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I think the whole gold digger date comes from taking girls to dinners OUT OF THEIR PRICE LEAGUE. If the girl is broke or has a lower paying job, and you're offering a nice dinner, yes, you may be getting used. However, if the girl has a good paying career, she's not getting dressed and going to eat with you to save herself pocket change. Key to not getting used, is to make the date something she could and probably would pay for herself if she was just in the mood to do it. You can take a girl to a 5 star expensive restaurant; just make sure she's the type of girl who would typically go to that restaurant.
Dinner dates typically aren't good for cold approach game first dates, just because many women are not that comfortable on the first meeting and you have to build alot on a first date (from cold approach). You can take a woman you see regularly like at work or social circle to dinner and it's fine, because you've known each other for a while and will see each other again. For cold approach, you kinda have to accomplish more in the first date, because if she's relatively good looking, you have to stand out to get a second date. A simple dinner date isn't good because it's mostly conversation and one venue, less chance for touch and playfulness.
Nice to have a rational conversation about the dinner date (usually they just devolve into insults and cursing). You make a good point re: knowing your audience. I'm in NYC where most of the women I date are at least somewhat successful (and where there are plenty of much richer men than me) so worrying about being used is an afterthought. When I lived in south florida there was more risk of this, but I still didn't seem to run into it much.
As for cold approaches (and even online dating) 1st dates, I actually disagree. A dinner date could be great because it has strong screening properties: If they agree, then they are probably more into you than if they would only agree to meet for quick drinks. It's investment .. she has to invest more in a dinner date, and if she is willing to do it, that's a good thing. In terms of seating, you have to know your venues.. always go to a place where you can sit at an L shape, the tables are very small, or you can eat at the bar next to each other.
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