You’ve met the guy or gal of your dreams. You can barely contain your excitement at the prospect of a new relationship. You’ve texted, talked on the phone and things seem to be headed in the right direction. It’s time for that first date. You may be too excited about the potential relationship to think about money, but dates are not cheap.
An average dinner date in Alabama will end up costing you right around $85. That may seem outrageous, but we’re actually on the lower end of the average date cost compared to other places in the country. The average cost of a “cheap date” in New York City will set you back right at $180. That includes dinner for two, movie tickets, a cab ride and snacks and drinks during the movie. No flowers or drinks after the movie. Not even a quick stop for ice cream.
Let’s break down that cost for a date in our fine state.
It all starts with dinner. We’re not talking about McDonald’s. A proper date will include sitting down somewhere with silverware. There are varying degrees of dinner options. You can keep it on the cheaper end of the spectrum by going with a chain. Filling up at the Olive Garden on salad and breadsticks might save you from buying that costly appetizer. Dinner for two will still cost an average of $34. Tack on a tip, and you’re looking at paying $40 walking out the door. The ticket is going to be similar at other chains such as Applebee’s or Ruby Tuesday’s.
Onto the evening’s entertainment! Concerts make for a fun evening out and allow to scope out each other’s dance moves, but even the cheapest concert ticket is going to set you back $15. One adult movie ticket costs $12.50. Factor in popcorn ($6.50), candy ($4.25), and a soda ($6.00) and you’ll be looking at right about $42. That’s assuming you share the popcorn and soda.
That could be the end of the night, but what if you’re having the night of your life? This could be your soul mate, and you just can’t let the night end, so you pop into your local popsicle shop. Two popsicles is going to take another $8 from your already emaciated wallet.
It doesn’t seem like much but by the end of the night you’ve paid pretty close to a crisp new hundred for a pretty run-of-the-mill date. If you’re looking to really impress, you could find yourself paying upwards of that just for dinner. There are certainly places to cut cost. Look for our next blog to learn more about having a fun night out on a tight budget.
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