Death of the 'date night': rising costs means we're ditching love to pay for gas bills

Couples and those seeking love have had to cut back on spending on romantic evenings and gestures after rising bills and food prices forced them to divert income elsewhere.

The cost of living crisis has meant consumers have had to prioritise – tightening their belts and committing less on finding a partner or taking loved ones out to dinner, according to a report from Nationwide Building Society.

Spending on dating fell dramatically last month, Nationwide reported. Expenditure on childcare, motoring, TV, phones and broadband also fell as consumers cut their outgoings in the face of high inflation and spiralling bills.

Consumers spent 10pc less in April on dating or date nights compared with the month before, with the average transaction at £22.48. The country spent as much on romantic evenings last month as it did in April 2021, even though last year the country was in the midst of its third lockdown and socialising was all but banned.

Nationwide said the overall amount of money spent by consumers in April was the same as in March despite the number of transactions dramatically falling. The building society said this reflected soaring costs in certain areas such as food and utilities.

Charity spending also fell 16pc in April although this is still 17pc higher when compared with 2021. The average donation stood at £22.94.

Inflation hit 9pc last month, the highest level in nearly 40 years, while monthly mortgage repayments have been pushed up by four increases in borrowing costs by the Bank of England, leading to the worst cost of living squeeze in a generation. 

Energy bills also increased 54pc in April, taking the average yearly spend to £1,971 while council tax for the average home climbed to almost £2,000, up from £1,898. A series of punishing tax changes were also implemented last month with National Insurance contributions rising as thresholds at which tax is paid remained static. 

Despite the doom and gloom, consumers ramped up how much they spent on clothes and shoes – which was 14pc higher than March and fifth more than in April 2021. 

Nationwide’s Mark Nalder said: "Household finances are really feeling the pinch. It’s therefore perhaps no surprise that people are trying to make cutbacks where and when they can, in order to save money and divert it towards paying the big bills.

"We expect spending on non-essentials to shrink slightly in the months ahead as the rising cost of living continues to put pressure on household finances."