Ah, sweet love: It's good for your budget
Posted
Jun 18 2008, 09:31 AM
by
Karen Datko
Before Cupid's arrow pierced his manly heart, "Nut" at The Writer's Coin did, well, guy things. He ordered takeout for dinner a lot. Even worse, "I would buy one of those salads in a bag that has all the fixings and -- gross as it may sound -- I ate it straight out of the bag," he writes.
Now that he's moved in with "M," he's happy as a geoduck clam, and he's found the financial benefits of coupledom. Food, entertainment and "going out" are all costing less. "Economists call it 'economies of shared living,' and it basically comes down to sharing everything," he says.
Here is a summary of what he has learned:
Food. Planning and preparing meals can be a sweet -- and cost-effective -- experience with your beloved. Plus, you're eating "adult" food (from a plate). Bonus romantic idea: They're going to learn how to make sushi.
Entertainment. You can watch a lousy rented movie or even boring TV, and it's all good -- and cheap. "As long as we're together, we have a lot of fun doing whatever it is we're doing," Nut writes. "... When you're alone, things aren't nearly as much fun when they suck."
Going out. When you're having this much fun at home, who needs to go out to bars and restaurants. A big chunk of change is saved there. "When I was single, I couldn't equate staying in with fun -- I felt like a loser if I didn't leave the apartment," says Nut. Also, when you're unattached, you're out and about to find that special someone, "so once that's checked off, there's less incentive to go out," he writes.
