How Money, Stress, and Fear Are Killing Modern Dating
Dating has always been expensive. Going out to a restaurant or bar or movie theatre costs money; getting there might require a car; taking someone home is trickier if you can’t afford to not have roommates (or if your roommates are your parents). Some people still prioritize romance in rocky times – but a lot of Americans these days are letting financial anxiety deter them.
In 2022, Dating.com surveyed single people about how inflation and economic uncertainty were influencing their love lives; nearly half of respondents said they’d refrained from scheduling a date in order to save money. In a 2024 poll from LendingTree, an online lending marketplace, 65 percent of participants said inflation had affected their dating life; 81 percent said they believed that dating might be easier if they had more money.
