Survey: Balancing Cost of Living with Valentine’s Day

66% of UK adults say they have no concerns about spending more on a Valentine’s Day dinner, with 79% saying they’ll budget in order to afford a romantic meal.

Despite cost of living issues in the UK, it seems the majority of people are willing to spend a bit more on tomorrow’s special occasion. Only 12% said they are considering boycotting Valentine’s Day, with 20% saying they’ll go for a ready meal over a fancy restaurant.

The research, commissioned by dating platform ToDate, also revealed that 9% of adults are planning a double date with another couple to keep costs down. 8% are planning to borrow money from friends or family to make a romantic meal happen.

So how likely are these dates looking? Well 7% of UK adults said they would be open to going on a V Day date with a stranger, with 6% saying they’ll use a dating app as a last resort for a date.

“The concept of ‘Valentine’s Day’ can be contentious, particularly against the backdrop of a severe cost-of-living crisis which is affecting millions across the UK. People clearly have strong opinions on the subject, and the solution is finding a middle ground that works for both individuals in a couple”, said Mani Kular, CPO and Co-founder of ToDate.

 “For first-daters, the ideal solution is to match with a partner that meets your expectations for a Valentine’s date, whether that’s a posh dinner, drinks at a bar, or a quiet night in”, he added.

“ToDate prioritises date expectations before users can even match with each other, making it the ideal solution for Valentine’s dating this year.”

ToDate is a new dating app that enables users to go on a date the same day, coordinating similar interests and schedules to make dates happen.