It's weekends for mates and week nights for dates from now on for Trevor Davies

Saturday nights have always been considered the night of choice for a single gent.

John Travolta's Tony did a job so menial I forget what it was during the week, saving his tight catsuits and best moves for Saturday nights, while the generation before always headed to the "movies" on a Saturday, apparently not really bothering about what film was being shown.

However, with time so precious these days, is it really worth risking one of your two genuinely free nights a week on a date with a person you hardly know and which, to be realistic, is quite likely to be both awkward and unproductive.

This must be even worse for the fairer sex; given the amount of time they put into getting ready and even going shopping to get something to get ready with, a Saturday night out can take up a significant proportion of the night out.

The solution is just so obvious: save the weekends for socialising with friends and lounging around care-free and do your dating mid-week.

Aside from getting Saturday nights to yourself, the benefits are nothing short of excellent.

Of course, the first thing that springs to mind is that a mid-week night out is bound to be cheaper - never a bad thing.

Restaurants, bars and cinemas all offer good discounts on various nights of the week, the majority of which are inescapable meaning that you won't look like a cheapskate as you get out your special weekend vouchers.

The other expenses of dating can also be minimised by opting to take someone out on an unconventional night?

Think about it: "Sorry, I would have bought you flowers but I've had a manic day at work today" shows you to be both romantic at heart yet an ambitious go-getter.

Likewise, you don't have to worry about dressing up all fancy.

You are probably best off just going in your work clothes, after all most other people out that night will be dressed similarly.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the weeknight date, however, is the fact that, if you have planned it right, you will have to get up and go to work the following morning.

While on a normal social night out this would be seen as a curse, not only does it give you the perfect excuse not splash out for expensive drinks for yourself and your lady all night long, but, as with the old 'friend-phoning and pretending there is an emergency rouse' having to get up early the following morning gives you an incontestable reason why you have to head off early.

You can't lose: if you don't take a fancy to your date, then, no worries, you've just wasted a couple of hours and spent a small amount of money.

If all went well, however, then you have the entire weekend to enjoy their company some more, though with none of the pressure or expectations of a first date.