The Cost of a Valentine's Date

Since we're approaching Valentine's Day, I thought I would re-post the popular blog entry I wrote at this time last year.  It's an interesting topic of debate between the sexes and it really goes to show that there is an investment involved in looking your best.

Originally posted 2/8/11

Sunday night I was interviewed for the fashion segment of a local radio show  (my part was only about 10 minutes which meant I only missed a small part of the Super Bowl).  One of the questions I got was about what a woman should wear for a really nice date, such as a Valentine's date.  That question made me think of a conversation I once had with a guy I used to work with, a sweet, young (and perhaps naive) guy in his mid-twenties.  

He was complaining about how much money it costs to take a girl out on a really nice date.  I asked him how much on average does that typically cost him.  It was a fair, reasonable amount he quoted, but yet he seemed resentful of it.  That is until I broke it down for him the average amount a woman spends on getting ready for the really nice date nice date he's paying for.

Chances are she's going to buy a new dress or a new pair of shoes, or both.  She's probably going to go to the salon to get her hair color touched up or at least pay for a blow out (ladies, we all know this isn't cheap!).  Most likely she will also get a manicure, pedicure or both.  She may be out of some of her blush or mascara and will have to buy some more of that as well.  Add in the amount of hair product used to style her hair and the time and effort it takes to put all of this together and ask yourself, are each party's expenses even and fair?  Ladies, we know it's most likely not because we know how much all of this costs us (a man's hair cut costs less than a woman's haircut, yet a woman still makes less money on the dollar than a man does...another topic for another time, but I'm just saying!).

My co-worker sat there with his mouth hanging open and his face turned white after I gave him the break down and comparison of cost.  Once he was finally able to speak, he said "I never thought of it that way before, and I will never complain again."  Even though it may cost us ladies more in money, time, and effort for a really nice date, that doesn't mean we don't appreciate what the guy shells out for our favorite entree, wine and dessert.  We do, and we hope our guys appreciate our efforts as well to look good for them!

I'd be curious to know the thoughts the men have on this topic.  If you want to share, just comment below.  This could possibly get interesting!

2012 Update:
Tip for the guys:  since your girl puts a lot of time and effort to look nice for you, reward her, either by doing the same for your appearance with the help of paNASH Style, or by treating her to a personal shopping day with paNASH Style (a great Valentine's Day gift!).  We currently have promotional offers available for both options through 3funding, allowing you to not only reward your sweetheart, but also reward local charitable organizations all at the same time!  Check it out here!