The average Brit will go on 13 first dates, 11 romantic dinners and spend nearly £11,000 on dating before finding ‘the one’, a survey revealed today.
Researchers found the typical adult will invest £1,355 on first dates alone during their quest for love – but seven of these will be ‘disasters’.
The study of 2,000 people found that the first 12 months of a relationship is an expensive affair, with the average single lavishing £3,629 on the courtship.
This bill will then drop by a significant £1,000 during the second year to £2,760, as couples settle into their relationship and spend less on romance.
Andy Oldham, Managing Director at the UK’s biggest cashback site Quidco.com, which commissioned the research, said: ”It seems the dating game is a costly one for us Brits wanting to impress in the first forays of a relationship.
”When you add up the amount you will spend before you finally marry ‘the one’, the cost can be staggering, so it is no wonder, splitting the cost of courtship is becoming more common.
”And it seems the money we spend isn’t just on the date itself. Many use it as an opportunity to treat themselves to a new outfit, beauty treatment or haircut, not to mention the gift purchased to really impress their potential partner.”
Those of you that think a ring on a finger will curb courting enthusiasm, will be surprised.
The study found, the cost of dating rises again after an engagement – as the average Brit can expect to spend £3,012 on dates between the engagement and big day.
Those of us who decided to give dating a miss after getting engaged, said it was mainly because dating is for ‘the start of the relationship’.
One quarter of people who don’t date after engagement also said it was due to them saving for the wedding instead.
Researchers found that before finding the one, the average British man will date 13 different people, while a woman will date ten different people before they find their soul-mate.
During each first date, men will spend around £16 on gifts such as flowers or chocolates in the hope to win over their new potential love.
And an extravagant one in five Brits has even taken a date abroad in an attempt to really impress them.
These holiday dates end up costing us £760 a time, so aren’t quite as popular as a trip to the cinema.
But parting with the massive amount of money doesn’t guarantee a good date as the results also found that the average Brit will go on around seven ‘disaster’ dates.
One quarter of people have had to get a friend to call or text them with a ‘fake’ emergency to give them an excuse to leave an awkward date.
Andy Oldham added: ”If you want to enjoy dating with a slightly smaller bill, don’t be afraid to find ways to save money – using discounts vouchers in restaurants and receiving cashback on gifts and flowers purchased online, and via Quidco will leave you with more cash to spend on your soul mate in the future.”
Cost of courtship – the breakdown
First dates: £104.21 per date. Average of 13 first dates = £1,354.73 before meeting the one
First year of a relationship: £151.19 per date/24 dates during the first year = £3,628.56
Second year of relationship: £131.39 per date/21 dates during the second year = £2,759.19
Engagement to marriage: £120.49 per date/25 dates from getting engaged to getting married = £3,012.25
Total cost of dating: £10,754.73
