Dating Optimization Tips

Most guys default to a venue one tier above what the date needs. If you've been doing $150 dinners, try a good cocktail bar. If you've been doing cocktail bars, try a good dive bar. Test the tier below before assuming you need the one you're at.

A lower tier doesn't read as cheap if the venue itself is good. A well-chosen dive bar reads as taste. The skill is picking venues, not picking prices.

A 6:30pm drink is usually cheaper than a 9pm dinner, the venues are quieter, and the date has a natural end. Save the late dinners for when you already know each other.

First dates rarely need to be sit-down dinners. Coffee, a walk, a daytime activity or a bar all cost less. Save dinner for the third date or later, when there's a reason to invest the time and money.

The last hour of a flat date is the worst-value spending in dating. A polite, honest exit an hour earlier saves money and doesn't hurt a real connection.

Transport is the most under-tracked dating expense. Two ubers, surge pricing and parking add up fast and never feel like dating spend. Date in your own neighborhood and pick places you can walk to.

Monthly CPN bounces around depending on who you're seeing and what's happening in your life. Look at the trend over a few months before changing anything big.