No Money, No Honey: Dating (Or Not) In The Cost Of Living Crunch

There’s no getting away from it: the economy isn’t so rosy right now. Whether that means paying more for your mortgage or counting the cost of the weekly shop, most of us are feeling the pinch in some way.

The experts have plenty to say about interest rates and inflation. But what does the squeeze mean for that most important of subjects: our dating lives? Does being strapped for cash lower your romantic chances – or will true love find a way?

To find out how the slump is affecting the single scene, Flirtini surveyed 2,000 adults on their attitudes to money and dating. Here are the results…

A cost of dating crisis?

We know how it works: when money is tight, you cut back on spending. And our data reveals that dating is just the same.

Over the past year, almost 60% of adults have canceled a date because they couldn’t afford it, with women more likely than men to have done so.

Given the cost of eating out, being more selective is understandable. But around 1 in 10 of us have gone even further: giving up on dating completely in order to save money.

So will the cost of living crisis trigger a romance recession? Thankfully, it seems that singletons have other ideas. Indeed our survey found that the majority were prepared to go the extra mile to stay in the dating game.

67% of respondents said they had taken on a side hustle in order to impress a potential future date. Our budding romantics certainly seem to think that having more disposable income would improve their prospects. But are they correct?

No money, no honey?

Being broke is never good news. But the dating game isn’t as cold-hearted as you might think.

Asked whether they would date someone who could only afford cheap dates, more than 80% of respondents said they would – with women having a slight edge when it came to generosity.

Overall only 1 in 6 respondents (19% of men; 16% of women) said they would be unwilling to date someone whose budget only allowed for low-cost activities.

But the picture got more interesting when we asked our singletons about perhaps that most unsexy of financial sacrifices: moving back in with your parents.

21% of women said they would be unwilling to date someone who lived with their folks for financial reasons. By contrast, male respondents were less likely to see it as an issue.

The economics of dating

Most of us are thinking – and talking – more about money these days. And it turns out dating is no exception. Indeed more than half of our respondents said they would prefer to discuss the budget before heading out to meet a potential date. After all, no one wants to end up having an awkward conversation at the end of the evening.

Once again, we saw a gender split, with 69% of women saying they would prefer to discuss the costs in advance, compared to 45% of men.

There is one question that tends to attract particular debate, and that’s who should pick up the bill. When asked who should pay the bill for a first date, most women felt that it was the man’s job. Luckily for our ladies, the men agreed. Overall, 49% of respondents said that men should be the ones to pick up the tab.

Of those remaining, most opted for a more egalitarian split. But what was the best way to do it? 23% of respondents said their preference was to split the bill straight down the middle, or what we used to call “going Dutch”.

But 18% of respondents had a different idea. They wanted the highest earner to pay more, regardless of their gender.

Our data also suggests that romance-seekers are becoming more willing to discuss their finances with their date. In particular, our singletons seemed particularly interested in knowing how much their date earned – and weren’t shy about asking.

Almost half of women (44%) said they would like to discuss salaries when meeting a prospective partner. Our gentleman respondents weren’t so sure, with only 20% saying they would prefer to discuss their earnings (and twice as many saying they definitely wouldn’t…).

Money matters – but how much?

How much does our financial status affect our dating prospects? Once again, the data reveals a rather telling gender split.

46% of women confirmed that they were looking for someone who earned more than they did, with 30% saying they weren’t worried.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, our men had a different take, with 54% not bothered about the income of their date – although 28% still said that their preference was to find love with a higher earner.

So should we be less shy about showing off our wealth on our dating app profiles? Again, it depends on who you ask.

Flashy cars and designer brands might have become a dating app cliché. But it looks like they work – at least for some users.

52% of women confirmed they were more likely to match with users whose profiles showed wealth – with just 16% finding it a turn-off. By contrast, men were much less concerned about matching with users whose profiles showed them splashing the cash.

The majority of male respondents (53%) said they weren’t bothered whether profiles displayed wealth or not.

In it to win it

So what message should hopeful singles take from it all? It turns out that money does matter – but not as much as you might think. And while more of us are cutting back on dates, our hopeful romantics certainly aren’t giving up.

After all, when it comes to the dating game, you’ve got to be in it to win it.

Methodology: To create this study, researchers from Flirtini surveyed 2,000 adults aged over 18 years old. The study includes participants of all genders and ethnicities.