It’s the final countdown… Shhhhh! You don’t want the ladies to know it only took you 30 minutes. Maybe it’s playing in your head already, but getting ready for a date in record time sounds nigh on impossible! Unless you’re a bachelor playing the field, you might not have getting ready for a date down to a fine art just yet. But don’t panic, I am here to guide you, minute by minute, and by minute 30, you will be looking damn fine! From unwashed to the Bill of the ball, you’ll be ready. Let’s do this!

30 minutes to go…

Shower time! If yours takes forever to heat up, that’s fine. Jump in when it’s cold. The cold water will wake you up, and cold water is great for your hair, giving it a great sheen that you means you have to apply minimal product to your hair. Adopt the Jennifer Aniston approach and brush your teeth in there too. Brush with your right hand and use the other to lather up. Once teeth are brushed, you’ve got two hands-free. Lather with left, rinse with the right. Repeat until you are clean. Turn the shower up to its hottest, and leave it running!

25 minutes to go…

Get all your un-ironed shirts and trousers, hang them up and place on the shower rail. The heat will get the creases out of them while you’re still thinking about what to wear. By this point, the steam in the bathroom has softened your skin nicely. You can have a nice close shave at this point or use an electric razor.  The job will be really quick because your pores are open. For traditional razors, apply your shaving foam and shave up, not down. Like painting a wall, do one strip and move onto the next one.

15 minutes to go…

Face clean and shaved, do this. Post-shave balm, then aftershave! One dab of each will suffice. You don’t want to smell like you’re covering up a stink! Get a towel and gently pad your hair down until it’s nearly dry, the cold water has made your hair nice and malleable. So apply a tiny bit of product for shape and leave it there for now. Turn to the shower rail, pick the most crease-free clothes and put them on (after your underwear of course), make sure they match! Turn the shower off.

5 minutes to go…

Go back to the mirror, spot check for any bits you’ve missed on your face and trim them. Do your last bits of preening. Walk to the door, pick the cleanest pair of shoes you have right there and put them on. Get a tissue and wipe down the top and around the sides. With one minute left, put your coat on, check your wallet, so you know if you need to get cash on the way, get your phone and keys. Take a big breath in… and out. Open the door, and you’re away!

Wait, so you are married, that doesn’t mean that these tips can’t be applied. Lets face it, no matter how many years you are married, you can still have date night! In fact, that helps the marriage last long. Always make time for each other and date night is a great way to do it.