Dates: the key to future happiness...

I want you to think for a moment. Think of a time when you went out on a date with a little crush of yours and the date went either A.) Fantastic, B.) Not too terrible, or C.) Terrible would be an absolute compliment! I'm sure many of you out there in the dating world can associate yourselves with at least one or maybe all three of our previous options. Hopefully more A's than C's, but if you're a guy and C's are your thing, right on brother, good luck in the millenium! But, if you're looking to improve those not so amazing dates with those special someone's in your life, take my words to heart. The date you take your date on can make or break your date. Hmm... I like that.

I've come to realize that a good date is one that offers an opportunity for conversation and interaction. It's so easy guys, to just say "dinner and movie"? Really though gentlemen, I know that men have a hard time thinking. It CAN cause sharp pains to run through the cerebral cortex. Especially if you do it for extended periods of time, buuut, I think that's a risk that we're just going to have to take. If we ever intend to find that future ball and chain, it's time to buck up and plan ahead. I heard once that a good date must follow the three P's. Planned out, Paid for, and uh, well I forget the third, but it was good. Girls really do appreciate it when they can see the time and effort we've put into an outing just for lil' ol' them. Think of it this way: The more you put into a date, the more you'll get out of it! Eh eh??

Make sure it's not too awkward either. Don't show her any of your "special" talents. Keep ex-girlfriends out of the conversation, be confident, and for heavens sakes just have a good time. It's when we overthink the situation that we really mess up what we probably could have had. Don't be afraid to try something new, be creative, and remember if you want to get to the fruit of the tree, sometimes you have to be willing to go out on a limb. Make it an experience she won't soon forget!

Oh, and guys, here's a few websites with some ideas that might get those gears churning

http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/7709

http://www.promotionalcodes.org.uk/344/30-frugal-date-ideas/

http://frugal.families.com/blog/top-100-creative-date-ideas-part-i

And LADIES, just for kicks and giggles, what do you think makes a great date? Also, if you have any past great/not so amazing date experiences that you wouldn't mind sharing, comment and let us know, that way we can learn from all those that have come before us!