Well I promised you a breakdown of my Valentine’s Day Damage, and folks it ain’t pretty. I had recently (over a month ago) broken up with my ex and I wasn’t in a hurry to start dating again. Though my friend decided he was going to play cupid and get me a date for V-day. What are friends for right? Since he went through all the trouble I decided to humor him. My goal was to spend less than $100 on an enjoyable night for two.

So for starters, I didn’t really know much about this girl other than that she was Latina, 24yo, and went to UC Berkeley. So with no information to help me out, I figured what girl didn’t like flowers. So I invested a pretty penny on a simple, but elegant bouquet of flowers.

Flowers from a local flower shop - $18

Next, I had to trek my ass all the way up to the Bay proper, downtown Frisco, which isn’t a bad drive when there’s no traffic on the highway (year right, Priuses EVERYWHERE!)

45 min Drive to (and from) San Francisco with Gas at about $3/gallon - $15

– I started thinking if I’m going to throw down $100 this girl better be cute, and better be worth it. Despite my friend’s reassurances I can never be to sure. Now don’t think I’m shallow and superficial but the mother of my children has got to be a looker with legs. (No not a hooker with legs) I figured if this girl was in any way homely and or portly that I would be taking her to Mel’s Diner and leave the flowers in the car. LOL.

But Whoa Nelly, I was sadly mistaken, she was a looker. A girl as cute as she was needed to be wined and dined, so where do I taker her:

Dinner at Calzones, in the heart of San Francisco’s “Little Italy”, North Beach. - $67

Of course it’s much nicer at night time.

One of my favorite ‘romantic’ places in the city, and in North Beach no less. The good thing about going there is that it’s not terribly far from the pier so we could actually walk (ok maybe drive a little and then walk) around the pier and get to know each other a little more. I couldn’t think of what else to do really, I didn’t want to be a horn dog or move too quickly. Best of all it would be free.. Yeah wrong about the free part, but what a view!

Walking around the San Francisco pier in the cold of night (had to buy a coffee) - $4

I think overall we hit it off really well. I didn’t really divulge to her anything about my assets or business intentions, but boy was I pleasantly suprised to discover that she was as smart with money as she was hot.

Finding out that your blind date is worth $450,000 on paper - priceless.

Here’s the total cost of the night.. $136..

Wait .. 18 + 15 + 67 + 4 = 104$

So where did the $136 come from?

Creative calculus my friend, creative calculus.