Nearly a third of Gen Z people go on dates just to get free food: ‘A girl has to eat’

For members of Generation Z, romance can come with a price tag, according to a new report.

Nearly one in three single people (31%) born between 1997 and 2012 admit to having gone on a date Just for the free meal, According to an Intuit survey of 1,500 American adults in September.

The study found that money increasingly shapes relationships, from Date and night budgets To determine who pays the bill.

Overall, 51% of Americans said they did Dating is less due to economic concernsGeneration Z was the most affected, at 58%. However, many are redefining “good” history in terms of affordability and creativity.

“For Gen Z, financial habits and ambition have become part of the new love language,” said Ashley Ewald, a public policy student at Georgia Tech in her 20s.

“Money and financial security have become major forces in dating because they represent stability.”

Nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials say they don’t feel financially secure, according to a Deloitte survey conducted earlier this year.

Inflation and cost-of-living pressures have made creative, budget-friendly dates more popular, from home-cooked dinners to shared side activities, Ewald said.

Nearly half of Americans say the sweet spot for a first date budget is between $50 and $100, Intuit found.

For 22-year-old media professional Katie Fitts in Jacksonville, Florida, this trend rings true.

“A girl’s gotta eat, but I’m not going out with anyone for a free meal,” Fitts told Fox News Digital. “The risk usually outweighs the reward.”

She said she wouldn’t split the costs or even cover a round of drinks, but she would expect effort in return.

“If you can’t afford a $15 drink, don’t ask anyone out,” she said. “I want to go out with someone who is ambitious and knows what he wants. That doesn’t mean he has to make a lot of money, but he has to have direction.”

Like many of her generation, Fitts said she prefers low-stress, affordable dates — a coffee, a walk on the beach or a drink rather than an expensive dinner.

Members of Generation Z are more frugal and creative when it comes to date nights, said Jason Lee, founder of dating app LoveTrack, which provides date ideas, conversation starters, and reminders for birthdays and anniversaries. Some of the most popular date ideas on the app are free or low-cost, like scavenger hunts, picnics and movie nights at home, he said.

Splitting tabs, sharing Ubers and buying their own drinks have also become the norm, said licensed therapist Allison Guilbeault, who counsels Gen Z clients in New York City.

“I don’t even think they notice if their date is cheap the way me and my mates certainly would,” the 44-year-old said.

However, money often becomes the “third wheel,” according to Intuit. A third of Americans have ended a relationship over finances, and 44% of Gen Z say they would only go out with someone who earns more than they do.

These financial dynamics are not new, but they have intensified, said Sabrina Romanoff, a New York-based psychologist and relationship expert at the dating app Hily.

“Historically, women have tended to date men of equal or higher education or income,” she said.

She added that dating today has become increasingly transaction-based.

“In the past, a first date might have led to hope for a future together or a potential relationship, whereas people who are more cynical now might have lower expectations, like a free dinner or a free drink.”

A Healy poll found that more than half – 57% of women and 63% of men – would stop seeing someone who couldn’t manage their money responsibly, and nearly a third of women and 37% of men find saving attractive.

“Getting free meals, drinks, or even vacations was the norm when I was in college,” Guilbeault said. She recalled the “Sex and the City” era of early 2000s New York City, when she and her friends would often get men to foot the bill for dinner or drinks.

For many young couples, financial independence has become the ultimate form of security. More than half keep separate accounts, preferring independence to shared control, Intuit found — and they don’t dance around “talking about money.”

“We ask the salary question when we get exclusive offers because we’ve learned that love doesn’t pay the rent,” said Gen Z financial expert Taylor Price.

“Money has always been important in relationships, but for Generation Z, it’s been front and center since day one,” Price told Fox News Digital.

“We are the generation that graduated into a pandemic economy, watched inflation eat into our paychecks and realized that our parents’ financial playbook just didn’t work anymore.

“The free meal is not just about the food,” she added. “It’s about a lower transaction on a card that’s already running at high tabs.”