When it is not a choice, celibacy can weigh on morale. But not only. It is also felt in the wallet. So when the cost of living skyrockets, those who seek to find a partner through meetings at bars or restaurants realize to their cost that the bill is increasingly steep. So much so that some are reviewing their habits… and reducing the frequency of their dates.
Anthony is 26 years old and lives in Montreal. Out of modesty, since we are talking about his love life, the young man asked to be presented under an assumed name. This is because for several months, his meetings have not led to anything serious. So he decided to take it easy.
“In the long run, I realized that I had a poor return on investment,” he says. An investment in time, but also — and above all — in money. Because, as a matter of principle, he always offers to pay the entire bill when he goes out for coffee or a drink with a suitor.
“On the other hand, if my date wants us to split the bill, I don’t show any resistance,” admits the young bachelor. If he sees no problem with it, it is in particular because the bill has increased in recent years.
According to a study by the Match group – owner of the dating applications Tinder and Hinge – carried out in 2022, the monthly bill devoted to dating would amount to approximately $175 Canadian. Reported over a year, this equates to more than $2,000 per year.
This is an amount 40% higher than it was ten years earlier, according to Match. And the effects are being felt.
According to another survey conducted last year by the American media The Hustle, the vast majority of respondents, more than 8 out of 10 people, find that going to date costs them much more than before. As a result, 4 out of 10 of them go out less often to pay attention to their spending.
“There is a fine line between not spending too much, and not being seen as a cheapskate. I’m not going to take a date to McDonald’s for a first date. But I’m not going to take him to the Four Seasons anymore,” says Anthony.
For the moment, he “no longer really feels ready to spend money” on people he meets on dating apps, with whom he often has little compatibility in the end, he says. “I prefer to let things go and meet someone organically in a group of friends, feel like I have an affinity with the person before going out with them. »
The financial burden of being single
Living alone is already expensive in itself. Housing expenses — whether paying a mortgage or paying rent — weigh more heavily on a single person’s wallet than on a couple’s. The same goes for buying a sofa, a new washing machine or even a car.
Andréanne, a 30-year-old Montrealer knows something about this. She, who lives alone, considers herself “lucky to be in a comfortable financial position”. But this does not prevent “inflation from affecting” his budget and in particular the number of his romantic outings.
“It’s one of the expenses that I have to plan for in advance and that I allow myself in moderation,” testifies the young woman, who has the habit of sharing the bill, rather than letting her suitors pay for her. “I appreciate the gesture, but I like paying for my things more, regardless of whether the date went very well or not at all. »
By her own admission, Andréanne often prefers to go to a restaurant or have a drink at the bar for a first meeting. However, since the pandemic, prices there have become much more expensive. They have even increased faster than the cost of living in general, which has itself increased very quickly.
Since January 2020, general inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, has increased by about 16%, or an average of 5.3% per year — a much higher level than the normal 2%.
As for the bill for food in restaurants, this grew at an even faster rate of 20% over the same period, an annual increase of around 6.7%.
“For the second or third date, an activity that is not very expensive is obviously always interesting,” says Andréanne, giving outdoor activities, such as walking, as an example.
If she is careful with her spending, it is also because she is trying to put the money aside to “eventually” buy a property. “We will not hide it, [devenir propriétaire] It’s a major project for a single person,” she says.