We’re guessing that when you go on a first date, you want to show off your best side and appear richer and more successful than you may actually be. Did we get that right?

Trust us, you’re not alone. Millions of people around the world (especially men) spend a lot of money to impress potential soulmates. But the problem is that in the vast majority of cases such expenses are completely unjustified. The first date is often a lottery, especially if you met the person on an app like Tinder and you don’t know much about them.

So today we’re going to discuss why a first date doesn’t have to blow your budget, and some inexpensive options for dates with someone you like.

Why spending a lot on a first date is bad for both people

It would seem that if you have the opportunity to spend some money on a date, what’s the problem? But there are actually several problems with this.

We can name at least five reasons why spending a lot of money on a first date can be harmful for future relationships:

1. Pressure on the other person. Spending a lot of money on the first date is really putting pressure on your potential partner. They may feel very uncomfortable, and may also get the feeling that now they must reciprocate and organize a similarly expensive date. So in your desire to leave a good impression, all you’ve done is complicate the encounter, and make it tense and uncomfortable.
2. Creation unrealistic expectations in the partner. Think about it — you invite a person to an expensive date once, then another, a third … Will there be a moment in the future when such meetings will simply be beyond your means? And won’t this eventually give your partner completely unrealistic expectations? Just imagine that you go to a coffee shop every day where they make a great cappuccino. And then one day the barista changes and the coffee gets mediocre. Not bad, just inconsistent with your expectations. Exactly the same applies to relationships!
3. The risk that your date will be with you from selfish motives. This option, unfortunately, cannot be excluded either. There are self-serving people out there who may stay with you solely for the money. We are sure that this would be very unpleasant for you, so do not bring a purely self-serving partner into your life.
4. Spending money can distract you from each other. Certain types of activities on a first date can really only get in the way. You decide, for example, to surprise your partner and order a flight in a hot air balloon. Cool and romantic, isn’t it? But behind all the emotions, photos and videos in the process, you run the risk of forgetting about the most important thing — communication. As a result, the date leaves a really vivid impression, but not due to your interaction with each other.
5. Excessive spending can be perceived as wasteful. Many people perceive large and unjustified spenders as unable to manage their own budget and extravagance. And not everyone wants to link up with a person who spends money on unnecessary and frivolous purchases and entertainment. This too can be a serious obstacle to the formation of strong romantic relationships.

The main thing on a first date is the connection between the two people, not how much money is spent and what activities you have planned. Sometimes a budget date turns out to be much more promising and interesting, during which neither you nor your partner spend a lot of money. Speaking of which…

Several ways to organize a great first date for free or very cheaply

The very first and perhaps most important piece of advice is to have your first date online!

We recommend that you do without too much haste and first of all communicate with the other person via video. After all, this is almost a replacement for real communication, only online. You see the other person in the same way, hear their voice, observe their behavior and gestures. Video chat will not replace meeting in real life, but it is as close as possible to this. It will also increase your dating confidence before meeting for the first time. It’s also easy to have your first acquaintance with someone via video, for example by using a free video chat service like Omegle.

Omegle is a random video chat that connects random chat partners via video, so it works well as a way to set up first dates. However, it is worth noting that Omegle does not have a gender filter or an accurate search by location. Therefore, encounters here can not always be called promising. But we can recommend some more functional Omegle alternatives. For example, the Omega service is a video chat with a gender filter. Site https://omegle.chat/  is a multilingual free video chat with a built-in message translator. Camsurf and JustTalk are classic free video chat sites with basic settings. ChatRandom, among other things, provides users with themed chat rooms for many participants. And there are plenty of other good Omegle alternatives you can consider: OmeTV, Azar, Bigo Live, Hoop on OMG, Chatous, Roulette.Chat, and so on. The choice is huge, so enjoy!

By the way, if you think it’s impossible to have an interesting and unusual first date online, this is not at all the case! Here are just a few interesting options:

• Watching a movie or series together using special services that synchronize viewing
• Enjoying a video game in a co-op, if both of you are interested in this pastime
• Conducting a virtual tour of your city in Google Maps
• Meeting in a virtual chat like VRChat

If your first online meeting was successful and you’re ready to meet in person, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a first date, here are some great budget ways to spend time together:

1. A short hike or walk in the local park. Any joint physical activity contributes to a quicker and more comfortable acquaintance.
2. Outdoor picnic. A pleasant relaxed pastime over delicious food is a great option for a first date. Food and drink for a picnic can be very varied.
3. Free outdoor concert or movie screening. It’s likely that in your city from time to time such events are held. Take advantage of them!
4. Rent bikes or electric scooters. Another great option for joint activity that will give you pleasant feelings. The main thing, again, is that both of you are interested.

These are only a small part of the many great options for how you can spend time together. It is not at all necessary to go to an expensive restaurant and spend lots of money on gourmet cuisine and century-old wines for a date to go well. Indeed, simply sitting in a restaurant is far from the best option for a date. After all, here you barely interact with the person, just talk. Come up with more interesting and active options for joint leisure, make the date more eventful, show that you are a multifaceted person, and not a moneybags, for whom the only joy in life is delicious food and drinks!

Money isn’t everything

It’s true that we live in a world where money really decides, if not everything, then a lot. However, this fact does not mean at all that your romantic relationship should be built on money. There is no need to try to appear richer and more successful than you really are. You definitely will not increase your chances of success, only aggravate the situation. Learn not to spend a lot of money on a first date, even if you can afford it.

There are many ways to organize a pleasant date very inexpensively and at the same time make it interesting, eventful and unusual, even if you meet online and do not see the person live. Everything is limited only by your imagination, not financial capabilities. Be creative, come up with something new, surprise and inspire, and success is all but guaranteed.