Ship a beat, not a budget

校园爱情，谁来为你买单？

Li Xiaoxue enjoyed romantic dates at the cinema, dining in high-end restaurants and hitting priceyshopping malls with her boyfriend. But meanwhile, this 23-year-old English major at Heilongjiang International University was faced with what she called a “financial crisis”.

李小雪与男友约会喜欢去影院，两人就餐要选在在高大上的餐厅，购物也要去高档的购物中心。但同时，这位23岁黑龙江外国语学院英语专业的女生，正面临着她所谓的“财政危机”。

“We spent a lot each month unconsciously – once the cost even reached 4,000 yuan. It’s terrible,” she said.

李小雪说，“我俩每个月都会不知不觉地花掉很多钱——有一次甚至花了4000元。太可怕了！”

Relationships not only consume time and energy, but also money, and love doctor and Beijing-based author Ye Qingcheng recommends student couples take an active role in keeping an eye on their spending.

谈恋爱不仅消耗时间与精力，还很费钱。来自北京的作家兼情感专家叶倾城建议，校园情侣们应主动留意自己的花销。

For many students, long-distance relationships are more expensive. Luo Huang, 20, a mechanical and electrical engineering major at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Shaanxi, spends more than 1,000 yuan to see his girlfriend in Hubei twice a semester.

对于许多学生来说，异地恋的花销更大。罗欢，今年20岁，是陕西省西北工业大学机电工程专业的学生。每学期，他为了去湖北见两次女朋友，需要花费1000多元。

If you both believe such romantic experiences are indispensable, then you had better share the bills rather than letting the male carry the burden alone, said Li Yang, a dating expert working in Beijing.

在北京工作的情感专家黎阳认为，如果两人都觉得此种浪漫举动不可或缺，那么账单最好能分摊，不要让男生独自承担。

“But it doesn’t mean you each have to pay half of the bill. Male students can pay the majority while female students pay the rest,” said Li. “It fits in our culture that men want to take good care of their lovers.”

“但这并不意味着两人要均摊。男生可以负担起大部分，而剩下的由女生支付，” 黎阳说。“这也符合我们的文化，毕竟男人要能照顾好自己的恋人。”

Making a budget also helps, said Geng Chuanyang, 20, an English major at Northeast Normal University.

东北师范大学的英语系学生耿传阳，今年20岁，他认为，做个预算也挺管用。

When Geng sees possible money troubles in his future, he directly talks to his girlfriend to trim downtheir date schedule.

每当耿传阳感觉近期手头会比较紧时，他就会直接与女朋友商量减少约会次数。

“She is always understanding. After all, we are students,” he said.

“她一直挺理解的。毕竟我们都是学生，”他说。

Luo, who is in a long-distance relationship, books only discounted flight tickets, hotels, and restaurants. He also masters his spur-of-the-moment spending impulses. “I don’t buy new video games randomly like before,” he said.

在谈异地恋的罗欢，只预定打折的机票、酒店和餐厅。他还能控制住自己不时冲动的购买欲。“我不再像以前那样随意买新款电子游戏了，”他说。

Li Yang suggests students put aside a certain sum of money in a so-called love fund. “It can effectively control consumption,” he said.

黎阳建议恋爱中的同学们可以拿出一部分钱，建一个所谓的爱情基金。他表示，“这样做可以有效地控制消费。”

He also suggests an array of free dating options, such as running and watching movies online.

他还提供了一些省钱的约会选择，比如，跑步、在网上看电影。

However, a more proactive way to solve the problem would be making money, not just saving money.

然而，解决恋爱花销问题更主动的做法是去挣钱，而不仅仅是省钱。

Almost half of college students in love said they were doing part-time jobs to cover their expenditures, Yangtze Evening News reported. Li Xiaoxue is one of these cash-conscious workers. She has been a home tutor, a salesperson and one of the many who distribute leaflets on the street. “It’s not just for love. The experience has taught me a lot of practical skills,” she said.

据《扬子晚报》报道，为了应付开销，谈恋爱的大学生中，有大约一半的人在做兼职。李小雪就是其中一位精打细算的同学。她做过家教，当过销售，也像其他人那样在大街上发过广告传单。她说，“这么做不仅是为了爱情。这些经历也给了我许多实践技能。”

Some parents support their children’s romantic relationships. A survey conducted by dating website baihe.com last year shows that 19.6 percent of parents will give their college children extra “pocket money” to sustain a romantic relationship. Luo Huan has been getting an extra 500 yuan each month since he got a girlfriend.

有一些父母会为孩子的恋爱提供支持。婚恋网站百合网去年的一项调查显示，为了儿女恋爱顺利，19.6%的家长会给读大学的儿女额外的“零花钱”。自从有了女朋友，罗欢每个月的零花钱就涨了500元。

“They support me, but I feel bad about it. I have tried to cut costs anyway,” he said.

罗欢说，“他们很支持我，但我心里不是滋味。不管怎样，我已经在尽量减小开支了。”