The Economic Cost of Pimpin'

I do agree with the general adage that "pimpin' ain't easy." By "pimpin'" I mean trying to date multiple people at the same time. But, I think it ain't easy for atypical reasons. In my opinion, the economic costs of pimpin' make it more costly than beneficial. There are two costs in particular costs that stand out to me.

1. The actual cost of dating multiple people. If you are dating three people at the same time and are being a gentleman (sucker) then the costs, over time, can be astronomical. Imagine spending at least $60 a night, three times a week. Also, you have to assume you'll spend one extra night with one of them. So make it four nights. That is $240 or almost $1,000 a month. For many people that is anywhere from 25%-50% of your monthly income. If you invested than much a month in mutual funds, you could probably retire on that investment in 30 years. Even going halfsies is $500 a month, which is a steep sum too. I realize this is a gain to restaurant and bar industry and perhaps the economy overall. Stop overthinking this.

2. Productivity losses. The productivity loss can be measured in two ways. First, there is the lost productivity at work from having to respond to emails and phone calls from multiple people. Time that could be spent working is spent planning dinner or hearing about someone else's day. Then, there is the actual time spent with the multiple people. Again we are talking 3-4 nights a week. Books unread, home improvements undone (impacts resale value of home), professional development not done (affects earning power).

On final analysis, pimpin' imposes more personal economic cost than benefit. I know financial planners talk about the value of diversification. But, in this instance, you'll go broke, and you'll end up being a lot less productive. And, then, there is the fact that they all begin to blend together at some point.