SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - We've all been in a situation before where you're out on a dinner date after having a great time and meal, then much to your dismay, a check with an eye-popping price is brought to your table.
"I think one of the big things for dating is that we get stuck in thinking that a great date has to be an expensive date,” Jarryd Boyd, a certified life coach, said.
To figure out how to better crack the code, ABC 10News spoke with Boyd, who has also worked for dating app companies.
"When it comes down to it, creativity and planning can keep a date from being expensive while still showing effort,” Boyd said.
Say you go out on a dinner date, it can be expensive.
"The price of eating out is rising more rapidly than inflation overall,” Alan Gin, an Economics professor at the University of San Diego, said.
The consumer price index shows food away from home has risen 3.9% from last April to this April. So, if you spent $100 on dinner last year, it's now $104.
While four bucks extra doesn't sound like much, Gin told ABC 10News if you eat regularly, it adds up.
"If, for example, you eat out every week and you spend about $100 then on eating out, that's going to cost you about an extra $200 then, over the course of a year,” Gin said.
"Don't get so stuck on trying to make a big, costly first impression,” Boyd said.
Bumble, the popular dating app, sent ABC 10News information from its 2023 Dating Trends Report, which surveyed more than 14,000 users worldwide.
The company’s report found that one in four respondents said they are setting financial boundaries for their dating lives. More than half of those surveyed said they’re intrigued by more casual dates than fancy or expensive ones, and 32% are less impressed by over-the-top first dates.
"It just comes down to getting a little bit more creative with your budget,” Boyd said. "Go on Yelp, go on Reddit, find a restaurant that's BYOB, and you think about that you're spending maybe $20 on a bottle of good wine versus $40 or more on drinks. That, half the time, cuts the price of a date in half."
