Since the lockdown has started to ease, dating is back on for my single friends. The thing is, dating has been forced to change over the past few months, and the money-saver in me thinks this can only be positive.
Obviously it’s been quite some time since I dated, what with being married and all, but I’ve still got plenty of friends who are still looking for someone to spend some time with. Some are looking to settle down, while others are just looking for some in-the-moment fun, but both types of daters on my friends list have had to adapt the way they do it.
People are Clearer About What They Want
My friends have found in the past, online dating could be tricky because people weren’t always upfront about what they wanted. They’d be looking for a husband, while the man they met might have just been hoping for a bit of passion for the night.
Now that it’s harder to just go out and meet people in pubs and clubs, it’s made it easier to clarify what they’re searching for. If they’re after a ‘hookup’ then a sex dating site will better meet their needs than a site that claims to pair you with a soulmate.
Video Dates: The New Normal?
The lockdown was a lonely time for single friends. Yes, I could chat to them, but most live alone and had nowhere they could go. This led to a fair few of them joining online dating services and having video dates. These were fantastic because they were cheap, they were less awkward if my friend didn’t click with the other person, and they were a cute and wholesome start if they did.
Video dates allow you to get to know a person slowly and completely eliminate that awkward bit at the end of date where people agonise over whether or not they should kiss. Plus, it can also help mask certain things – for example, if a man is receiving treatment from somewhere like this ED Clinic Golden, dating via video for a few weeks would give the treatment some time to kick in so, by the time he met his date in person, his problem might not be as great an issue. If it were me, I think I’d prefer a few video dates to meeting up with someone and potentially have to make polite conversation with someone who isn’t your cup of tea. There’s also a much lower chance of you getting catfished if you have to video chat before meeting!
Even if it’s more of a nostringsdating setup, a quick video chat is probably still a good idea. It gives you chance to make sure you’re going meet the person you think it is. It also means you can see if you still like them when you see them. Anyone can write a charming text, but if the spark isn’t there, you can avoid wasting everyone’s time!
How to Keep Dating Costs Low
I don’t have to tell you that I’m a big fan of money saving! I think the recent changes in the dating landscape have made way for some permanent changes in the dating world, and most of those changes are money related!
Video dates are a great way to see if you like the person. If you do like them and are keen to meet, traditional date settings can still be tricky (and just as expensive as ever). A picnic on the beach can be just as nice as a restaurant, but costs far less. If food was never on the menu, recent events have made it entirely acceptable to share a bottle of prosecco in the park. Get creative with your dating and you could save a tonne of money!