Well the only thing about this whole thing that I wonder about is how much is the Op willing to pay and for how much time? He stated that $600-$800 was out of his range.
It definitely is going to depend on how much time you are wanting to spend with the lady.What were you considering to be a fair rate?$500,$400 or lower?
Just saying if you are thinking about too little it is doubtful you will get a whole lot of response even if the lady does want a free meal. I personally have had non-bcd time with a couple of the ladies I see frequently.They are always willing to spend a little extra time going to lunch,or other activities.I do always either compensate them for their time or at least offer too.
There have been times when they refused the money which made me feel like they truly enjoyed spending time with me.
Again this is with ladies I have seen several times.
Point being ,if you can't afford to give the lady a good time then you are going to have problems.Maybe save up for a month or so and then you can treat her to a really nice night out and both of you will benefit.
If you come off as being cheap or broke it will be a red flag to the ladies.This is true in the real world just as much as the hobby world.