Nearly 40% of Americans have gone on a date just to get a free meal

Nearly 4 in 10 Americans have accepted a dinner invitation with no romantic intent, just a free meal, according to new survey data that suggests financial pressures are increasingly shaping modern dating habits.

Pennsylvania-based financial services company JG Wentworth surveyed 1,538 U.S. adults on dating and finances, finding that 39.9% said they had gone on a date at least once solely to score a free dinner. Another 27.5% said they had never done it but had considered it, while 32.6% said the thought had never crossed their mind.

The survey, titled “Love on a Budget: Are Americans Too Broke to Date?”, found that the average American spends $93 on a first date — and expects a date to spend roughly the same. More than 60% of respondents said spending expectations around dates are higher now than in the past. The survey’s topline results were released without a disclosed margin of error or sampling methodology, which limits how broadly the findings can be generalized, though the sample of 1,538 adults is consistent with standard consumer polling.

Financial anxiety is casting a long shadow over the dating world more broadly, at least by self-report. Nearly 86% of respondents said concerns about money had caused them to delay getting back into dating at least once. Almost three in 10 said they had declined a date because they simply could not afford it, and 85.7% said they had turned down a second date over financial incompatibility with the other person.

A separate survey by Intuit, conducted in 2025, found that roughly one in three Gen Z singles admitted to going on dates primarily for a free meal — suggesting the behavior may be especially prevalent among younger Americans navigating tighter budgets. That survey similarly relied on self-reported behavior and carries the same interpretive limits.

Jan Goss, a professional development expert based in Texas, told Fox News Digital the date-for-food phenomenon reflects a broader shift in how people relate to one another.

“Whether it’s a first date, a business meeting or a friendship, relationships are built on trust,” Ms. Goss said. “And so the moment we show up with this hidden agenda, we damage the foundation before it ever starts.”

She acknowledged the financial realities behind the trend but was unsparing in her assessment. “There is an economics conversation around it, because times are tough for many and inflation is real,” Ms. Goss said. “People are struggling. But financial struggle doesn’t give us permission to compromise our integrity.”

By Ms. Goss’ reckoning, the etiquette is straightforward: whoever extends the invitation pays. “If someone asks you to dinner, then the understanding is they’re going to pay,” she said.

For those who find themselves on the other side of the equation — uncertain whether they can cover their share — Ms. Goss advised candor. If the cost isn’t manageable, simply telling the other person “It’s not in my budget this week” is both honest and acceptable, she said.

She also recommended always being prepared to pay for one’s own meal. “To take care of your own meal is polite, especially if it’s a first date, and you don’t really know which way it’s going to go,” Ms. Goss said, adding that offering to split the bill is a reasonable default.

The etiquette guidance comes as so-called “foodie calls” — in which someone arranges a date expressly to avoid paying for their own dinner — have become a recognized phenomenon on social media, with TikTok users openly sharing the practice.