Young, Single, Broke? What To Do If Your Love Life Gives Less ‘Spend Dat’ And More Dating On A Budget

September 11, 2026
BLK dating app shares cost-saving tips so you don’t have to choose between keeping your money and finding a honey.
If you don’t have $20s, $50s, or $100s to spend on first date after first date, don’t worry, you’re not alone. New research shows that spending all that cash is making singles reconsider their love lives and instead, they’re trying out dating on a budget.
BLK, the largest dating app for Black singles, recently polled its users and found that financial anxiety is changing the way people connect. Among the surprising findings:
“The numbers put hard data behind something our community already talks about all the time,” Amber Cooper, BLK’s Head of Brand, told BLACK ENTERPRISE exclusively. “The desire to connect is absolutely there. It’s not that people are giving up on dating; it’s that the cost of showing up has gotten in the way.”
That cost isn’t small change, especially in the context of all the other expenses that are driving us toward debt. Dating on a budget has become a necessity, with BLK users reporting that a standard night out costs $100 to $150 once you factor in prep, transit, and the date itself.
“For a lot of Black singles, the cost of a date starts way before the restaurant; it’s the hair, the outfit, the gas, the parking. You’re a hundred dollars in before you order a drink,” Cooper explains.
“Folks want dating to feel doable again,” she says. “And the solution they’re reaching for is lower-pressure, in-person ways to connect—things that don’t cost much and actually let you get to know somebody.”
Cooper recommends that singles not only get comfortable dating on a budget, but that they learn how to have uncomfortable conversations about money.
“Being upfront about money isn’t a turn-off; it’s a green flag. It tells the other person you’re planning for something real, not just performing for one night,” she says.
“Yes, some people still equate spending with effort. But effort isn’t about how much money you spend, it’s the thought behind the date. If someone judges you for a thoughtful, low-cost date, that’s the real red flag!”
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