Online Dating: Gen Z Trims Romance Budgets — 53% Spend $0 Monthly, Bank of America Finds
Inflation and rising living costs are reshaping how young people approach romance, according to a new Bank of America study. The bank’s 2025 Better Money Habits report finds that 53 percent of Gen Z now spend zero dollars per month on dating — not even on a shared appetizer — while another 28 percent cap their monthly romance budget at under $100.
Budgeting courtship
The report links this retrenchment to financial anxiety, student debt and the rising cost of living, all of which are nudging younger daters away from traditional dinner-and-drinks outings. Instead, many are favoring lower-cost, lower-pressure options such as neighborhood walks, home-cooked meals shared after grocery runs, or drinks at home.
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Social platforms reflect the shift. On TikTok, creators trade tips for meeting people without relying solely on apps — suggesting everything from hotel bars to being approachable at a local bookstore. As MarketWatch noted in its coverage of the Bank of America findings, the trend signals growing burnout with online dating as a transactional, swipe-driven experience: MarketWatch.
From swipe fatigue to real-life meetups
That fatigue shows up in other surveys as well. A study cited by Fortune reports roughly 75 percent of Gen Z feel tired of swiping, describing dating apps as emotionally draining and increasingly transactional. As a result, more young adults are turning to supper clubs, bookstore events and friend-of-a-friend introductions to find connections.
Financial priorities are shaping partner selection too. Bank of America’s report finds that 78 percent of Gen Z consider financial responsibility a priority when evaluating dating prospects, a figure that rises to 81 percent among women. Respondents also reported feeling less peer pressure to spend and more comfortable saying no to outings they cannot afford.
Dating platforms and brands are taking note. According to the original reporting, companies are experimenting with features that emphasize shared experiences and in-person meetups over purely algorithmic matches and ephemeral chat. The broader takeaway: for many Gen Z daters, love hasn’t disappeared — it has been reframed through the lens of financial reality.
“Maybe romance hasn’t lost its spark. The dates got cheaper, but the standards didn’t,” the original coverage concludes.
