Love on a budget: 7 in 10 S’poreans will continue to date despite financial pressures

However, singles remain budget conscious as 72% would prefer free activities for dates.

Almost seven in 10 Singaporean singles still want to date despite the constraints of financial pressure but many still remain budget conscious as 72% said they would rather choose a free activity to do when going out, a survey by dating app Bumble revealed.

Singaporean women are more likely than men (79% vs. 65%) to pick a free activity when going out on a day.

Additionally, almost three in five Singaporeans (58%) said they would split costs with their dates, whilst more than half (52%) would use a coupon or a voucher to subsidise the cost of a date.

The survey revealed that overall, Gen Zs are more likely than Millenials to pick a free activity. In particular, Gen Z men are more budget-conscious when compared to Millennial men, as they are more likely to pick a free activity (72% vs. 60%), split costs with their dates (66% vs. 50%) and offer to cook dinner so they do not have to go out on a date (50% vs. 39%). Amongst women, there are no distinct differences between Gen Z and Millenials in preferences on how they would budget for a date.

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Meanwhile, 78% of Singaporeans agree they consider their partners’ budget when suggesting a venue. Gen Z women are particularly conscious of their partners’ budget, with 83% agreeing with this statement and none disagreeing. Almost half of Singaporeans (49%) believe they should contribute more to the cost of a date if they are in a better financial situation than their partner.

The survey also found Singaporeans tend to dine out as a first date activity, with go-to options being meeting over lunch or coffee at a cafe (42%) and having dinner at a restaurant (24%). About one in three Singaporeans (31%) believes the person who suggests an expensive restaurant should pick up the bill.