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MONEY
H O N O L U L U S TA R - A D V E R T I S E R > > S U N D AY 7/ 2 2 / 1 2
Spending heavily won’t guarantee a more successful date
QUESTION: Dating is obviously expensive. Is it OK for
a man to use a coupon on a
date?
ANSWER: Dating doesn’t
necessarily have to be expensive. Spending more
does not mean a successful
date. I don’t suggest expensive fine dining on a first
date. For the first date, I always suggest a coffee or
cocktail date.
During the getting-toknow-each-other stage, you
can have coffee dates, cocktail dates (Hawaii has many
nice bars and cozy lounges),
as well as casual lunches,
going hiking, enjoying the
beach, working out together
… There are many activities
that do not break the bank.
And, I suggest that when
you find that very special
person, you can take them
to dinner at a special restaurant.
Whether using a coupon
on a date is OK or not would
depend on the man’s age
and social status, what kind
of lady he is on the date
with, and where the coupon
is for. If you just recently got
to know each other, and the
man is trying to impress the
lady but he pulls out a
coupon, most women would
be turned off. Some women
may feel that they themselves have been discounted. However, when the
relationship is much more
serious, and if the two are
discussing a future together,
using a coupon can mean
being financially smart and
not wasteful. The lady may
have a positive impression
that you are a solid man
who saves money to be
used for more important
things.
AKAMAI
MONEY
“Akamai Money” seeks
out local experts to
answer questions
about business in
Hawaii. If you have an
issue you would like us
to tackle, please email
it to business@staradvertiser.com and put
“Akamai Money” in
the subject line.
PROFILE
REIKO KEIFERT
>> Title: Founder/president
>> Company: Matchmaking
Introductions Hawaii
>> Founded: 1994
>> Phone: 923-4333
>> Website: www.matchmakinghawaii.com
expect the man to pay on a
date?
A: I think early in the relationship, the woman can expect that, and men always
try to pay for the date. However, the man will have a
much better impression of
the lady if he is not always
the one paying for everything. After the third, fourth
date, the woman should not
expect to be paid for all the
time, and offer to pay for the
tip, or pay for the date when
it’s a reasonable amount,
like it’s my turn. … Even if
the amount is small, it still
makes a big difference.
You have to take into account the man’s age and social status, the relationship
with the lady, and what type
of lady they are with. The
younger the couple, the
more common it is for the
couple to split the costs, especially if the dates become
more frequent.
Regardless of the situation, the most important
thing is to never act like it’s
the man’s job to pay, and to
always be appreciative and
communicate that to the
other person. If the woman
thinks and acts like the man
should be paying for the
date, not only will the man
Q: Should a woman always know that you feel that way,
but they will not want to pay
for anything.
Q: If my date has kids and
we are out with the kids,
who should pay for the kids?
A: I think there are many
people in Hawaii who are
raising kids and looking for a
partner at the same time.
Who pays for what may
again depend on the man’s
age and social status as well
as what kind of woman they
are dating. Fundamentally, I
think if you bring kids on a
date, it is common sense for
the parent to pay for the
child, but you have to also
take into consideration what
you are paying for.
For example, meals are
paid with one tab, so in the
beginning, more often the
man may pay for the whole
meal. If the woman is bringing her child, it would not
be fair for the man to always
pay, so perhaps the woman
should want to pay, every
third time or so, or even
take turns paying. If the man
insists on paying, I think
women need to respect
that, and make sure she
shows her appreciation to
him, and have her kids
show their appreciation as
well, through attitude as
well as words. The same
goes for if the man is the
one bringing the kids.
Who assumes financial responsibility for the child is
one of the major issues
when relationships develop
into cohabitation and marriage. Therefore, it’s really
important for couples to discuss things like who pays
for what, who is ultimately
financially responsible, early
on during the dating stage.
Q: When is it OK for someone dating to ask about the
person’s financial situation?
A: This is something that
many of my clients ask me,
and I think conversations
about finances should happen naturally when two people have an exclusive
relationship and feel that
they want to spend their future together. I think this is
not something you ask, but
something one should share
when you respect the other
person.
I think the right thing to
do is, if your information
may affect your partner negatively, you should disclose
the information as soon as
talks of sharing a future
come up. If you don’t say
anything and start planning
a wedding, and if the negative financial situation surfaces or if your partner has
to ask you and then you
share the information, this
may create a rift in the relationship. They may always
wonder, what else is he/she
not telling me?
However, if the financial
situation is a positive one, I
feel there is no obligation to
disclose anything.
Provided, if one wants to
ask about the other’s financial situation early on in the
———
Interviewed by Dave Segal
relationship, if the other person’s feelings toward you
are strong, even if you ask
questions, this will not affect
the relationship negatively,
and I am sure they will do
their best to explain. I definitely don’t suggest asking
about finances during a
phase where the other person’s feelings for you are not
that strong. Their feelings
will decrease rapidly, and
this will create a rift in the
relationship.
Q: Do you recommend
that couples who get married combine their financial
accounts or keep them separate?
A: This may depend on
the couple’s age, but to keep
the best relationship on a
long-term basis, I recommend that couples keep
their separate accounts and
create a separate joint account for monthly expenditures.
Every month the couple
should each deposit a mutually decided amount (person with higher income will
most likely have a higher
amount) and manage this
account together. If the couple wants to make an investment, individual accounts
should be managed individually, and joint investments
should be managed together
from the joint account.
There are couples who disclose, share and combine
everything during their loveydovey honeymoon stage —
“What’s mine is yours” — but
this often leads to problems
later on. One of the keys to
keeping a happy married relationship is to make realistic
decisions from the very beginning.
SPECIALS: Some properties woo islanders
through discounted food and beverages
Continued from D1
higher rates has made few
rooms available for kamaaina, said Susan Havens,
director of sales and marketing at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. However, the
Sheraton Maui counts on kamaaina to fill food-and-beverage venues, Havens said.
“We really focus on making sure that our kamaaina
are visiting our food-andbeverage venues and taking
advantage of our iconic
events like the nightly cliffdiving and our signature entertainment,” she said. “We
had a very successful Easter
and Mother’s Day, and we really attribute that to our
strong kamaaina market.”
Likewise, Hyatt Regency
Waikiki Beach is targeting locals to bolster food-and-beverage business, Mettler said.
“The area where we sometimes have need of more
business is food and beverage,” Mettler said. “We’ve
created an Ohana card for
our local clientele.”
Ohana cards, which are
distributed at the hotel, offer
Hawaii residents who are
dining at SHOR, Japengo or
SWIM free parking and 20
percent off food-and-beverage purchases, he said.
When it comes to kamaaina specials, it pays to
plan ahead and stay flexible,
said frequent kamaaina traveler Jere Usui of Hilo.
“We travel as much as we
can afford,” Usui said. “When
they don’t have our dates,
we pick another weekend.
We like to stay at the Ala
Moana Hotel.”
Kamaaina rates have kept
the couple’s weekend trips
in the $500-to-$600 range, he
said.
“If you use kamaaina
rates, Oahu’s cheaper than
Vegas,” Usui said. “Of
course, we still go Vegas,
too.”
PFLUEGER HONDA
SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE!
AS
OW
AS L
%
0.9
†
APR
s
onth
60 m
2012 ODYSSEY
LX
AUTOMATIC
#120322N
SALE PRICE
$27,875
As Low As 0.9% APR
†
Call us at:
SPECIAL LEASE
$ 0 due at signing, $ 0 deposit, $ 0 down, $ 0 first month
1
OR
*
340
$
Per Month
35 Months
447-2134
www.pfluegerhonda.com
YEARS
Visit our centrally located state-of-the art dealership.
Hawaii’s #1 Honda Dealer**with the Best Selection, Super Service and Absolute Best Prices.
†Special
HFS A.P.R. 0.9% for 24-60 months offer valid on new and unregistered 2012 Odyssey models through September 4, 2012. 0.9% Offer available to well qualified
buyers on approved credit by Honda Financial Services through participating dealers. Must take new retail delivery on vehicle from dealer stock by September 4, 2012. Not all
buyers may qualify. Higher rates apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. See Pflueger Honda for details.
*SPECIAL LEASE: Closed end lease for 2012 Odyssey LX Automatic available from July 10, 2012 through September 4, 2012 to well-qualified lessees approved by Honda
Financial Services. Not all lessees will qualify. Higher lease rates apply for lessees with lower credit ratings. Net capitalized cost includes $595 acquisition fee. Must take new retail
delivery on vehicle from dealer stock by September 4, 2012. Lessee responsible for maintenance, excessive wear/tear and 15¢/mile over 12,000 miles/year for vehicles with MSRP
less than $30,000, and 20¢/mile over 12,000 miles/year for vehicles with MSRP of $30,000 or more. See Pflueger Honda for complete details.
Hawaii’s only recipient of
the American Honda
2011 President’s Award
PROUD SUPPORTER OF
1 SALE
PRICE: Special sale prices plus $830 factory destination & handling charge, tax, license, $245 dealer DOC fee and any dealer installed accessories. This offer is
not combinable with all other dealer or manufacture offers and applies to the specific advertised vehicle.
2 Based on 2012 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models
before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
**Based on 2011 new car retail sales for American Honda.
Special sale ends 7/26/12.
188 S. Beretania St.
Mahalo, Hawaii! Alan
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARADVERTISER.COM
Visitors line the edge of the Infinity pool at the Sheraton Waikiki fronting
the ocean.
A SAMPLE OF KAMAAINA DEALS
Ohana hotels in Waikiki starting from
>> At Aqua Hotels & Resorts, Hawaii resi$85, which include 50 percent off parkdents get up to 12 percent off at particing, free Wi-Fi and free trolley rides.
ipating Waikiki Hotels on Oahu and at
The promotion is good through Dec.
participating Hawaii hotels on Maui,
21 and is subject to availability. Visit
Kauai and Molokai. However, somebit.ly/NPXwjB or call 866-956-4262.
times the savings are even better. For
Aug. 4-7, Queen Kapiolani Hotel, Maile >> Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which
operates the St. Regis, The Luxury ColSky Court, Pagoda and White Sands
lection, Westin, and Sheraton branded
are offering rates under $135 a night.
resorts in Hawaii, offers kamaaina speAt the Maui Beach, kamaaina rates
cials. The KAMVIP package includes a
start at $96 a night. Aqua’s best local
15 percent food discount at selected
deal is the Kauai Beach. The property,
outlets, upgrades at participating howhich has a rack rate of $338 a night,
tels and 2 p.m. late checkout upon
is offering kamaaina a nightly rate of
availability. Some of the resorts are
$131.12, which includes complimensold out during certain dates this sumtary airport/hotel/airport shuttle.
mer, so the KAM packages would not
Promo code: KAM12. Visit aquarebe available. For more information,
sorts.com or call 866-406-2782.
visit bit.ly/MPJLfj or call 866-716-8140.
>> Book two nights or more at any Aston
condominium resort or hotel in Hawaii >> Get an Ohana Card at Hyatt Regency
Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa to reand get a K-Class Pass good for extra
ceive free parking and 20 percent off
perks such as free parking, free upfood and beverage at Japengo, SHOR
grade, late checkout, a coupon book
or SWIM. The card is available at Hyatt
and the opportunity to earn Hawaiian
Regency Waikiki Beach venues. Make
miles. Some restrictions apply. Promo
reservations at www.opentable.com or
code: KAMAP. For more information,
call 237-6395.
visit www.Astonhotels.com or call tollfree 866-774-2924.
>> Outrigger has kamaaina rates at its
LESS ROOM AT THE INN
Year to date through May, Hawaii’s hospitality industry has been firing on all cylinders.
With more guests staying and willing to pay more, kamaaina specials during the peak
summer period have become harder to find.
MARKET
OCCUPANCY
*CHANGE
ROOM RATE
CHANGE
Waikiki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84.8%
Oahu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83.7%
Kauai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68.5%
Maui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75.4%
Hawaii Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62.8%
*Percentage points
4.8
4.6
7.9
2.4
3.9
$174.25
$175.67
$207.18
$263.61
$194.59
$13.72
$15.37
$8.72
$13.52
$8.91
Source: Smith Travel and Hospitality Advisors LLC