I’m too Poor to Date

Results from HARR-e (an AI service set up for men by grooming products manufacturer Harry) said one of the biggest concerns that men face is the worry about not having enough money. This can be enough to stop men from joining dating websites, as they worry that their date won’t be interested in someone who can’t afford to spend money on dates, or gifts. Money shouldn’t be a decider for who you can and can’t date, but we have some tips for evaluating and hopefully improving your finances if you are worried that spending money on dating will be an issue.

*Please note that the following advice is taken from websites such as Money Saving Expert and newspaper websites and is not provided by a qualified financial advisor. If you are in financial difficulty, please contact a financial charity such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Save money on essential bills

You might think that spending less would just mean cutting back on luxuries, like eating out, or going for drink, but it is also possible to save money on essential bills.

The cost of rent, or a mortgage is usually the biggest bill that people face, but it is also one where few people think about changing. In terms of rent it is tricky to negotiate a deal, but you could convince your landlord to reduce any further rent increases if you have been a tenant for a long time and have saved them money by not having to pay for new tenant checks, or updating the home. If you have a mortgage, you could use a price-comparison site, or a broker to find a new mortgage provider, or a better deal with your current provider.

You can also use price comparison sites to reduce your electricity and gas bills.

Check your monthly subscription payments

Take a look through your monthly statement and highlight any regular subscriptions that you have and think about how often you use them and if there is a way to pay less. For example, if you have a gym membership and only go once a week, then it may be worth going to a leisure centre and paying per time that you go, or investing in some weights to use at home instead.

Also, if you aren’t tied into a contract with your mobile phone provider, take a look at how many minutes and how much data you actually use, instead of paying for 1000 minutes that you’ll never use.

You can also share subscription costs with friends; for example you could share a TV streaming service, or music streaming subscription with a friend.

Use your dating subscription wisely

In the same way that it is silly to have an unused gym membership, it is also silly to have a dating subscription that you just leave active and don’t make the most of. When you have a subscription, you should be using it to send messages to potential matches. Don’t sit back and wait for people to get in contact with you!

Use vouchers

If you are going to somewhere in particular for your date, take a look online and see if there are any discount codes available, or any special deals if you go at a particular time of day. Large chain restaurants and cinemas are also usually part of supermarket voucher schemes, which allow you to spend points on experiences.