How do you end a date nicely?

[Trills]

You've been on a date with someone you met online.

You like them.

But you want the date to end now.

You want them to know you had a nice time.

But you've had enough nice time for now and you want to finish.

What do you do/say?

tigermoll you pro! I'm going to try your wrap up method next time.

I always used to say 'see you soon' on autopilot as we parted even when I had no intention of ever seeing them again! Now I just say 'it was lovely to meet you' or 'thanks for a lovely afternoon' or 'enjoy the rest of your weekend.' Anything but 'see you soon!'

Very good tigermoll :)

I have two rules:

1. you know immediately if you fancy the other person, so I already know if I'm going to see them again. I let them buy me the first drink then I buy the second drink and after that I say "I have to head off now, it was really lovely to meet you". You haven't wasted any time, you've each paid as much ££ for the date, it's obvious you're not in to him
2. If I do like him but need to leave I just do as Tiger does and do a sort of coquettish "but we should go for dinner / do that art gallery / go to that play soon?". Which always gets a yes response and sets up nicely for the next one.

I feel like you don't ever need excuses unless it gets much further down the line, just saying "I need to head off and get my train soon" is fine

It's a new strategy for me -- in the past, if the date was going well, I would try to lure him back to my place to stay the night :) Now I'm experimenting with being slightly harder to get.

While we're swapping tips, if I don't want to see him again (but he has been nice and seems keen), I text from the bus "It was great to meet you, I had a lovely time. But I think we both know there isn't that elusive spark. Best of luck in the future x

I try to make it sound like a mutual acknowledgement of a lack of attraction, but one that he is being too gallant to admit to. It is also much harder for him to argue with (if he is of the "you should give me a chance" school of dating) because saying "No, I didn't know there wasn't a spark" simply invites the response "Oh. Well, there isn't." It's also kinder to get in first, rather than wait for him to ask for a second date and get knocked back.

Queenbean I do similar!

tigermoll where have you been all my life?!

I am being forced to lie by an unrealistic expectation around dating.

No, you're lying because you don't have the balls to say "thank you for a lovely evening but I really must be heading off"

You don't owe them an explanation of why you're leaving. Once your home a quick text to say "I had a lovely time hope we can do it again"

mine was simply, " I like you, but i am not sleeping with you tonight"

You could say that in two voices, couldn't you? :o

I am NOT sleeping with you tonight. Good bye. Humph.

I am not sleeping with you tonight hint hint wink wink maybe another time.