Cheap Dates

I noticed a headlined article on my AT&T / Yahoo home page titled "Dating in the time of recession".

The author itemizes expenses of a regular "date night".

Dinner at a medium price restaurant - including meals, appetizer, no dessert, iced tea and tip - $56.29
Movie tickets - $18.00
Movie Snacks - $18.00
2 Coffee-Like Drinks and one big cookie - $12.00
Total - $104.29
For one date!

As a less-expensive alternative, he lists the costs of a "bookstore and coffee" date. Here's the cost breakdown:

Bookstore - cost of one book and one magazine - $17.00 plus tax - could have been no cost
Coffee shop - 2 coffees and a piece of lemon cake - $11.95
Total cost - $28.95 plus tax
And the added benefit of talking and getting to know each other.

I remember a few cheap dates where all I needed was the key to the service station restroom, a couple of quarters and the manual dexterity to turn the crank on the dispenser.