Woman reveals she goes on 6 dates a week to save $15,600 on groceries, sparking debate

A lot of us try different methods to keep a check on our tight budget. We often employ several tactics to save our hard-earned money and meet other financial goals. Vivian Tu, an ex-Wall Stree trader, is one of us but she did something extremely creative to save on groceries for over two years. Her way has sparked a heated debate in the comment section of a now-viral video after she revealed that she did go on multiple dates a week for over two years to save on groceries.

Vivian, who now makes her videos on financial advice mostly, has gained millions of followers on the platform over the years by sharing her money tips and tricks. In the particular viral clip from 2021, Tu can be seen lip-syncing to a Lana Del Rey song as the overlay text on the video reads: "When they say women are bad with money, but you used to go on six dates a week to avoid paying for groceries."

"Between 2016-2018 I didn't buy groceries once. Probably saved about $150 a week," she captioned the post. According to Elite Daily, the finance expert has elaborated on her experience of going on multiple dates and making her potential love interests pay for the meals. Tu admitted that she couldn't help but enjoy the perks of receiving free dinners and she looked at these dating opportunities as an advantage to save a few extra bucks.

"Back then, I was working as an equity trader and making $95,000, but my expenses were very high," she explained to the outlet. "I was living in Manhattan and paying rent for my apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. It wasn’t that easy to get groceries. The market closest to my apartment was incredibly expensive, so I never felt comfortable shopping there. Instead, I would haul myself on the subway 15 blocks to Trader Joe's and grab all that I could carry. It wasn’t easy, and I really had to think strategically about what I was buying."

"I am very much in the camp that you're dating to find love. But if the thought is like, 'I can spend my own money on food at the grocery store that I still need to cook. And it’s probably not going to taste as good,' there's obviously subconscious thinking that goes into it," she continued. When Tu started dating she noticed a lot of change in her weekly expenditure. "I realized that by going on dates, I was saving about $50 to $100 per week. Added together over time, it amounted to thousands of dollars I did not have before—discretionary income I could spend on other things, like savings, investing,and a black Prada bag to replace my tattered Longchamp tote," she recalled.

Tu, who now works as a strategy sales partner at a tech company, noted that using romance as a money-saving strategy could get you "bad karma." She concluded, "Realistically, the worst-case scenario is that you split the bill - something I always offered to do regardless. And even if you do put your card down, it’s still a win: You get to say you went somewhere new, ate great food, and made a new connection - or, at least, practiced your small talk."

Her confession divided the viewers in her comment section where some sided with her whereas others called her actions unethical. @averysbrand wrote, "The only reparations I want is for all the dates that didn’t end in relationships or relations." @thotslayerrrrrrrr demanded, "Instructional video, please. I’m tired of buying groceries." @.....................x.x remarked, "How do you go out with lots of men and not get the label sl-t? Because ppl assume you slept with them when you didn’t. So how do you stop people from thinking that?" @iwtbhbhg added: "Tell me you’re cheap without telling me you’re cheap."