The Real Cost of Dating

THE REAL COST OF DATING Don't Bank on Assumptions Think a date will break the bank? Think again. Match.com found a significant difference between men's and women's expectations and their actual behaviors when it comes to finances and dating. 3x more men than women think there are expectations of how much they need to spend during in the initial weeks of dating. 58% of men are spending over $50 on a date during the initial weeks of dating. 46% of women say it doesn't matter how much their date spends on a date, and 5% are okay with a no financial cost date. 50% of women think it would be okay for their date to pay with a coupon. 65% of women spent more than $50 to get ready for a date on outfits or grooming. 75% of women say they don't want a date at a fancy restaurant. 51% of women would be impacted by financial generosity, be it tipping or donating. 57% of singles say debt does have an impact on the desire to continue a relationship. 74% of singles say credit debt over $5,000 would cause them to reevaluate their date. 45% of singles will use tax return money to pay off debt. Only 5% of women would buy something for themselves, and 10% of singles would open an IRA. This data was pulled from a national survey that issued by Match.com over its network, and represents the attitudes and behaviors of the over 550 single men and woman that completed this poll between March 28 to March 31, 2011.