Finding love on the first date will cost you, a quarter of the average weekly wage to be exact
If you can't seem to find love, you're probably not spending enough, it turns out – after new research found Britons are not shy about splashing the cash to impress on the first date, with the average expenditure on a first date hitting £132.57 – over a quarter of the average weekly wage.
The data, from Barclaycard showed, love-struck Britons spend the majority of this amount on making sure they look the part.
A new outfit for the special occasion is priced at £45.19, while grooming sets us back £32.50, leaving £54.88 for the date itself. Though we spent so much on the prospect of gaining a potential partner, a quarter of us have experienced a first date that lasts as little as 15-30 minutes – how disappointing.
But the latter hasn’t put men off on their quest for love, as they were found to be more generous, spending 93 per cent more than their female counterparts.
This is probably due to the fact they often choose a three course meal as their date of choice, while two-thirds of women prefer a brief encounter, opting for drinks or cup of coffee.
It turns out you end up spending even more if you get past the first dates stage. Couples become more generous, the longer they stay together, spending £64.44 after six months and £154.40 after five or more years – an inflation of 140 per cent.