Alas I am one of the no lifers yet I still seem to have no money.. I wonder how that works (it might have something to do with the hundred bucks worth of food I got my cousin this weekend and the fact that the government pays me peanuts)

I am a cheap date. I'm not sure if this is something to be proud of, the most expensive thing I do is dinner but even then I don't think I could consume more than a main and a glass of wine. Of course I can't remember the last time I went out for dinner with a man sooo maybe inflation has increased the cost... or any date for that matter. Hrm this is beginning to sound a little pathetic, moving on..

Since I get paid so little theres not so much to keep track of so its simply a matter of "sorry can't go out on the piss this weekend I am broke"

Naw. If I was single I'd always be eating out. In this relationship, he does half the cooking and (even better) half the dishes! We split costs evenly and we save on groceries by buying for two. Cost of "dating"? - no idea, never done it :D

Non-dating singledom is much cheaper - but if you're in a relationship, it's much easier to make them split bills (or just pay for you). You need to date a rich man, Greer. It's the way forward.

Dating is expensive, but it doesn't have to be. There's lots of free things you can, provided you have a car or are happy to stay in town. One can only go Colossal Squid viewing so many times however, and being a complete tightarse isn't attractive.

I hadn't read your post on online dating until now, but I went on one date with someone who completely misrepresented themselves and turned out to be borderline autistic in person. I'm sure there are some nice guys on it but I quit too after that.

It's nerveracking enough going on a date with someone, but it's so much worse when they are a perfect stranger and compare your eye colour to a Playstation character they once created. To bring it back on topic - dating is a hell of a lot of money to throw away on something that's probably going nowhere. I'll love shoes forever and would rather splurge on that.

Is anyone going to the Wellington Singles Ball on Nov 21?

Yes, I definitely agree, it is alot more expensive when you are dating than when you are single and living the "home life". Not nearly as much fun though, and in my eyes the cost of being in a relationship is very much worth it (as long as the relationship is a good one).

When I first started seeing my ex, she was living in Island Bay, I was living in Lower Hutt (for those that aren't from Wellington that is about a 30 - 40 minute drive) and this was back in the day when petrol was not too much over $1 a litre. We spent most days together but weren't spending nights together, and she didn't drive. So I would be going from my place to hers just about every day and then returning that night costing $50 every few days, at a time that I was strapped for cash as it was. Question is: Would I do it again for the right or potentially right woman? Hell Yes!

I'm confused - you say that money is one of the 'good to be single' reasons, yet you are saying that being single is expensive and takes lots of your money??

Surely, being in a relationship would be better - you don't have to go out on all those expensive meals/dates - you can split the cost of a dvd and enjoy nights at home with your beloved.

Also, I get the 'the money is all mine' argument of it being in the 'good to be single' category, but the easy solution to that is to keep your money seperate when in a relationship. Split the bills (if you are living together) but keep all your money seperate, I've done that this time round and it's much much better - no guilt at spending all those $$ on expensive shoes!

Much easier to keep track of money while you're single. Nice to have the money to do what you what, close enough to when you want to do it. And I'd totally agree that dating is expensive.

But money is there so that you have it to do things worthwhile and enjoyable with, and dating (in most cases) falls into that category.

I am two weeks off being single (sounds strange i know, but we're being grown up about it and in two weeks time i return home o/s). I think it has been WAY more cost effective being in a relationship. We created a joint a/c when we moved in together. Nothing crazy, just $300 per week each that covered rent and expenses (groceries, elec etc). We've always found it accumulated spare money and would then buy the occasional pizza and dvd with it. Everything else we went one for one on and it all evened out in the end.

Now, being single i have to decided with my new house mate do we share cooking/groceries or buy our own. I've got no bonus of a partner with a company car anymore either. And we've had that total couple mentality of bbqs at our place rather than expensive dinners out etc.

Ugh, goodbye money. At least i'll be earning a stronger currency shortly.

Somethings are cheaper for two. You pay the same price for a DVD regardless of how many people are watching it. But going out can get expensive as a couple. I may be a trend-Neanderthal but even when I was single and dating I worked on a "I invited you out, so I'm paying" system.

Cynics would think that means you expect to get laid at the end of it. But it was never at the forefront of my modus-operandi. Date chick leaning over and whispering "I'm not wearing any underwear" was always a better indication of how the night was going to conclude.

Christ, try being a bloke! all your figures would be doubled, minimum.