HOW IMPORTANT IS MONEY?
One teen-age girl asks if there is any way that she can let the boy she’s dating know that money is not important to her. She would much rather have an at-home date, dancing or making candy, than not see him at all just because he doesn’t have the money. Many girls feel this way. When you get right down to it, money is not the most important factor for creating a good time. If you and your date enjoy just being together, it really doesn’t matter if you are going for a walk or sitting in fifth-row center seats at a Broadway musical.
Of course, special events are fun occasionally. But it’s not necessary to spend money every time. It might be much more fun to splurge one night and take it easy for a month or two. When you look back on some of the dates you enjoyed most, you will realize that money is not necessarily what makes for fun.
INEXPENSIVE FUN
Lack of funds need not keep you from dating. Girls understand that boys are not always financially solvent. If the U.S. Government has trouble balancing its budget, why can’t you? Here are some suggestions of things which you and your date may enjoy doing on little or no money.
Most young adults find that their schools, churches, and clubs have active programs which do not cost a great deal of money. A school play or a church social can provide an evening of fun at little expense.
Museums, art institutes, zoos, state parks and many other publicly owned places, make excellent dating excursions. If you hail from a rural area it might be fun to plan a trip sometime to the nearest city. Once there, you could visit the library, museum, and zoo. If you pack a picnic lunch you can have a whole day of fun with your date at a minimum of expense. Similarly, if you live in the city you might enjoy going out to the country for a marshmallow roast or over to a coastline town to see the piers and boats.
When the budget has stretched to the limit, there is no place like home. See page 104, Chapter 8, for suggestions on how to make at-home dates exciting. By working in co-operation with your parents, you can plan pleasant and interesting dates without spending money.
SUMMING UP
Both boys and girls have many date expenses. To some young adults it’s a real problem; to others it’s a challenge-how can they make their dates both interesting and inexpen-
sive? Dates cost anywhere from under $1 up! How much your dates cost depends upon how much you want to spend and how much imagination you use to make your dates more fun and less money. Whether you get your money from your parents or from a part-time job, you will want to plan your expenses in such a way as to allow enough for the items you must buy and the special events that come along.
If your money is limited, there are ways to earn more money or to cut down dating expenses. Your date would usually much rather do something inexpensive than go out less often and spend more money.
Money is necessary. You need it for school and grooming expenses, for gifts and even for clothes. But you do not need a lot of money to have a good time on a date.
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