Free meal is motivating nearly 1 in 3 singles to say 'yes' to date, new report finds

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

Nearly one in three singles (31%) born between 1997 and 2012 admit they've gone on a date just for the free meal, according to an Intuit survey of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted in September. 

The study found that money is increasingly shaping relationships, from date-night budgets to deciding who pays the bill. 

Overall, 51% of Americans said they're dating less due to economic concerns, with Gen Z hit hardest at 58%, yet many are redefining a "good" date around affordability and creativity.

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"For Gen Z, financial habits and ambition are becoming part of the new love language," said Ashleigh Ewald, a Georgia Tech public policy student in her twenties.  

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

Many Gen Z singles say their dating lives are shaped by finances. (iStock)

Nearly half of Gen Z and millennials say they don't feel financially secure, according to a Deloitte survey released earlier this year. 

Ewald said inflation and cost-of-living pressures have made creative, budget-friendly dates more common — from home-cooked dinners to shared side hustles.

"A girl's gotta eat."

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

For 22-year-old Jacksonville, Florida, media professional Katie Fites, the trend rings true.

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"A girl's gotta eat, but I wouldn't go out with just anyone for a free meal," Fites told Fox News Digital. "The risk usually outweighs the reward." 

She said she's fine with splitting costs or even covering a round of drinks, but she expects effort in return. 

Katie Fites told Fox News Digital that she "wouldn't go out with just anyone for a free meal. The risk usually outweighs the reward." (Katie Fites)

"If you can't afford a $15 drink, don't ask someone out," she said. "I want to go out with someone ambitious who knows what they want. It doesn't mean they have to make a lot of money, but they should have direction."

Like many of her generation, Fites said she prefers low-pressure, affordable dates — grabbing coffee, walking on the beach or getting a drink instead of an expensive dinner.

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Jason Lee, founder of the dating app LoveTrack, which provides date ideas, conversation starters and birthday and anniversary reminders, said members of Gen Z are more frugal and creative when it comes to date nights. Some of the most popular date ideas on the app are free or low-cost, such as scavenger hunts, picnics and movie nights at home, he said. 

Licensed therapist Allison Guilbault, who counsels Gen Z clients in New York City, said splitting tabs, sharing Ubers and buying their own drinks has also become the standard. 

"I don't even think they notice if their date is cheap the way that my peers and I would absolutely notice," the 44-year-old said.

Younger daters are more transparent about income, spending and saving, according to some experts. (iStock)

Money, however, often becomes the "third wheel," according to Intuit. A third of Americans have ended a relationship over finances, and 44% of Gen Z daters say they'd only go out with someone who earns more than they do.

Sabrina Romanoff, a New York-based psychologist and relationship expert with dating app Hily, said these financial dynamics aren't new, but they've intensified. 

"Historically, women tended to date men of equal or greater education or income," she said. 

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Today, dating has become increasingly transactional, she added. 

"In the past, a first date might have led to the hope of a future together or a potential relationship, whereas now, more cynical daters may have lower expectations, such as a free dinner or free drink."

A Hily survey found that more than half — 57% of women and 63% of men — would stop seeing someone who can't manage money responsibly, and about a third of women and 37% of men even find frugality attractive.

Nearly half of Gen Z and millennials say they don't feel financially secure. (iStock)

"The goal of getting free meals, drinks or even vacations was prevalent when I was in college," Guilbault said. She recalled the early 2000s "Sex and the City" era in New York City, when she and her friends would often hustle men to pick up the tab for dinner or drinks.

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For many young couples, financial independence has become the ultimate form of security. More than half keep separate accounts, preferring autonomy to joint control, Intuit found — and they don't dance around the "money talk."

"We're asking the salary question when we get exclusive because we've learned that love doesn't pay the rent," said Gen Z money expert Taylor Price.

Talking about money early in a relationship isn't taboo for Gen Z. (iStock)

"Money has always mattered in relationships, but for Gen Z, it's been front and center from day one," Price told Fox News Digital. 

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"We're the generation that graduated into a pandemic economy, watched inflation eat our paychecks and realized our parents' financial playbook doesn't work anymore."

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"A free meal isn't just about the food," she added. "It's about one less transaction on a card that's already running on high tabs."