a real way to show how much you care. It doesn’t hurt to note that men who cook are much more attractive than men who simply pay.

couples, dates, expensive taste, budget, eating out

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