

…Heck, even in your own example your first date was in a bar, which now a days is a dozens of dollars experience for just a few drinks…
Pro tip for anyone still reading this far down into the thread: If you’ve a hotel - like a Sheraton, Hilton or any higher-end lodging… Check out their lounge. The cheapest drinks in the city I live in are at the hotels - they generally will price cocktails 35 to 50% lower than the bars and clubs in the area, simply to catch a little bit of the cocktails action… (also the hotels all have beautiful lounges)
Last time I went to New Orleans I stayed in a hotel on the edge of the French Quarter and drank for one fifth of the price that the drinks outside cost. Got good and oiled THEN headed out to hear live music.



LOL! Yup.
I went gambling ONCE, with my grandparents who loved to go to Foxwoods. Played the slots, lost 20 bucks in a few minutes and got ZERO frisson from it.
Am like “People get a charge from this…?” as I was sitting there watching the others in the aisle poke the spin button on the machines they were playing, like they were robots…
I had more fun the rest of the afternoon playing video games in the arcade. It took me a LOT longer to go through 20 bucks there.