High inflation prices has sent the cost of dating soaring, leading many daters to reassess their priorities.
Key Details
- U.S. daters are collectively spending $117.4 billion a year on dating, which is up 40% in the last decade, according to data from Match Group.
- A recent inflation report shows that the price of eating out is up 8.2% year over year, while the cost of drinking alcohol out is up 6.9%.
- Due to the rising costs of inflation, around 19% of daters are going on fewer dates, according to a LendingTree report.
Why it’s news
For months, the U.S. has been plagued by high prices and soaring inflation leading many to struggle to afford many things, including dating.
Dating prices have soared as grocery, restaurant, and alcohol prices have all increased dramatically over the last few months. The high prices have caused many daters to reassess their priorities and be more selective regarding dating.
Among 3,000 users on the popular dating app Hinge, almost 41% said they were more concerned with the cost of dates now than a year ago.
Many singles say they were once taking anyone on dates just to see the chemistry, but as prices continue to rise and you factor in gas, meal prices, and alcohol, it is too expensive, and many had reported going on drastically fewer amounts of dates than in 2020 when prices were low.
The rise in prices has caused daters to start getting creative with their dating ideas. Instead of going on a traditional dinner date or out to the movies, which has gotten very expensive, more daters have been choosing to go for a walk in the park or to get coffee and breakfast at a local coffee shop.
Many free or less expensive dating options have become more popular as Americans understand the high rate of dating expenses.