The Current Cost of Dating

For all of you new to the dating pool — including those 50-to-60-year-olds who make up the fastest growing demographic on dating website match.com — a few stats to consider:

CHECK, PLEASE
MEN
37% think they should pay for the first date
51% spend more than $100 a month on dates
29% spend more than $150 a month on dates
$103 average amount spent on Valentine’s Day
WOMEN
87% say they would pick up the check in some cases
46% say it doesn’t matter how much their date spends
66% spend less than $50 a month on dates
$51 average amount spent on Valentine’s Day
Percentages and dollar amounts from surveys of single adults ages 21 to 65-plus
HOW TO BE A CHEAP DATE
Keep the first date brief — meet for coffee or a drink instead of dinner, suggests Dale Koppel, author of The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Online Dating. You’ll spend less and have an easy out if no sparks fly. When you work up to a table for two, order something moderately priced, don’t complain about cost, and leave the leftovers behind, says etiquette expert Diane Gottsman.
A BIG NIGHT OUT
What dinner for two, a bottle of red wine, and a movie cost across the country:
San Francisco $230
Atlanta $211
Columbus, Ohio $203
Kansas City, Missouri $193

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Tags: Family