Post of Revival

Wow, it's been a while since this blog has been updated.  We didn't purposely abandon it, but the spring semester got busy there towards the end and not too long after that, JD left for Mississippi for two months, so not a lot of actual dating took place for the past few months.

However, he got back last week, and now we actually have some material to share.  Last Thursday, instead of going out to eat for lunch, we stayed in at my apartment and cooked together.  We made baked pork chops (marinated in Moore's Marinade, liquid smoke, and dry-rubbed with brown sugar and garlic powder, and then wrapped in bacon), fried cornbread with fresh jalapeños and cheddar cheese, and some black beans.  While buying the ingredients for this meal might initially seem more expensive than just going out for lunch, there were several ingredients (like the spices, the corn meal, and the marinade) that will last for a good long while.


Yesterday, we were debating on whether to go out to eat for an early dinner or to just make something at my apartment again.  We decided to reheat the leftover pork chops.  He threw them into a pan, and as he did that, I had an idea.  We chopped up an apple and some onion and added those to the pork chops, along with some of the marinade, brown sugar, and garlic that had originally been on the pork chops.  We also made some toast with bread we had at the apartment already by drizzling some olive oil and roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning on it.  This second meal cost us ABSOLUTELY NOTHING--we just used what we had on hand.


So today's tip is this: if you're in the mood for a nice meal with your significant other, try cooking it at home.  Then, try to repurpose your leftovers instead of just reheating them.  It'll save you some money, and it's great fun. 


Signing off, 
O

women, men, and money: what's the big deal, anyway?

Not too long ago, I overheard a woman I work with say, "If a guy doesn't have enough money to pay my way, he's clearly not worth my time or attention."  Another once said, "I don't really care what my boyfriend does as long as he buys me things."

I remember thinking how pathetic this sounded at the time, but got to thinking about it later.  I realized that, although most women might not come out and say it in the blunt manner of my less-than-subtle co-workers, the majority of them hold a similar opinion, and I for one think it's ridiculous.

date makeover: "dinner and a movie"

It's an American classic, like the hamburger or the Ford Mustang.  However, unlike the hamburger, it costs more than a few dollars, and unlike the Mustang, it's not a one-time purchase.

The Dinner and a Movie approach to dating is completely acceptable in some circumstances.  If it's what I like to call a "feeler" date (Do I like this guy, or am I just bored?), it's actually good because it's a familiar setting.  However, it's crucial that dinner (or coffee or random window-shopping) takes place, mostly because it's really hard to get to know someone by silently staring at a screen emitting particles of light for hours at a time.  

In the early stages of a relationship, it's alright to partake in this somewhat canned version of a date.  However, after a while, it starts to get expensive, even if you are splitting the tab.  (You don't have to "go Dutch" per se--what normally happens on our dates is one person pays for dinner, the other for the movie. That way no one person has to foot the bill for everything.)  Think about it: dinner for two at a semi-decent restaurant on a Friday night can be upwards of $25, and the prices of movie tickets skyrocket so frequently you'd think they're tied to the oil market somehow.

So, the JD and Olivia solution to this problem is as follows:

1) Eat at an inexpensive restaurant.  Example: El Agave is a Mexican restaurant in Montevallo. We've eaten there for a combined $8.64 without even trying to be cheap. And that was with JD eating steak tacos. 

2) Carmike 10 on Lorna Road in Hoover.  Learn it.  Love it.  

Colloquially known as simply "the dollar theater," this place is the Mecca of poor college students, families with large amounts of children, and just about everyone else who likes the idea of spending 87.5% less on movie tickets (a.k.a.--everybody).  Of course, it's not perfect.  The movies are anywhere from 3-6 months behind, the carpet is stained, the concessions stand still charges ungodly amounts for its popcorn and poorly carbonated beverages, and the bathrooms induce rapid prayer.  However, let us once again say: it is a dollar.  A DOLLAR.  You can pay for your tickets in change and it's not that big of a deal.

Advantages to seeing movies at the dollar theater:

1) It's a dollar.

2) If the movie turns out to be ridiculous and you decide to walk out, it only cost a dollar.

3) If you get done watching the first movie and kind of want to see another one, you can do it. It's only a dollar!!

This is just a cheaper way to accomplish a traditional date.  After we cover more of the basics, we're going to move on to more creative ideas for spending time with that special someone.

*side note*: if you end up trying out any of our ideas, we'd love to know. Leave your experience in a comment!

--Olivia

introductions and such

"I'm glad I'm single. That means that I have money."

I've heard this said by male friends and countless male strangers many times.  It's true that in our society, dating seems to be a rather expensive endeavor.  The men have to pick up their dates (thus driving, thus burning up precious gasoline), buy dinner, buy tickets to the movie...you get the picture here.  A date here or there every once and a while is affordable, but if a committed relationship is involved, the prospect (or so I'm told) becomes trepidatious.

But spending loads of money isn't the point of dating, right?  A date should be about spending time with the other person, getting to know him or her if you don't, and purely enjoying his or her company if you do.  Should be.

That's how JD, my boyfriend, and I approach dating anyways.  (Notice that I said I. Yes, even though I am a woman, I have no qualms about spending my own money on a date.  We'll get into my feelings on that at a later date.)  We rejoice when we get a ridiculously low bill at dinner and scrounge around for nickels to buy movie tickets.  And you know what?  It's insanely fun.

So, the purpose for this weblog:  to document our frugal approach to dating, providing all at once entertainment and helpful hints for the reader.  If but one individual learns how to have a good time with his or her significant other without dropping a wad of cash on a Friday night, this mission shall be considered a success.

In the words of an illustrious professor I once had, "Peace and love."

--Olivia