My Pen Is Mighty

The Best First Date Isn’t Cheap Or Pricey

How to know if your ‘cheap’ dinner or over-the-top extravaganza bodes well for a budding relationship

The first date tells you a lot about a person. Take notes! Image: Getty.

Throughout the years, I have heard some wild first-date stories. I’ve also heard some of the most romantic tales ever. And, of course, I’ve had my share of dates where the guy was so embarrassingly cheap that he shouldn’t have been allowed to ever enter a restaurant again.

Now, before you call me all sorts of snobs and whatnot, hear me out. I’m not a relationship expert, but what I have come to realize all these years is that men do what they do based on how much they can get away with. And that first date — you know the one based on first impressions — sets the tone for the rest of the relationship.

Let me give you an example. I had a really good friend who was a multimillionaire, and when he was single, every potential date knew it. But, shockingly, he didn’t take any of these women to the most expensive spots in town on the first date. He would always take them to a moderately priced restaurant with a nice wine list.

How I knew he wanted a woman to stick around was if he took her to his favorite dive restaurant: a nondescript, Italian eatery with shabby furniture, vintage…