So you’re poor and single; that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a social life, right? Many of us who find ourselves between jobs or transitioning careers (or other similar circumstances) want to have a social/dating life but oftentimes we tell ourselves we’ll get around to that when we’re more financially stable. CASH 1 is know for our easy to get installment loans, but today we're asking you the all-important question: why wait to date?

Dating doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, we see no reason why it should cost you very much at all. Before you start fretting over whether or not we’re giving out dating tips, the answer is: sort of. We’re not going to tell you how to find the right person, or how to look at compatibility issues and so forth. Frankly, that’s just too complicated to stake our reputation on. But what we are willing to guarantee you is ways to save money while dating. Whether or not your dates go well, or you end up married is entirely up to you, but if it does all work out we’d like some feedback as we are considering the “CASH 1 Title Loan and Dating Service” business model.

No we’re not, we are totally kidding about that. That would just not be a good idea.

But we are totally not kidding about saving you money on a date. Read these tips on how to save some money while still having a social life!

Meeting People

Dating websites often cost money and bombard you with unwanted spam e-mail. That’s because they make part of their income by selling your information to third party spammers. Not cool, at least not in our eyes, and often the data points for your matchup are processed by a program with specific algorithms intended to check for potential compatibility.

We’re not necessarily saying dating websites don’t work, we’re just saying they can’t account for the infinite human variables that arise from individuality. Often times, when the matchups aren’t successful, people get discouraged and inappropriately blame themselves when in reality; they should be blaming a computer for putting them with the wrong person in the first place. Try this: join online communities that have similar interests to yours. Like music? Join the local symphony fan club. Like comic books? We bet there’s an online community in your area that has a comic book fan website. Don’t do it for the purpose of hooking up with people, do it so you can make new friends and as you do so, you will probably find a few folks you’d like to ask out. This takes the pressure off trying to find that “perfect someone” through a dating website and allows you to get to know real friends and potential significant others based on mutual interests. And hey, if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ve met some new people and made new friends!

The Long Distance Date

The long distance relationship – which used to be thought of as a bad thing – has become an important facet in the world of modern dating and we’re going to give you some pointers on what you can do if you meet someone who happens to live three time zones away, and you’re both on a budget.

So, we've pointed out how you could meet local people with similar interests and not spend a fortune hitting up all the nightclubs and so forth. But let’s say you have an interest in model trains and there’s no local club or website for that (which would be a mistake, who doesn’t like model trains?), and you’ve found yourself having to join an international website for model train enthusiasts. On the plus side, you’ve begun making new friends all over the world! On the downside, you think you may have met that certain someone special, but they live in Alaska…on an oil rig…and they work nights. Dating can be very challenging in this situation. Challenging, but not impossible.

So what if neither of you can afford plane tickets to see each other twice a week? There are still a host of things that you can do across vast distances to foster and grow your relationship!

Get to know each other in a “private” setting. Set up a private message board that only you and Oil Rig Worker can access. You can spend lots of hours chatting and getting to know each other. There’s no limit to the possibility of things you can discuss and it only costs whatever you’re paying in internet fees.

But there’s more. If Oil Rig Life Partner gets a cell signal, you can start dating by phone, and we’re not just talking about talking. Pull up the same movie on your favorite Streaming Entertainment Website and if you both have the ability to count to three and push “play” simultaneously; presto! Instant long-distance movie date! Enjoy the movie and have a chat afterward about how much you liked or didn’t like it, and perhaps how the theme of oil rigs was crucial to the international spy finding the villain just before he triggered his doomsday device.

You can get to know a lot about a person these days without ever actually meeting them face to face.

What happens once Oil Rig Spouse-to-be has moved to your neck of the woods?

Dinner and a Movie

So, Oil Rig Honey has cast aside his or her life of relative solitude to come and be with you. Romance and bliss are in the air, happiness is surely in your future, but you’re still poor and Oil Rig’s bank account was drained from the relocation. How to commence dating without endless repetitions of home cooked meals and watching TV? Here’s how:

That foundation of American dating can be enjoyed in so many more ways than simply hitting your favorite theater and the local eatery; or vice versa. Want a cheaper version? Try the drive-in. There are drive-in movie theaters in Reno, Las Vegas and of course, there’s the Glendale 9 in Arizona. Take some beach chairs and a take-out dinner and enjoy a warm evening under the stars watching the latest blockbuster. Drive-ins have cheaper admission fees, so you’ll save a bit right there. Of course, this really only works best in the warmer months. In colder months, we recommend an actual theater (check local listing for matinee showings) as “Closed for the Winter” is not really a movie.

Still too much for your budget? Set your laptop up on your back patio, bring a couple of candles, and take your dinner outside for “Homemade Drive-in Theater”. You can still watch last year’s blockbuster on your favorite streaming entertainment service.

Check for local festivals and art shows. Most events hosted by your local municipal government are free of charge and culturally enriching. Whether it’s a performance of Shakespeare at your local park or the symphony orchestra giving a performance, events like these can spark interesting conversations and chances to get to know your date in terms of art appreciation and preferences.

Picnic, Picnic, Picnic!

Find out if a local dairy, farm or historic mansion offers free tours. These can be opportunities to get to know each other without having to sit silently through a movie or performance type activity.

Local High School Sports

Find out what you both like, and go cheer on your local budding high school athletes. You’d be surprised how much fun a local high school football game can be even if you don’t know anyone on either team.

Local Wineries or Microbreweries

Find out if you have any local wineries or microbreweries. Most of them offer free tours and samplings. Combine that experience with the aforementioned local symphony orchestra performance and you’ve got a very high-class date that will cost less than dinner and a movie!

Love isn’t cheap, it’s priceless, but you can save a few bucks while dating. CASH 1 believes in old fashioned romance, modern long distance dating, and helping people out if they find themselves in a financial bind. If you find yourself short of cash, come see us for personal installment loans. In the meantime, best of luck to the happy new couple.