The Cost of Dating in America
Between all the cocktails, coffee, and food, a date can cost you a lot of money – a dime that costs more than a really good computer. This is what the average American spends on dating every year.
Single Americans spend about $ 1,596 a year on dating, accordingto Match’s annual Singles in America poll . The 100-question survey was conducted among over 5,500 single people across the country and asked how much they spend on dating each month in 2016. The total price includes typical items such as coffee dates, tickets to events, bars and food. as well as things like dating site memberships, event fees, and matchmakers. Preparations for the date were also included, such as haircuts, clothes, and nails.
$ 1,600 per year may seem not such a lot of money – and it is a small price for love – but it’s a big leap compared with the results of the same survey three years ago, when the average was less than half that amount. It’s unclear if the old survey included the cost of preparing a date, but it’s still a big difference. Of course, the average also varied depending on where the survey participants lived. Single people in metropolitan areas like New York, for example, paid more than $ 2,000 on average. Rural residents spent much less.
Costs also varied by gender, but not much. Men said they spent an average of about $ 1,855, while women spent about $ 1,423. This small gap is probably due to the fact that single people are more likely to “ go to the Dutch ”, paying their way when they leave and getting to know people. Roughly half of the men surveyed said men should pay on dates, but only 36% of women agreed, so it seems like most singles these days tend to split checks. This makes sense, especially for women who don’t want to feel obligated to do any exercise or another date – 78% of women said they preferred splitting checks for these reasons.
However, things get a little confusing here: 47% of women also said they were suggesting splitting checks to be polite or to declare their independence. This works well at first, as most of the men surveyed found the practice attractive. But when it came to real pay, most of the women in the survey did not find it more attractive when men let them be content with it. Then again, who doesn’t like it when they say, “No, no, I appreciate it, but it’s on me,” right?
So what can you learn from all this data? First, be sure to include dating expenses in your budget if you’re single and ready to chat. A little over $ 130 per month is enough. You may find someone right away, or it may take a while ( maybe five and a half years ). Either way, you will be financially prepared. Second, be sure to include preliminary items and activities in this budget and indicate where you live. And finally, the way out is to split the check. In fact, it is now the norm. At the very least, you can never go wrong with a proposal.