Bloomberg — Dinner at Cosme restaurant and cocktails at Seville with a guy who works in an investment fund: $600. Drinks at the Beekman Hotel with a publicist $180. Latte in the Meatpacking District with a real estate agent: $15.
This is part of what Marin Haugo tells about his love life in New York, where last month he had 28 dates in 28 days. Haugo, who works at sales and recruiting chronicled her journey on TikTok, racking up millions of views and gaining thousands of new followers.
The appointments (and their price) were the most varied: one guy shelled out more than $1,000 over six dates, while others cost next to nothing. And it was above all men who paid, reigniting a debate that has lasted for decades about who should pay the bill, but with a current twist: inflation is making everything from eating out to alcoholic beverages more expensive. All at a time when post-pandemic loneliness keeps people willing to pay to find a partner.
“There is a new generation of people who don’t know very well how to deal with this new dynamic in which we find ourselves,” says Haugo. “It’s something ambiguous, unspoken, uncomfortable, about which everyone wonders.”
Channeling Carrie
Haugo was inspired by Carrie Bradshaw, the star of Sex and the City, for her challenge.
And as in a good episode of the series, their experiences over the next month highlighted the public’s interest in other people’s love affairs, a shared need for companionship, and the pressure of the prices of New York life. .
According to a recent study by dating app company Match Group Inc., the average bachelor spends about $1,560 a year on dating, 40% more than in the past decade. According to another study, the average American spends $121,000 dating in their lifetime.
And it’s getting more and more expensive, as inflation drives up the cost of restaurant meals, transportation, and clothing. The latest consumer price index shows that the price of eating out rose more than 8% from a year earlier, while the cost of alcoholic beverages in restaurants or bars shot up nearly 7%.
Not surprisingly, the cost of dating has been a frequent topic of discussion on Haugo’s TikTok profile. His followers want to know: What do you do when the bill comes to the table? His mantra is that the brunt of the cost, especially expensive dates, should fall on the planner. He doesn’t expect the men to pay, but most of them have paid the bill without hesitation. Not everyone agrees.
“I have a lot of fans from European countries, where many times people ask to send money through an app to the other person after a date,” says Haugo.
Even without paying the bill, the cost to women is still significant, Haugo says. She spends between $50 and $100 per appointment for transportation, clothing, makeup, and beauty appointments.
As for the men, at least one had other concerns: A publicist broke up with her because he didn’t like seeing her messages about how much she liked dating other people. However, at the end of it all, Ella Haugo said that she met three people that she could meet and that she is going to continue dating.
“An expensive month”
Caitlin Costa, from New York, was inspired by Haugo to embark on her own dating challenge. After breaking up with her boyfriend of two years in October, the 25-year-old decided to get back in the game with 15 outings in February – she knew 28 would be too much and 15 is her lucky number.
He usually went out for a drink or dinner at a restaurant, where the boy used to pay the bill. But he has been surprised at how much it has cost him. Costa estimates she spends about $50 a month on makeup and at least $80 on a clothing subscription service, plus about $20 for every Uber she takes. She gets her hair done once every four months, which costs her about $300.
“It’s been an expensive month,” says Costa, who works as an art director in advertising. “There’s definitely a cost that comes with the makeup and hair, and especially if it’s later at night, I’ll take an Uber home.”
dating demand
The rising cost of dating comes at a time when many singles are already having a hard time finding a partner amid social distancing and pandemic health concerns. Dating apps have tried to capitalize on this demand by launching premium subscription services that help increase the visibility of users’ profiles: Match’s dating app Hinge introduced a new subscription tier that costs $50 a month , while Tinder is testing user interest in a plan that would cost about $500 a month. The company stated in its earnings call last month that early tests of Hinge levels have indicated strong demand.
Aimee Belchak, from London, has seen the high cost of dating firsthand through her side business: a matchmaking service called A-gency. This 28-year-old, who works in theater production, decided to go on 28 dates in 28 days to raise money for charity.
His budget suffered during the month, he says, mostly because things from food to clothing to transportation are more expensive now. He tries to cut the cost of dating by recycling clothes and arranging cheaper outings like coffee.
“Dating can be very expensive,” says Belchak. “You have to be smart and make it work for you and your lifestyle.”
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