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A high number of Aussies are swiping right on date prospects just to get free stuff. Picture: TikTok/ iStock
Call them fork buddies – a rising number of Australians say they’ve gone on dates with singles they have little interest in pursuing romantically just to score free drinks, food or a concert ticket.
In a brazen display of culinary catfishing, a jaw-dropping one in seven Aussie singles admitted they’ve done it, with most blaming rising rents and the soaring cost of living.
The number going on dates to score free stuff rose to a jaw dropping 32 per cent of Gen Z, according to the results of an exclusive Finder.com.au national poll.
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And while some men might assume the practice was one-way since they are still largely expected in our society to pay the bill on a first date, Finder indicated the practice was not relegated to any one gender.
A similar proportion of men and women had fessed up to the dating trend, with about half saying free drinks were the motivator.
Food remains one of the big motivators for singles to go on dates even when there is a lack of romantic interest.
A slightly lower amount said they went on a date with someone purely to get free food – a tasty meal with a side of awkward banter.
Others were swiping right and feigning interest in other singles for a “free experience” such as a ticket to a concert or the movies.
A fraction of the people going on these dates, about a fifth of the Aussies who had done it, said they went along with someone to score a free holiday.
Sarah Megginson, personal finance expert at Finder, said the findings showed just how far cost of living pressures had crept into people’s lives following years of runaway growth in inflation, rents and house prices.
“It’s a pretty telling sign of the times when scoring a free meal or drink becomes part of the appeal of saying yes to a date,” Ms Megginson said.
“Whether it’s a free dinner or a ticket to something they wanted to go anyway, there’s plenty of Australians who clearly don’t mind if a romantic outing comes with a financial upside attached.”
Personal finance expert Sarah Megginson said it was a telling sign of the cost of living crunch. Picture: Michelle Swan.
About one in five millennials said they had gone on a romantic date to get something for free, compared to just 6 per cent of Gen X.
The research shows dating Down Under has taken a similar shape to the United States, where the topic has been hotly debated.
An influencer in New York, Vivian Tu, made headlines and stirred controversy after revealing she had saved $15,000 in groceries over two years by going on six dates a week.
She claimed she was genuinely looking for a relationship and only noticed the financial perk in hindsight.
“If you dated me between 2016 to 2018, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Some of those dates were super fun, but others were painful to sit through,” she said on social media.
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Influencer Vivian Tu said she saved $15,000 on groceries by going on dates. Pictures: Instagram
TikTok creator EquanaB ignited one of the internet’s biggest date debates after documenting a first date at an Oyster Bar.
Her date had intended to meet strictly for drinks, but she filmed herself ordering four dozen oysters, crab cakes, and drinks.
“When the fourth [tray] came out, he was looking at me crazy. I didn’t give a f—. I’m like, ‘Baby, you invited me out – I’m gonna eat.’”
Her date excused himself to the bathroom and never returned, leaving her with the tab.
When she texted him calling it “crazy,” he replied: “I offered to take you out for drinks and you ordered all that food. I can Cash App the total for the drinks.”
The incident prompted hundreds of reaction videos from creators and commentators overwhelmingly defending the date for leaving.
“Going on a date with a stranger just for a free meal, even though you have no interest in a possible partner, sounds exhausting and way too much work. I’d rather spend my money and go eat by myself,” said one comment at the time.
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Another social media user summarised their position as this: “Free food is not worth some uggo trying to kiss you and you have to awkwardly pull away and then say bye and walk awkwardly to your car as they watch you.
“I can pay for my own food rather than hurt another person and have to spend time in public.”
Ms Megginson said if money is playing a bigger role than the person you’re with in deciding whether to go on a date, that’s worth paying attention to.
“Setting yourself a realistic monthly budget for socialising can take some of that financial pressure off, so you’re saying yes to a date because you want to, not because there’s a free meal.”
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