Nearly 40% of Americans Admit Dating for Free Meals as First-Date Costs Hit $93

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 28

39.9% of Americans told a JG Wentworth survey they have gone on at least one date mainly for a free meal, based on responses from 1,538 U.S. adults.
Economic strain ran through the findings: 60.1% said spending expectations on dates are higher now, and 29.5% said they have turned down a date because they could not afford it.
Financial compatibility also shaped follow-up decisions, with 85.7% saying they rejected a second date because they did not align financially with the other person.
The survey put the average first-date cost at $93, underscoring how inflation and tighter budgets are reshaping dating behavior even as traditional dinner dates reportedly rebound among people in their 20s.
Etiquette expert Jan Goss said the trend reflects hidden agendas under financial pressure, urging daters to clarify who will pay upfront and be prepared to cover their own meal.

As 'date-flation' soars, is dating for a meal an unethical hack or a rational response to a broken economy?

Beyond dinner, how is staggering household debt secretly rewriting the rules for modern love and long-term commitment?

Is the 'foodie call' a modern deception or an echo of historical courtships where finances were always part of the deal?