Fairs are always so much better when you’re a little kid.

Maybe it’s because mom and dad are footing all the bills.

My girlfriend Amanda and I chose Thursday night to pay a visit to Westerner Days, and although we both had a blast, I couldn’t help but feel a little violated.

We planned on doing the usual food, rides and games circuit, so I pulled some cash out of my rainy-day fund and off we went.

Upon entering the grounds we were dinged $20 for parking and admission. Ouch, but OK, I saw that one coming.

Once inside and surrounded by the aroma of carnival food, we decided to grab a bite to eat. After scoping out our choices, we settled on the Greek Gyro stand. Two messy gyros and a bottle of Dasani: $19.

That one caught me off guard.

After grabbing a bag of lardy but delicious mini donuts for dessert, we headed for the midway to try our luck at the near-impossible carnival games. Defying all odds, Amanda managed to win herself a miniature guitar by knocking three plastic cups off a stand with some sort of rubber-ball launcher.

Feeling emasculated, I tried a few different games to try and win her something big and stuffed, but all I managed to win was a tiny toy cow with a retail value of about 35 cents.

After feeling sufficiently ripped off by the carny games, we headed for the rides. I purchased 22 tickets for $20, which seemed like a fair price until I realized each ride cost six tickets.

We invested the bulk of our tickets into some semi-scary flippy, up-and-down thing which lasted all of 45 seconds, then we ended our Westerner experience with a ride on the ol’Ferris Wheel.

There’s no doubt that the summer fair is a great place for a young couple to spend an evening. The romance of rides and games and cotton candy is not lost on me, but as a young couple, we aren’t exactly flush with the kind of cash required nowadays to get the full experience.

Here is a breakdown of our two-hour visit to Westerner Days:

• Admission and parking: $20

• Gyros and water: $19

• Bag of mini donuts: $5

• Bag of cotton candy: $5

• Midway games: $25

• Ride tickets: $20

• Shaved ice: $4

Total: $98

Perhaps I can charge all my Westerner Day expenses to the Advocate by claiming it was all work-related research for my blog?

Not likely.