5 ways to prepare for a ‘Netflix & Chill’ date
“Netflix & Chill” has ruined my entire dating game.
As a recent college graduate who is swimming in student debt, working three jobs to survive, and spending whatever left over money each month on booze and corn dogs, the perfect date night is a quiet meal at home, 30 minutes of cute back and forth trying to pick a movie on Netlfix, HBOGO, Hulu, or Amazon (none of which I pay for), and a cute cuddle session on my tan leather couch.
Now, I ask a cute boy over for dinner and a movie, and he expects pants to be off five minutes into Legally Blonde, when all I wanna do is see Elle Woods slay Harvard and the patriarch in pink power suit.
If you’re like me, and want to have a legitimate poor man’s date, listen up.
Be very specific
When asking someone to join you for a Friday night in, lay out the itinerary in full detail. When he or she texts, “Sounds good to me! What would you wanna do? :)”, you must very deliberate in your response. Don’t play coy, let him or her know up front that the night will start with dinner and a few drinks, then a collaborative decision in what movie to watch, followed the complete viewing of decided movie. Make sure to throw in a few cute emojis, but steer clear of the suggestive ones. Your best bet would be the blushing smiley face, or the new taco.
Pick out the perfect meal
The meal sets the mood for the night. Since the date is something simple, stick with the theme. Don’t go all out on some shrimp pasta and salad with wine. At the same time, don’t go to skimpy with cheap beer (PBR) and corndogs (even though if I walked into a date and he served me corndogs I wouldn’t even make it to Elle getting accepted into Harvard). Prepare some turkey burgers with fried vegetables, and some locally brewed beers. Throw some onion pieces, spices, and a little cheese in the turkey meat before cooking and you’ve got yourself the perfect “Netflix & Chill” dinner.
Set the scene
Clean your house or apartment. Make sure your roommates won’t come busting in demanding to watch the new episode of the The Voice. Lint roll for any pet hair. Hide the poppers. Of course you want to make a good impression, but the best tactic is to leave a few jackets laying around, and maybe put a an old glass of water on the side table. When he or she arrives, apologize for the mess. He or she will be impressed, and compliment you on a beautiful space. It’s a win-win scenario.
Keep the conversation light
There’s no need to be formal. Your date is currently sitting on your freshly lint-rolled couch, sipping on a beer. Don’t bombard them with questions about life. Instead, talk to them like it’s your best friend. Ask about his or her week, or if they saw the new American Horror Story episode. There’s a lot you can learn about someone by keeping things chill. After all, it’s one half of the date name.
Be yourself
I can’t stress this enough. Don’t put on a facade for someone. Don’t unpaint your nails, or hide the wigs hanging from your living room wall. Don’t pack away your subscription to Mens Health or Bloomberg Businessweek. Proudly display your poster of Lindsey Lohan from 2005. If they are funny, don’t be scared to laugh. If they say something stupid, don’t shy away from expressing your own opinion. All of these things will weed out the people who aren’t cool enough to kick it. And if they aren’t for you, turn your attention to a 30 minute sitcom and text a roommate with an escape plan.
