It’s Official: Dating Is Making You Go Broke

Looking for love sucks. Whether you have profiles on multiple dating apps or you prefer to try meeting someone the old-fashioned way, the truth is that dating isn’t easy and most of the time, it’s not even fun. However, perhaps the biggest downside to the search for Mr. (or Mrs.) Right is the insanely high cost.

According to a new study performed by GiftCards.com, dating is making us go broke. In a poll of over 1,000 people, it was revealed that single people are spending an average of $146 per month on dating—that’s nearly $1,750 a year! Admittedly, people in a relationship only spend slightly less at $139 a month and married people get off cheapest of all (if you can call $130 a month cheap).

As the study revealed, “People in relationships [who are not married] probably go on more dates but spend slightly less on each outing. Single individuals, by contrast, spend the most per month but the least per date. Perhaps that’s because people often think of dating as a numbers game, but don’t want to break the bank with a large ticket per date.”

The research revealed that single people spent an average of $43 per date compared to married people, who tended to spend around $54. It makes sense really since no one wants to drown a ton of cash on a first date that doesn’t go anywhere.

It seems like people in relationships spend more money on the person they’re dating in general, like when it comes to holidays. Coupled up people spend an average of $155 on birthday gifts if they see the relationship as more serious, while those who are a little more casual in their ambitions keep the costs down at around $99. Same goes for anniversaries; long-term couples have no problems shelling out an average of $144 but for those who don’t see a real future together, the costs go all the way down to $50.

While money isn’t everything, this study does show that it plays a significant role in our relationships, particularly when it comes to how we spend it on our partners (or potential partners). Pretty interesting, right?

Jennifer Still is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. The managing editor of Bolde, she has bylines in Vanity Fair, Business Insider, The New York Times, Glamour, Bon Appetit, and many more. You can follow her on Twitter @jenniferlstill
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