There's one thing worse than a bad first date – a bad first date where you spent more than you wanted to. It's not just the fact you've "invested" in someone you'll probably never see again, but the realisation that you could have spent that money on quality time with your friends – especially those you neglected during lockdown.
According to new research by Badoo, the average bad first date costs a person £47.50. On average, Badoo users said they have experienced six failed romantic connections in the last year – and if each one cost £47.50, that adds up to £285.
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According to Badoo, many first dates fail because of what they've dubbed "repeated dating app disconnection" – essentially, users not being on the same page as each other. Six in 10 Badoo users said they feel fellow daters make assumptions about them based on their age and gender, with 43% of women saying people presume they only want to settle down. Ugh.
In an effort to prevent these crossed wires, Badoo has made it mandatory for users to choose one of three "intentions" when they create their profile. These are: here to date, meaning "I want to go on dates and have a good time – no labels"; ready for a relationship, meaning "I'm looking for something that lasts - no games", and open to chat, meaning "I'm here to chat and see where it goes. No pressure."
Natasha Briefel, Badoo's Marketing Director, said of the new intentions feature: "Dating is more fun when you're on the same page. After finding that mismatched intentions are one of daters' biggest bugbears, we set out to create the antidote. The new feature helps daters to find people looking for the same thing as them, and get to what they want, sooner."
Oh, and if you're keen to cut back on first date spending, check out this guide to fun first date ideas that aren't dinner and a movie.