A Look Back

[pinkysmith]

Found this article circa 2000 from New York Magazine re: the "budgets" (in this case, spending habits) of a handful of New Yorkers at various income levels:

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/bizfinance/finance/features/3620/

Pre-dot com bubble, pre-real estate bubble, pre-great recession -- I thought it was a fascinating read. An example of "look at how far we've come" yet "some things never change".

[amha]

Andrew faces the next milestone in a young man's life -- finding a mate. I pressed him to estimate the costs. "First there is the cost of nights out with friends, just to identify a woman you want to date, which can be pretty expensive," Andrew says. "Then you have at least half a dozen dinners at about $150 apiece -- just getting started. I'm a good dancer, so I'll take her to a couple of benefits with ballroom dancing -- that's where I've had my greatest success. But that usually costs $200 a ticket, and only sometimes includes dinner -- so $400 or $500 for the night. You definitely have to take her away for weekends, which will put you back $800, between getting the car and three nights at a bed-and-breakfast in the Hudson River Valley or New Hope, Pennsylvania. And then there are nice clothes. If you are going courting, you aren't going to do it in your shabby old Gap sweater. I invited a girl to a benefit once when I was working, and my tuxedo just was not what it once was, so I had to buy a new one -- $800! Thank God for the six suits I had made in England -- they last forever. When you are dating, you inevitably do more things in New York, too. Days out. Shopping. Museums. There's a $20 walking-out-the-door tax in New York -- $20 disappears from your wallet and you have no idea where it goes. A few taxis, some food -- a day out in New York can cost you $150 or $200. God forbid you should be dating around the holidays." For Andrew, the cost of winning a woman's heart can run over $7,000.