Whether you’re looking for a fun fling or your future partner, you can be certain to spend some money along the way. Dating can be an expensive business.
A study from Match found that the average unmarried American spent $1,596 on dating in a year. Is finding that perfect relationship worth pouring money into? Or is it something that shouldn’t come with a big price tag at all?
Here’s a breakdown of some of the big costs involved in dating that you may not have even realized you were spending money on.
The cost of making yourself attractive
We all spend money on our appearance but how much should you really be spending before a date?
You should definitely make an effort when it comes to choosing an outfit, but you should ideally stick to clothing that’s already in your wardrobe (the same applies to using make-up that you already own). Radical temporary changes to your appearance could affect your confidence during a date – you may not be fully comfortable with a new haircut or a new dress that you’ve just bought.
Some of us may even take permanent measures to help with dating such as cosmetic surgery. This is a big cost and should only ever be done because it makes you happy, not other people.
Procedures like breast surgery are definitely things that many of us do to make ourselves more attractive. If you find yourself watching breast fat injection videos and still longing for this kind of this treatment, then it’s probably a good sign that surgery is worth the cost. It could help you to have more confidence in yourself, which will also help you in your dating ventures.
The cost of finding a partner
Speed dating events and dating site memberships can also cost money, although often these costs are unnecessary. There are plenty of free dating sites out there that can allow you to meet and message new people.
The only time you may want to pay a premium price is if you’re looking for a niche type of person – there are dating sites for people of certain religions and on certain incomes that could be worth paying for if it gives you access to prospective dates you might not otherwise meet.
There are many free dating events that don’t require you to pay anything however, paying for some specialist events could also be worthwhile.
The cost of the dates
The dates themselves can get expensive. Whilst it’s a tradition for men to offer to pay for the bill on the first date, it’s also recently become etiquette for women to offer to split the bill.
Where you go for a date can make a big difference on the overall cost. If you’re trying to save money, it could be worth recommending a coffee date over a date at a restaurant.
You could also recommend cheap activities such as a picnic, a home movie night or a long walk, instead of costly activities such as going to the cinema, visiting an amusement park or taking a day trip by car/train.
Collaborative Post
Susan McCord @ The Dear Sybersue Talk Show
