Is Inflation Messing With Your Dating Life?

If you're skipping dinners out due to cost, you're not alone.

Anyone who's been part of the dating scene can tell you that it's not always so glamorous. After all, when you're dating, you're often forced to subject yourself to awkward conversations -- repeatedly -- in the hopes of eventually finding someone who's a good match.

And then there's the cost of dating to consider. Wining and dining a potential soulmate has never been an inexpensive endeavor. But these days, dating costs even more due to inflation.

Since the latter part of 2021, consumers have been forced to shell out more money for everything from food to utilities to travel. And many people have seen their credit card balances rise exponentially over the course of the past year in particular.

As such, you may be thinking it's time to change your approach to dating and stop spending so much money in the course of doing it. And if you implement that change, you'll be in good company.

Say goodbye to dinner dates

A recent survey from Match reveals that singles are spending up to $130 a month on dates. And for many, that's a sum they can't afford.

As such, it's not surprising to learn that almost 50% of single millennials and Gen Zers have taken to ditching dinner dates and suggesting less expensive alternatives, as per a survey from dating site Plenty of Fish (which is owned by Match). And if money has gotten tight in your world, it pays to take a similar approach.

Dinner at even a moderate restaurant could easily cost you over $100 for a single meal when you factor in appetizers, drinks, and a reasonably generous tip. That's a lot of money to spend on someone you're meeting for the first time. And so if inflation has been wreaking havoc on your budget, it pays to explore your options for getting to know prospective romantic partners without having to part with a lot of cash.

How to date on the cheap

It's one thing to treat an established romantic partner to a nice dinner for a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary. But the last thing you need is to rack up credit card debt in the course of getting to know someone you just met through a friend or connected with online.

The good news is that if you're willing to get creative, you may find that it's more than possible to date without spending a fortune. For one thing, there's always coffee. A $10 tab at your local Starbucks is apt to be much easier to absorb than a $120 bill from the Italian restaurant around the corner.

If the idea of grabbing a coffee doesn't appeal to you or your date, suggest a picnic at a local park where you each pack some snacks and share. You can also take food out of the equation and suggest a hike if there's a nearby spot you really love (though you may want to avoid trails that are really remote if you're hanging out with a virtual stranger for the first time).

Other ideas? If you're comfortable doing so, invite a date over for a home-cooked meal. Again, this idea doesn't work quite as well with a random online match. But if you're dating a friend of a friend you trust, there's a reasonable chance that you're not, in fact, bringing an axe murderer into your home to bludgeon you to death while you perfect your puttanesca.

Inflation is forcing a lot of people to make spending changes. And so if you're ready to pull the plug on dinner dates, go for it. Anyone worth getting involved with romantically is apt to be open to different ideas that don't result in a costly tab. And you may find that ditching those stuffy restaurants makes for a far more pleasant dating experience.