If you can't afford to date....at least be creative

I am not saying I am a jap or snob (all the time at least) but I do expect that the first couple of dates to be treated. Even when I offer to pay my share or the tab in whole, the answer should be no!

Now, this especially holds true when my date picks a location that for all intents and purposes will require SOME sort of payment.

I went on a date with a guy, who on date #1 seemed really cool. We went to a bar on the UES, had appetizers and a couple of drinks and he payed without any thought about it all. He even wanted to continue the date and go somewhere else after...which I politely declined, thinking lets keep the date short and simple while it's still good.

The next week we planned to go on date #2, which he chose to be a Sunday day date at the Museum of Natural History. I arrive at the museum at 2:00pm as scheduled and when we get inside, I recall that I get Corporate discounts so we go up to that line and look at all the options for the museum. Do we just do the museum? Do we do IMAX? Light show? Special Exhibits??

We discuss it for a few minutes at the counter and he basically says he's up to doing whatever I want. I figured lets do it up, how often am I at the museum? The price for the full package was $26 per person. At this point, my gentleman of a date says "ummm so I got $17 to my name"..... this boy had no cash beyond that, doesn't own credit or debit cards or any other form of currency.

I should have said something like "well why dont we do something else then?" or he should have said "why dont we do the basics first?" and maybe not tell me just how broke he was....but whatever i was all excited for the museum and I shelled over the difference and paid for myself and the difference of his ticket....

Later on, we took an air break and he walked over to the hot dog cart and started riffling through his pockets looking for spare change to buy a hot dog. The generous person I am said "I got it!" and paid for the dog. At that point I decided to ask him if he had no more money how he was gonna eat that night......"Mom is ordering chinese for us" was the answer to that.

Suffice it to say DATE #2 was the last date.........

If you cant afford to go out thats fine, but then plan a cheap date. There are plenty of things to do in NYC that require no more than $17 and I wouldnt have had to feel bad the whole time.