KEY POINTS:
Go for a coffee date, says Belinda Nash: you get an hour of conversation, and the chance to check for chemistry, all for just a few dollars.
The 37-year-old AUT University communications manager has been on her fair share of dates, and is writing a book about her experiences for her masters thesis.
While she has always offered to pay half the bill, Nash said the cost of food and drinks on an evening rendezvous would make her "more selective" about who she might spend time and money on.
Factor in the effort required to prepare for a dinner date, and Nash advised sticking to a daytime coffee.
"You can't turn up to an evening date in jeans and your Converse sneakers, but you can to coffee."
Nash said her aim for any first date was to "see if you click with the other person", so she would not usually choose a movie or formal restaurant dinner.
"I think we have to get away from that kind of hype and relax, just do as we would with a friend."
While Kiwis were learning quickly when it came to dating culture, particularly through internet sites, Nash said there were still rules to navigate when it came to making a good first impression.
And some may have further to go than others, such as the man who offered to buy her a drink, then asked if she wanted "something cheaper"?
"Turns out he was an accountant," Nash said.