❄️ Love on a budget: dating in the cold season now comes with a price tag
As temperatures drop, dating gets expensive. The cozy dinners, the weekend getaways, the “just one drink” that turns into four. But after summer’s financial cooldown, Gen Z and millennials are re-entering the dating scene already broke – and it shows.
Casinos Analyzer surveyed 1,000 people about how they budget for romance once the weather turns cold. The results reveal what people sacrifice for love – and what happens when the pursuit of connection becomes a financial burden.
Key takeaways:
- 44% of daters skipped paying bills at least once just to afford dating.
- 52% of men and 42% of women have borrowed money to fund dates.
- 56% canceled dates when free outdoor options disappeared.
- 39% are openly looking for a financially supportive partner.
- 19% relationships ended because dating got too expensive.
When “Netflix and chill” becomes the only affordable plan
Men are nearly twice as likely as women to skip meals just to afford a date. More than one in four men (27%) said they’ve gone hungry multiple times, while 17% of women admitted the same. Another quarter of both groups (25% men, 26% women) said they’ve done it once or twice.
It’s not about luxury - it’s about image. For many, dating still comes with the pressure to look generous and put-together, even when money’s tight.
Nearly one-third (29%) of daters are trying to keep love alive on less than $50 a month. Another 23% stretch between $50 and $100, while only 11% say they spend $500 or more. For many, winter romance now means coffee over cocktails or skipping date nights altogether.
The data shows that dating has become a luxury item. Even modest plans – dinner, drinks, a ride home – quickly add up when heating bills rise and holiday spending hits.
When the weather turned bad, 46% of people admitted canceling dates altogether because their “free options” disappeared. Parks, walks, or outdoor movie nights gave way to pricier alternatives, and not everyone could keep up.
In short: the moment temperatures dropped, affordability dropped with them. And with fewer low-cost date ideas available, love got left out in the cold.
When romance meets your bank balance
Money and intimacy have never been more tangled. Over half of men (52%) said they’d borrow money just to afford a date, compared to 42% of women.
It’s not always about extravagance – many respondents said they simply didn’t want to appear broke. That quiet social pressure to “perform” on a date, to pick up the check or book the Uber, is pushing people into debt for the sake of perception.
Dating debt isn’t just theoretical. Almost half of the respondents admitted skipping a bill at least once – 23% did it once, and 21% said more than once.
That means missed rent payments, overdue utilities, and late credit card fees, all for the sake of staying connected. It’s a startling sign that even small romantic gestures can push people into financial risk.
For some, the financial strain became a breaking point. One in five (19%) said their relationship ended because dating costs got too high. Another 20% said they were “close.”
That’s not just about money – it’s about shame, resentment, and fatigue. When one person can’t keep up, it’s not just the budget that suffers. It’s the bond.
The hidden struggles of dating on a budget
The creativity is real. Over half of men (56%) said they pre-eat before dates – 22% always, 34% sometimes, compared to 43% of women.
It’s a subtle but telling behavior shift. People still want connection, but they’re cutting corners wherever they can. Showing up full is the new showing up fancy.
About 1 in 2 men admitted skipping meals so they could pay for a date, compared to 1 in 3 women. 27% said they’d gone hungry multiple times.
Dating used to mean butterflies before dinner — now it’s hunger pangs. The willingness to sacrifice basic needs just to seem put-together shows how deeply dating culture ties to financial image.
For some, the flip side is equally raw: 41% of men said they’ve gone on dates just for food, while only 29% of women admitted the same.
Economic survival and emotional connection are overlapping in uncomfortable ways. When dating becomes a workaround for hunger, it stops being about chemistry and starts being about necessity.
The practical side of romance
The line between intimacy and survival is blurring. One in four men (25%) confessed to having sex with someone just for a place to stay – almost double the rate of women (18%).
Another 16% said they’d done it while traveling. It’s a tough truth: financial insecurity is reshaping not just how people date, but why.
Finally, 39% of respondents openly admit they’re looking for a partner who could provide financial support. In 2025, the idea of “romantic stability” is merging with financial survival. For many, love isn’t just emotional security anymore – it’s economic security too.
Methodology
To create this study, researchers from Casinos Analyzer surveyed 1,000 participants of all genders, aged 21 and over.
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