How To Date On A Budget
How To Date On A Budget
As much as I dislike this word being used loosely in most contexts, when it comes to dating it is important to be transparent. If you are dating with the intention of getting into a long-term relationship or marriage you want this person to get an honest reflection of you. Read more below about how you can date on a budget regardless of what phase of the relationship you are in.
Set A Budget
Before dating it is important to establish a budget so that you set intention for your money just as you have an intention with the person you are dating. Know beforehand how much you are comfortable spending.
Love Don’t Cost A Thing
When it comes to dating on a budget not all dates have to be expensive. Paid dates can be alternated with free date activities. If you want to go see a movie at the cinema you can catch a matinee show which is often cheaper. Groupon also offers things to do at a discount. A few examples of free date activities are playing an outdoor sport together, going for a walk around the beach, going hiking or biking.
Spending time with someone who is important to you should be priceless. Taking love languages into consideration, some people for instance value quality time. Taking your partner’s love language into consideration is important and should also influence your date ideas.
Acknowledge Financial Pathways
Acknowledge that everyone is on a different financial path. People have different priorities when it comes to how they choose to spend their money. What may seem like reckless spending to one person may be a priority that serves the other person’s interests.
Do not expect others to share your financial habits or aspirations. Different incomes impact various aspects of someone’s lifestyle including their frugality of lack thereof. Someone might give a higher priority to saving for retirement and travel versus getting the latest gadgets.
Have Reasonable Expectations
You are not going to find an exact replica of yourself when it comes to views about money. Someone might have a scarcity mindset that stems from their upbringing while others may have an abundance mindset. You have to decide what level of frugality you are looking for in a partner, which will be important if this is someone you choose to have children with in the future. This is why it is important to talk about money – at the right time.
Talk About Money
The movie Man of Steel had a fitting quote “people are afraid of what they don’t understand”. Some people don’t understand money so they feel that not talking about it will make any concerns go away. This is not how it works.
“We’re just outputs for a set of inputs. Like a formula. Imagine if you could just change the right inputs, you could fix things before they went wrong”. – Everything, Everything
Don’t be afraid to talk about money, particularly more in depth when things are getting serious. Money is a major factor in many divorces. When it comes to discussing finances being transparent and proactive is key. Be open about your financial priorities and get to know your partner’s financial situation – gradually. Being transparent and proactive early on will set you up for success for the future you want with your partner in mind so that you are both on the same page.