At first, I had this dating business all wrong.
New to this college town and bankrolled with high school graduation money, I took young women on first dates to the sort of high-end restaurants better suited for couples in their 30s - those North End establishments with decorative foyers, or Faneuil Hall places with national recognition, or, folly of follies, anywhere on Newbury Street.
I was young, naive, and soon broke.
But here is one benefit of a Boston college education: I learned a better way. I found places that were unique. They were different. And most important of all, they were cheap.
I'm still young, but wiser, and with Valentine's Day looming, I felt sufficiently confident to conduct a bold experiment. Over six days, I would go out with six different young women. We would visit places open to those under 21. And each night would cost less than $21.
On my first night on the cheap, I went out with 23-year-old Sarah Cacicio, a Spanish literature major from UMass-Boston. We met in Davis Square to take in a matinee of "Juno" at the Somerville Theatre, where weekday tickets cost just $5 before 6 p.m.
Compared with chains, the theater is a charming, old-style palace once used for opera and plays and still a concert venue. And if you haven't seen "Juno," please do.
After the movie, we went to the Diesel Cafe on nearby Elm Street. Decorated like a gas station, it's a perfect spot to hang out and play pool. Or just talk. Sarah ordered a coffee and I a hot chocolate. Our evening's total cost: $14.40.
On night two, I went out with Jessica Walsh, a 20-year-old Harvard sophomore studying social sciences. We decided to take advantage of free admission night at the Institute of Contemporary Art, which takes place Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m.
It doesn't take long to browse the exhibition space at the ICA - we found an hour sufficient - but the eclectic array of art, from a room-sized spider to a collection of mattresses with silhouettes carved into them, provides plenty to converse about.
After the ICA closed, Jessica and I walked to one of the North End's hidden gems, Hot Tomatoes on North Street.
For just $17, we enjoyed gourmet sandwiches. Mine was a peanut butter and jelly, but hey, it was gourmet.
For night three, I picked up 18-year-old Lilly O'Flaherty, a UMass-Boston freshman, for a night at the Children's Museum on Congress Street, which offers $1 admission Friday nights.
Without a child in tow and 15 years older than most patrons, we felt a bit awkward at first. But after an hour of taking in the sights - check out the authentic Japanese home and see if you can catch a calligraphy session in the museum's art room - we decided the place was fun for people of all ages.
For dinner we headed by T to the heart of Coolidge Corner and Bottega Fiorentina, an Italian eatery where we sampled two items from the specials menu. Along with two drinks, the total came to $17.28, and the entire evening $19.28. Not bad.
On day four, I spent the afternoon with 18-year-old Sara Ferry, an MIT freshman who is majoring in the impressive combination of nuclear engineering and physics, with a minor in theater.
Not only was this a blind date, but I had never visited the Charles Hotel skating rink before, either.
The outdoor rink, a short walk from Harvard Square, provides a much smaller, far less crowded alternative to the Frog Pond. Admission is $5 and rentals are the same, though Sara and I brought our own skates.
After a half-hour on the ice, we trekked to Tealuxe at 0 Brattle St. For $5, including tip, we ordered two of their exotic teas, a perfect warm-up for the walk back to her school. Overall, the day cost $15.
Exhausted by my furious pace, I rested for a day before cramming two dates into one day. In the morning, I joined my friend Kayleigh Oberbeck, a 21-year-old UMass-Boston art history major, at the MIT Museum on Mass. Ave., always $3 for all students. It's an alternative sort of museum, infusing art and science. On the second floor are two must-sees: A room devoted to the quirky mechanical sculptures of Arthur Ganson near an attention-getting exhibit of holograms.
Afterward we made our way to usually pricey Newbury Street, where for just $12 we sampled the offerings at Shino Sushi, soon to be Snappy Sushi. Yet another first for me, and the early part of my day, a slim $18 bill.
In the evening I traveled with my friend Carolina Gomez, a 21-year-old political science major at UMass-Boston, to one of her favorite places, Il Panino Express on Hanover Street.
With North End ambience without North End prices, Il Panino has become a favorite dating spot of mine.
For just $16.22 we enjoyed a pizza margherita and two drinks.
From there we made the short walk over to Napoli Pastry on Salem Street, an alternative to Hanover's crowded cafes.
For $2 each, we sipped tea, and I savored the evening's total of $20.22.
Six days, six dates. I spent $103.90, an average of $17.32.
It can be done.
Andrew Clark is a junior at UMass-Boston.
