By Adelia Favret
Dating – especially modern dating – can be a costly ordeal. As students, it can be challenging to find the money to go out on dates regularly. Whether you’re in a serious relationship or playing the field, finding the funds to take someone out even once can be difficult. These days the average date consists of going out for entertainment or food, and we know that in downtown Toronto this can get expensive.
There are a lot of expectations around money in dating, especially when it comes to where dates may go or who will foot the bill. Many times the person who arranged the date is expected to pick up the whole bill and as a treat. This can be a problematic assumption because it might dissuade that someone from arranging a date!
“From Christmas to Valentine’s Day, there’s this sort of idea that you need to top every gift you give, especially if you’ve been dating for a significant amount of time,” says Kayla Paixao, a fourth-year journalism student at Ryerson. She mentions that the length of a relationship often raises the expectations of the gifts on certain occasions, like birthdays or holidays. Since our significant others are often one of our closest relationships, it’s almost a societal expectation to gift them something special during these times. Huffington Post suggested that each year of a relationship often raises the price of gifts given. So, with this in mind, is it essential to spend money to go out with someone you like?
Fortunately, there are many ways to make dating as a student more affordable. There are many places to go on cheap dates in our city, such as coffee shops like Sud Forno, or getting discount movie theatre tickets from the RSU. If you want to forego spending money altogether, you can visit places like Allan Gardens to go on an all-seasons nature walk or Wednesday nights at the Art Gallery of Ontario to see some awesome art. There is also always the option of going on a walk, where you can get to know one another and even check out landmark places in Toronto like Graffiti Alley. As the weather cools down, Nathan Phillips Square will be open for free skating, and the Toronto Christmas Market will start up with a cheap admission fee. When it comes time to get your SO a gift, a handmade gift can mean so much. The good news is that there are always ways to save money, you might just have to get creative!
It may seem like dating can be too expensive, but remember to keep in mind that the goal is to spend time with a special someone, and that gift is always free.