Single? Apparently dating is costing you over £1,300 a year

Single Brits have been digitally dating over the last few months as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. From Zoom meet ups with potential other halves to socially distanced park visits, the option of meeting for drinks at a rooftop bar or enjoying a three course meal wasn't there.

So, if you're someone who likes to date, you probably saved yourself a lot of money.

But as restrictions start to ease, many singletons are heading back out to pick up where they left off in March - which means splashing the cash on a good time once again.

And how much do the unattached spend on finding the one? Well, it turns out looking for love is costing single Brits around £1,349 a year. Great.

Dating app Plenty of Fish surveyed 2,000 single adults and found that on average, they go on thirteen dates a year with each meet-up costing approximately £106.06.

Yes, it sounds like a steep number, but a lot of that gets spent before the date; whilst meeting a new flame costs around £45.61 and covers food, drink and entertainment, roughly £60.45 is forked out for preparation - think outfits, waxes and beard trims for example.

Beforehand, the participants admitted that they prepare themselves by finding their date online and assessing the security of the location, and it's men that push the boat out before meeting, spending £74.07 against women's £53.14. They also spend almost double on the evening, averaging £62.59 compared to £36.60 for women.

Men tend to loosen their purse strings as they don't want to appear tight, but one in twenty have had their card declined when the bill comes and even more - one in ten - revealed they borrowed money to go in the first place.

But more than half said that the cost didn't matter so much, as chemistry and conversation are the most important aspects.

Dating and relationship expert at Plenty of Fish, Shannon Smith, said: 'While we can feel under pressure to sweep new love interests off their feet with lavish date ideas, it’s clear from our research that some of the simplest and cheapest activities can be the ones we enjoy the most.

So there you have it.