Inflation – or the rate at which the prices for services and goods – is a very real thing. Just last year, the US experienced an inflation rate of 8.3%, the UK of 11.1%, and Malta of 7.35% according to the NSO.
This reality means that people have less disposable income to spend on non-necessities, which includes going out on dates in the hopes of finding a significant other or bagging someone for the night.
In fact, in a study conducted in 2022 by one of the world’s most popular online dating services, Plenty of Fish (PoF), 48% of single millennials and Gen Zers were opting for cheaper date nights. This study, which involved 8,000 of its 150 million users, led the platform to describe this as ‘infla-dating’. The term joins a plethora of Gen Z dating jargon such as dexting, dawn dating, cushioning, beiging and others.
Although this may seem like a sad twist of events, Forbes has actually found three silver linings to the trend, including that it can lead to more interesting experiences, promote healthy financial communication, and allow people on dates to focus on each other.
Over and above this, infla-dating means that singletons can still go out and meet potential partners without having to add to the anxiety of spending a lot just to be able to do so.
Since Malta is also going through its own inflation problems, the chances are that the trend will hit our shores soon enough. When it does, remember that there is no shame in not being able to afford heading to a Michelin star restaurant or splurging on a bottle of champagne. Instead, heading to the countryside or the beach, a drive to somewhere remote to stargaze, or simply heading to a quiet village bar for a coffee can still make for a great date.