Going out on "date nights" after 2 years

crispin · #1 08/07/10, 07:31 PM

It has been about 3 years since my financial life crashed. It took me about a year to understand what a budget meant. So for around the last 2 years I have learned how to cut out everything not needed. That very much included going out to dinner, drinking, events, or movies.
While there is quite a lot of things that can be done at or around my home for free, sometimes it is nice to go out. I have not been out on a date night with my DSO in over 2 years. Well that changed recently.
I found out how to go out on the town for a fairly reasonable price.
Typically going out to a dinner and a movie cost around $75
Dinner for 2 = $40
movie tickets $21
Popcorn , candy, sodas $14

That was WAY more than it is worth for me (us) to go out for the night.

Recently I found if you join a restaurant's promotion club (sign up to recieve promotions from them via their website) one of the first coupons they send is a $10 off a min $20 (sometimes $25) purchase. WOW free money!
Then I found a site that gives 3 movie tickets per month for $15, however my first month they gave me 5 movie tickets. I am thinking about canceling it after next month which then I will have had 8 tickets for only $30

We went out last wendsday to a great BBQ Joint (Famous Dave's) We ordered just over $25 in food (drank waters cause I dont waste money on soda) and used my coupon they sent me to bring my bill down to around $17 with tax - left abt $3 in tip - was out the door for $20 total

Then went to the theater used my 2 free movie tickets (cost at the door on them was $10.50 each)

Some people may not agree with this but earlier in the day I stopped at Dollar Tree and got some "movie sized" boxes of candy for a buck each. They were selling the 100% same sized boxes of candy for almost $4 each at the theater.

So a fun date night with my DSO costs us

Dinner $20
Candy $3
Tickets $7.50 ($30 divided by 8 tickets = $3.75 each)

so that is a total of $30.50 - that fits into our monthly budget and really felt great to go out together for a change.

I didnt list the website I got the tickets from as I am not trying to promote them but I can list it if someone wants it (and if it is ok with the rules)

We already have another date night planned for 2 weeks from now at a different place to eat who also sent me a $10 off $25 spent (Logan's Roadhouse)

Tracy · #2 08/07/10, 07:52 PM

Nothing wrong with saving money.
However you should always base your tip for the amount before the coupon. Servers work very hard, did it for many years. 20% gratuity if the service was good should be $5.00.

I see nothing wrong with bringing your own candy to the movie theater although I am sure it is against the rules.

lamoncha lover · #3 08/07/10, 07:53 PM

we had a date night last week. The first in about 4 years. We spent way more then that and way more then we should have
you will be really thankful that you keep up with the date nights when in 20 years you still have something to say with our SO

Danaus29 · #4 08/07/10, 08:00 PM

We have cheap theaters here, usually $3 or less per ticket. That and Taco Bell or other fast food, maybe $20. If we go to the Chinese buffet on Saturday, dinner and a movie would cost less than $40. I never buy movie theater food or drinks.

crispin · #5 08/07/10, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracy

Nothing wrong with saving money.
However you should always base your tip for the amount before the coupon. Servers work very hard, did it for many years. 20% gratuity if the service was good should be $5.00.

I see nothing wrong with bringing your own candy to the movie theater although I am sure it is against the rules.

20% ?? What recession are you living in?
15% is an average tip.
Every dollar that comes into this house is from my DSO working for tips at Cracker Barrel. We understand tipping.

**Terri** · #6 08/07/10, 08:12 PM

Here is another idea:

A simple grilled steak and salad meal (Buy loss leader meat for perhaps $2 a pound. Grill with garlic salt and pepper if it is beef, with BBQ sauce if pork. Salad from the garden). Go for a drive and admire other peoples flowers and compare their vegetable gardens to yours, or, take a drive in the country.

End up with some fancy ice cream treat at DQ.

Tracy · #7 08/07/10, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispin

20% ?? What recession are you living in?
15% is an average tip.
Every dollar that comes into this house is from my DSO working for tips at Cracker Barrel. We understand tipping.

I certainly was not criticizing and if it came across that way sorry.
15-20% is the norm. I live in the same recession as every one else.

Servers can have a tough time they don't even make minimum wage and all I said was tipping should be based on the bill before coupons and if you gave great service 20% is standard. http://www.essortment.com/all/tipping_rdef.htm

crispin · #8 08/07/10, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terri

Here is another idea:

A simple grilled steak and salad meal (Buy loss leader meat for perhaps $2 a pound. Grill with garlic salt and pepper if it is beef, with BBQ sauce if pork. Salad from the garden). Go for a drive and admire other peoples flowers and compare their vegetable gardens to yours, or, take a drive in the country.

End up with some fancy ice cream treat at DQ.

We have had about 2 years of that already. Luckily for both of us I am a very good cook. I make delicious meals every night (mostly). This is the first time we went out in 2 years.
Just to let you know how far in the country we live, it was 65 miles drive to the restaurant from our house.

Nature_Lover · #9 08/07/10, 08:45 PM

crispin, around 1997 or 1998 the customary tip went up to 20%.

I live in Missouri, and the only time I tip 15% is when the service is less than satisfactory, maybe 4 times in ten years.

crispin · #10 08/07/10, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracy

I certainly was not criticizing and if it came across that way sorry.
15-20% is the norm. I live in the same recession as every one else.

Servers can have a tough time they don't even make minimum wage and all I said was tipping should be based on the bill before coupons and if you gave great service 20% is standard. http://www.essortment.com/all/tipping_rdef.htm

Your right , I am sorry

crispin · #11 08/07/10, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nature_Lover

crispin, around 1997 or 1998 the customary tip went up to 20%.

I live in Missouri, and the only time I tip 15% is when the service is less than satisfactory, maybe 4 times in ten years.

I wish you could tell that to the people that eat at the cracker barrel my DSO works at.

Harry Chickpea · #12 08/07/10, 09:50 PM

Date "night" = ka-ching. DW and I do a date lunch or date breakfast, where prices are lower. When we were courting, one of the more memorable date nights was a couple of sub sandwiches enjoyed at midnight at a boat ramp on the Chattahoochee river in Atlanta. The fog was ethereal, the juxtaposition of near total stillness in a normally noisy place was unreal, and it wasn't about the latest Hollywood "product."

Pony · #13 08/07/10, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crispin

I wish you could tell that to the people that eat at the cracker barrel my DSO works at.

I don't know where your DSO's Cracker Barrel is, but we have ALWAYS had great service when we go to any CB, and we tip generously. I'll skip or split a dessert to make sure the server is tipped adequately.

If the service is really fantastic, I hunt down the manager to make sure s/he knows what a good job the server is doing (this in addition to the tip, of course).

My daughter used to wait tables, and many of my friends paid their way through college and grad school as servers. It's backbreaking and often thankless work. An extra buck or two in a tip isn't going to kill my budget, but it may well make the server's night.

Jokarva · #14 08/08/10, 06:47 PM

That sounds like a fun night, even (especially!) folks on a tight budget need a night out every once in a while.

Staying out of the tipping discussion - I was a waitress for a month back in the early 80's and it nearly did me in. Gives me the cold sweats just to think about it. But I always sneak a bottle of water and a snack into the movies, some may think that's thievery - but I think their prices are highway robbery.

Good going on your creative frugality!

nancy237 · #15 08/08/10, 11:03 PM

About sneaking food into the theater.
Hubby and I always bless our meals , so when we blessed the
Chick Filets that we had sneaked into the theater we got so tickled we almost choked !!!

chewie · #16 08/08/10, 11:17 PM

i am also a candy-sneaker! i figure if they didn't charge SOO crazy, i wouldn't have to!

if my DH wants to treat me, we simply take our horses somewhere. i am really not liking eating out as much as i used to--for that price i could make so much more and often, its really not that great anyhow! and my folks gave us a really big tv, so i'd rather rent a movie at home usually. once in a great while i'll treat the kids to a mid day movie.

i keep telling him he's lucky i'm such a cheap date!

isn't it a great feeling to get what you want AND be able to pay your bills too! good for you!