For many people, the big question these days is less about who pays, and more about how much.
www.wsj.com
Wall Street Journal is claiming inflation is reducing the amounts some men want to spend on early stage dates. This claim is not valid. There are far more pressing issues to most daters than inflation.
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The average date night costs $98 in the U.S., according to dating app Zoosk."
That's probably a statistic taking into consideration more established couples.
WSJ did get quotes from too many big city, white collar worker types. Of course, that's who tends to read WSJ content.
We also learned from this article that you won't get a 2nd date from Rachel Horowitz if you send her a text with bad grammar asking her for money via Venmo after your first date with her. See quote below....
"Rachel Horowitz, who dates men and women, usually splits the bill or picks up the tab when she’s on a date with another woman. But when she’s meeting up with a man for the first time, she believes it’s polite for him to offer to pay. “I’m a modern woman, I’m a feminist, but I believe at least the first date,” the 24-year-old Chicago entertainment marketer says.
More of her dates have been asking to split in recent months, she says. And a few months ago, she experienced a first when she woke up to a text requesting her half of the bill from a man who had made a big show of waving her credit card away the night before.
The text read, “Hey bb what’s your Venmo I need that dollar bad,” ending with a worried-looking emoji.
That was when she realized that economic concerns had changed modern dating customs. She says she was put off by the message, but thought to herself, “I guess if you really need that dollar that bad, I’ll give it to you.” She paid him about $40 via Venmo. There was no second date."
I find that the dating tactic that will reduce costs the most is only arranging dates through in-person initially meetings. Most men will go on fewer dates if only arranging dates through in-person stuff comparing to using swipe apps or social media DMs. Also, more of those in-person arranged dates will lead to 2nd dates. No dinner dates in restaurants also reduces costs, but drinks in bars can get up to about 50-75% of the cost of a meal date, if each person has 2 alcoholic drinks while together. Drinks dates are not a great cost savings but they are better than dinner simply because of environmental factors. They are better for escalation and seduction.