As Valentine's Day draws near, both couples and singles alike are scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to reconcile two of life's most difficult concepts: love and money.
Many people in relationships want to honor their significant other, but are burdened by the realities of their financial strains. Similarly, many single people want to impress and attract a mate, but they have a limited bank balance.
Which leads us to an interesting question: what should you do if you're broke, but you want to treat your sweetheart to something on Valentine's Day? Likewise, what should you do if you're broke, but you're going on a first date and you want to impress someone new?
The answers to these two questions are a little bit different, depending on how close you and your sweetie are. If you're married or you're in a long-term relationship, you'll need to have serious, open, heartfelt conversations about finances. The following articles can give you guidance about how to do this:
- How to Avoid Financial Disagreements
- Should Couples Keep Money Seperate?
- Before You Say "I Do," Discuss These Financial Issues
- Three Methods for Co-Mingling a Couple's Finances
If you're going on a first date, on the other hand, it might be a little too early to start revealing your credit scores to one another. At the same time, you don't want to mislead somebody into thinking you're financially stable, even if you're not. After all, your financial instability will have serious repercussions for the person who becomes your significant other, if the relationship turns serious.
But on the first date, you don't need to reveal that you're $60,000 in debt. Just refrain from exhibiting signs of flashiness, which may mislead a person into thinking that you're more financially stable that you are. Choose an affordable restaurant, or suggest a free or frugal date like a picnic in the park, coffee, or a hike. Don't show up wearing an expensive watch or high-end name brand clothes. And if you drive a fancy car -- well, consider selling it whether you're going on a date or not. If you're serious about getting out of debt, you'll need to trade down.