Has the recession hurt your social life?
Well, sure, hasn't it hurt everyone's? After all, with everyone feeling the pinch, aren't we all cutting back a little. But, this article in the Washington Post takes the recession to the next level: the strained ability for men to wine and dine their ladies. After all, all a woman cares about is whether or not her guy will buy her pretty baubles. (If you can't sense my sarcasm, you haven't been reading this blog for long enough.)
Dating in the time of the pink slip means feeling the squeeze of the
drastically reduced paycheck, the sudden sting of the layoff. From
investment bankers to real estate developers to construction workers,
no job means no buying rounds of $15 martinis for a pretty woman and
her girlfriends. No hosting parties in the bachelor loft. And often, no
idea how to present one's new self on the dating market.
Wow. Where do we draw the line between dating and purchasing?
I get where the Post is going with this, plenty of people's social lives must have been hurt by the recent economic situation. After all, you don't have to be as creative about dating when you have lots of money, you can just throw your cash around. And this sort of thing can be impressive. But, with limited funds, you can't hide behind luxury surroundings, fancy dinners and expensive wine, you sort of have to just be yourself. If you are defined by your money, this can be scary.
But it's hard to feel bad for men who say things like, "I was so used to using my financial situation to leverage my dating." Ew.
The women in this article aren't garnering much sympathy from me either, saying things like, "I guess I'm kind of traditional. So if a guy can't really take you out
or doesn't have the money or the state of mind to take girls out, then
it's not going to go anywhere."
These are the women who piss me off, if the last few decades have taught me anything, it's that if you want to be taken care of, you have to take care of yourself. The days of landing a rich husband and being a socialite housewife are behind us. If you want to be rich, you need to earn your own money.
That's what this blog is all about: empowering women to learn more about finance, to take hold of whatever economic opportunities can be discovered in this horrible economic climate and run with them.
How has your social life changed in the recession? Do you have any sympathy for these men who can no longer find dates because of their financial situation?
Read more:
Jezebel: Capital Crimes: Unemployed D.C. Douchebags are Depressed by Recession