The Opportunity Cost of “Just a Date”

Singles hear all the time, “It’s just a date; meet him for an hour,” but what people who have gotten married even two months prior seem to forget is beside the emotional bandwidth allocated to date, there is an opportunity cost and economics spinoff of what we could be otherwise engaged in as well (pun well intended).

1. Opportunity Cost: Opportunity cost refers to the value of the best alternative given up when choosing. For example, if you decide to go on said “just a coffee date”; it's not shayich, and you didn't want to go out to begin with, you miss out on a night to do all the things that make you feel whole; read, go out with a friend, go to an exercise/shiur/college class, etc.

2. Market Equilibrium: Market equilibrium occurs when the quantity demanded by buyers matches the quantity supplied by sellers at a specific price. This refers to the ultimate Bracha people give to a future couple, that you should both be happy with the final one (okay as is, nothing to change) and even think you are each getting the better end of the deal. 

3. Marginal Cost: Marginal cost is the additional cost incurred when producing one other unit of a good or service. This can apply to just one more dose of hishtadlus- attending that extra aufruf, wedding, Shadchan meet, singles event, Rosh Chodesh Tehillim group, Kever, a trip to Amuka…

4. Elasticity: Elasticity measures the responsiveness or sensitivity of the quantity demanded or supplied to changes in price or other factors. If a slight change in price leads to a significant difference in the amount demanded or provided, it is considered elastic. If the change is small, it is considered inelastic. I would equate this to all our favorite Hair and Makeup gals in the biz, you know…the ones who are responsible for the porcelain skin, barely there false lashes, that post-chuppah pony. Should their prices fluctuate, demand doesn't seem to falter.

5. Monopoly: A monopoly exists when a single company or entity controls the supply of a product or service in a market. This one goes out to the boys. Especially those who, when you ask a Shadchan or peer if they've ever heard of Moshe Stein from L.A., say you mean “The Moshe Stein.”

6. Fiscal Policy: Fiscal policy uses government spending and taxation to influence the economy. I think this is a shout out to- all the Shadchan groups and the quality initiatives that aid the system; Adopt-A-Shadchan, 10K Batay Yisroel, Yismach, The SOS chat, Shidduch Round Table #SRT, Relationships Rock and CandiDate Podcasts,  #Kudos.

7. Externalities: Externalities are the positive or negative consequences that result from producing or consuming goods and services but are not reflected in the market price. This gave me positive post-good date binge vibes; I was reading that sometimes after you've been carrying a heavy burden/mindset and that lifts - you realize how serious the load was- after a great date, it's nice to come home and Daven, eat something yummy, have a car session and talk to a friend or listen to a favorite song not because you need to Daven/nosh/vibe out of frustration but from a positive place of  gratitude.

8. Gross National Product (GNP): GNP measures the total value of all final goods and services produced by the citizens of a country, whether they are located domestically or abroad. This probably reflects every statistic or “he's just graduated, go out” campaign. When my friends and I ponder life's problems (you can see us in the corner booth at Ice Cream House, hashing it over Sundaes on a Tuesday), we've realized that, as Tziporah Grodko famously puts it, “It isn't a shidduch crisis but perhaps a Bein Adam Lechaveiro crisis.” Sending someone their bashert is solely Hashem, but the comments people make that can leave singles feeling inadequate; that’s on you. 

9. Consumer Surplus: Consumer surplus is the difference between the price a consumer is willing to pay for a product or service and the actual price they pay. It represents the benefit or value that consumers receive beyond what they have to pay. Regarding Shadchanus,  as Freddy Friedman famously put it, “Give me half of what you were willing to pay when you were desperate.” I'm not preaching, but to the people who forget the one(s) who were responsible for their every reason to be able to move forward and be making all these exciting new purchases- don't get so wrapped up in the big ticket items and forget the Shadchan shliach who made it all happen.

If you enjoyed this you’ll probably like Market Research: Dating Edition :)