Call it cold hearted or cost effective, but for some Gen Z singles, a free dinner date beats another night of ramen or freezer-aisle meals.
With rent soaring, student loans looming, and job security feeling out of reach, Gen Z is carrying their financial anxiety into their dating lives. Nearly 1 in 3 Gen-Z singles are going on dates just for the free meal, according to a new study from financial technology company Intuit. The report, titled The Cuffing Economy, is another data point about how economic anxiety is reshaping young people’s dating habits, or decision to date at all.
“If you want to go on a date with somebody because you’re interested in them and you’re excited about them, and you both talked about who’s paying for the date, great,” says Aja Evans, a licensed mental health counselor and financial therapist. “But do not go on dates and potentially lead people on.”
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There are plenty of tongue-in-cheek TikTok videos about singles setting up dates because they can’t be bothered to meal prep or bragging about scoring free dates for food.
