How to convince my girlfriend she does not need to go on pricey dates?

[bae]

Music and mathematics were the bread and butter of early sophists. You could maybe teach me a thing or two?

είναι όλα ελληνικά για μένα

[Alan]

είναι όλα ελληνικά για μένα

Me too!

[kib]

Sign of the times: it was harder for me to get my mouse to work copying and pasting than it was to translate that.

[rosarugosa]

I'm an "atheist", or "secular humanist," or occasionally a "Pastafarian" just for laughs. At this stage of my life, I try to avoid theological debates with religious folks, although I once welcomed the heat of battle. I've come to the conclusion that we're not going to change each other's minds, so lets not annoy each other needlessly and let's talk about something else instead where we have common ground. I have a first cousin who is a religious zealot, but she loves animals, nature, gardening, and books, so there's plenty of territory where we can play nice together.
That said, I would never have hooked up with someone as a lifetime partner who did not hold a similar philosophy. Irrationality disturbs me, and I would not willingly embrace it as a steady diet.

[Ultralight]

Date night this past Saturday night: $93.

[iris lilies]

Date night this past Saturday night: $93.

So that I'm clear, do you two also have "get out of the house" dates that are free?

I'm not clear here if you are sitting around in her house, going out on a date only 2X monthly. That would get old for me. For me, a "date" could very well mean "going out and doing something" that would cost very little, if anything. Going to free museums, parks, city events would qualify.

[Ultralight]

So that I'm clear, do you two also have "get out of the house" dates that are free?

I'm not clear here if you are sitting around in her house, going out on a date only 2X monthly. That would get old for me. For me, a "date" could very well mean "going out and doing something" that would cost very little, if anything. Going to free museums, parks, city events would qualify.

I am not a sit-around-the-house type of guy. We go on walks at the park, ride bikes, she has gone fishing a few times with me, we also make lunches and dinners at home too, sometimes we'll watch a documentary at her place or mine, I sometimes help with her garden. We do a variety of things, but those don't really count as dates for her. I can squeeze free museums and city events in there, and that could shave $40 off of each date night. But those only go so far... for one thing there is only a limited number of those things. The other issue is that if I am taking her to mostly free stuff she might consider me to be "cheap."

But as long as I keep cycling to the grocery, bank, pharmacy, etc. and I cut back my fishing by about a third I can funnel those savings over to pay for date nights. This is my plan.

[iris lilies]

I am not a sit-around-the-house type of guy. We go on walks at the park, ride bikes, she has gone fishing a few times with me, we also make lunches and dinners at home too, sometimes we'll watch a documentary at her place or mine, I sometimes help with her garden. We do a variety of things, but those don't really count as dates for her. I can squeeze free museums and city events in there, and that could shave $40 off of each date night. But those only go so far... for one thing there is only a limited number of those things. The other issue is that if I am taking her to mostly free stuff she might consider me to be "cheap."

But as long as I keep cycling all to the grocery, bank, pharmacy, etc. and I cut back my fishing by about a third I can funnel those savings over to pay for date nights. This is my plan.

Ok, then, that's nice that you are making financial sacrifices for her, and have a plan to do so.

[freshstart]

I just thought of something. Have you tried restaurant.com? I haven't used it on a while. Look to see restaurants in your area. If there are ones you like, you buy a certificate. It used to be so cheap that the two of us paid less to eat out than stay home and cook. Sign up and give it a few days, they have promotions all the time. YMMV since I forgot about it and have not checked it out recently

[Ultralight]

I just thought of something. Have you tried restaurant.com? I haven't used it on a while. Look to see restaurants in your area. If there are ones you like, you buy a certificate. It used to be so cheap that the two of us paid less to eat out than stay home and cook. Sign up and give it a few days, they have promotions all the time. YMMV since I forgot about it and have not checked it out recently

I'll give it a look! Thanks.