How much do you actually spend on dates, and is cash a better option?

[lightbulb27]

Legitimate dates courting, getting to know someone...

Average reported for millenials is a whopping $252 US Dollars! Gen Z goes up to $205. Yikes! Average of all $189.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/23/date-flation-average-millennial-date-costs-252.html

As an alternative, would you just give your date $50 cash for their bank account, spend $50 on the date. That be 50% cheaper:)

"I like you, you are cheap!" "Yea, I took that rose out of my garden".

[MrOracle]

in my opinion, more expensive dates are for women you are already in a relationship with. Early dates should be inexpensive, casual, and public. You don't know the other person and you don't yet know if it's sensible to invest into a relationship with them. You also don't want them to think you have expectations from them either.

Guys who take women out for expensive first/early dates have ruined dating for everyone else - it doesn't matter how easily you can afford it. It sets a stupid expectation that encourages poor behavior by women and screws over men who simply can't afford to spend that kind of money. It also sets the expectation that you have to outdo yourself as the relationship gets more serious - an expectation that most men won't be able to deliver when you start that high.

[msc545]

I don't think you understand that women do not want men who "simply can't afford to spend that kind of money".

Money is one third of the Holy Trinity of being attractive to women. The other two thirds of that trinity are good looks and height. Money is arguably the most important part of that holy trinity, and in fact, if you have enough money, being good-looking and being over six feet tall turn out to be less important and, in some cases, not important at all, again, depending on the exact amount of money that you have and that can be available to the woman.

[MrOracle]

@msc545 I understand it better than most. And that's exactly why men shouldn't do that. Men should never lead with their wallet, because it only enables and encourages the gold-diggers. Such women are some of the most entitled women on the planet, and they only exist because foolish men lead with their wallet because they have (or think they have) nothing else to offer. Such men ruin things for everyone.

[msc545]

I think you were right about that. I guess I have led with my wallet more often than I really want to talk about, but primarily because I wanted to have sex with a woman and I knew if I didn't, I probably wasn't going to get that. Also, quite honestly, because I wanted to have a decent dinner. I live in Los Angeles in the hills above Beverly Hills, and to get decent food here or to have a good experience is going to cost a lot of money.

[MrOracle]

@msc545 Well, LA is one of the great "shallow, gold-digging" capital cities of the world, so, that's somewhat understandable, but still a bad idea.

[msc545]

It is definitely the gold-digging capital of the world. Also, the narcissism capital of the world, in that we have Hollywood here with all that implies and creates. So, combine goal-digging and narcissism, and you've given a sense of what sort of women we have here. It's actually just cheaper to hire a prostitute than it is to go out with the average woman here, and I often do that.

[HawkPerception]

A girl who requires me to spend money to get to know her isn't my kind of girl. A walk on a nice trail or park in warm weather, and if the weather is lousy, a conversation in a cafe is good enough.

[Anonymous]

i have never met anyone who has spent 200 dollars on a date. those numbers are more of an exaggeration than anything else.

[lightbulb27]

I think you are right...

[lilBigPotato]

I like you keep it reasonable, especially early dates where you just get a feeling for each other I prefer to keep cheap.

[HawkPerception]

A sensible girl. You're a rarity these days.

[AviatorTom]

A typical date for my wife and me is dinner and a movie.

Dinner: around US$ 70 at our favorite restaurant

Movie: around US$ 40, including popcorn and drinks

Total: US$ 110

A cheap date is when we take our dog for a long walk at the local park.

Cost: US$ 0

[lightbulb27]

Good plan! you still eat popcorn? I suggest transitioning to Makhana, bring your own.

[MrChinaski]

I would happily spend more than that for a starry-eyed night out with a woman I love. With some random I read 50 words about on a dating app... well... all I'm saying is that I'd better be getting the top bunk.

[MrChinaski]

And then the fine print:

"14% of Americans say the average date costs them nothing, up from 12% a year ago. At the other end of the spectrum, 14% say a typical date costs $300 or more, up from 11% in 2025."

So, roughly speaking, a few fat trust fund kids are ruining it for us all.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

So there's an equal rise of moneyless folks and richer ones... I mean, what a coincidence! It's exactly what I learnt at school in economics, about US wealth distribution system 😂

[MrChinaski]

@Maybe_Maybe_not K-shaped economy.

[lightbulb27]

That makes sense. Some are paying a lot for a date... maybe that means "more than a date". Others just go for a walk.

[slatyb]

A dinner date in Seattle will probably be close to $200 with tax and tip because I don't like cheap restaurants. I don't mind because I can easily afford it.

[msc545]

As it turns out, nobody really likes cheap restaurants, and I agree with you. If I am going out to dinner, I am going to have good food. In some cases, when I am in a rush and I am by myself, I might have some cheap but good food. Notice that the word good occurs in both scenarios.

[exitseven]

I hardly ever spent a lot of money on dates. Dinner and a movie rarely cost much more than 50 bucks back in the day. I was a poor college student during most of my dating life and I had a steady girlfriend for a lot of it.

[NathanDavis]

money has never been a factor for me...

whatever it was, was always worth it and never an issue

so, I don't know... I don't really go into a date counting bills and coins... lol

[CarolineWhizz]

I always offer to pay my share, particularly on early dates. I don't think it's fair for a guy to shell out loads of money when it's not clear where the relationship is going. Some accept, some don't. I don't make a big thing of it, either way. How much? It varies but here in the UK a really good meal in a smart restaurant is going to be £100 per person at least, if you have drinks, coffee etc as well then more.

[lightbulb27]

GAG is so confusing, you are UK but your site says you are USA.
You sound very reasonable, thank you for sharing!
What is a smart restaurant? Yes, eating out is expensive. I wonder when someone gets the idea you have to go pick your own lettuce and "whack a chicken", prepare it and eat it at their table... and that is cheaper. It's about the experience? Probably get us all eating more vegetarian.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Ranging from 0 to 3€ I believe? That's what a drink costs in the vicinity

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

I assume the 250$ you talk about are people dating in super fancy restaurants. But this isn't customary at all around me, except for upper-class maybe

[MrChinaski]

getyarn.io/.../fc7e6e32-042b-4de9-9a39-8a62c8a41139

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

I don't drink cherry cola that often, but once in a while I like it yep

I lean more towards fruit juices, coffees and... a pint of water with mint syrup, given the season 👌🏼

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

What is that site you brought me to lol, getyarn. io wth is that

[lightbulb27]

Things are more "chill" in Antarctica?

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Chill, like super chill, yes, überchillgezest !

[Jen_oic]

@lightbulb27 I don’t spend anything on my dates, he pays for everything

[lightbulb27]

The power of being a woman!

[RavVid]

In AUD. $30 each for a cafe meal. $20 for wine. $80 all up. I'd top out at $100.

If a pizza/pasta date it would be $50 all up.

[Telekinetic-Potato]

I always try to bring cash for dates. I don't do them often because I usually budget $100 and end up spending 60-80

[Vegasrunner]

As a rule of thumb I never spend more than $15 on a first date. After that I am open to spending whatever amount is needed.

[LiamJHayden]

First meet up, under $40. Maybe second, too. After she proves she is interested in me and not in it for the meals, then I am fine with $200+

[tonita926]

Depending on the restaurant you could spend 50 at the minimum

[Wodens_Apprentice]

We should force women to pay under force of arms.

[lightbulb27]

Equal Rights!!

[Wodens_Apprentice]

@lightbulb27 I'd like the reap the benefits of male privilege that women tell me I supposedly have whilst these women get to fuck whoever they want and do whatever they want.
I don't want women to have equal rights I think we should go back to how things were in the dark ages.

[Alex-Snow]

I'm a Gen Z and those number are way above my budget. I'm in college and broke!

[msc545]

Somewhere between $300 and $500

[lightbulb27]

Wow!! That's more than dinner...

[msc545]

No, around where I live, that's pretty normal. Admittedly, a pretty good dinner, but still dinner. , where I live, that's dinner.

[lightbulb27]

How many girls you got on this date, 3? That's double around here... unless you are talkin' "high faluttin'" dinner with drinks and dessert.

[msc545]

That has a lot to do with where I live. Everything is expensive here.

[lightbulb27]

What's sad is the prior woman in essence won. If she wanted to do damage, she did. She is in control, or the prior traumas. It all seems normal within the limitations.

[Iron_Man]

Yes cash is better

[Anonymous]

I never had a date, so I don't know.