Articles by Haley Taylor Schlitz

Business

Taylor Schlitz: Would you go on a date for free food? Gen Z just might.

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of material from 8 contributing columnists, along with other commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here. When I saw the release of a recent study about money and dating, one statistic in particular stood out to me: 31% of Gen Z singles admitted they have gone on a date mostly for the free meal. The survey commissioned by Intuit shows how financial stress has quietly become the third wheel in modern relationships. It made me think of a TikTok I had seen not long ago where a young man sits at a brunch table sprinkling salt over his eggs and eating with pure focus. The caption reads, “Me on our first date, enjoying my free meal, not listening to a thing you say.” More than 300,000 people liked it. It is funny, but it is also revealing. We laugh because we recognize the absurdity, and then we keep laughing because it feels true. In 2025, a first date is as much about cost as chemistry. For a generation that has grown up with rapidly rising prices and shrinking stability amid a challenging job market, the “foodie call” — the term for going on a date for free food — has become both a joke and a coping mechanism. According to the Cuffing Economy report, 58% of Gen Z say they are going on fewer dates because of cost, and more than half are adjusting their dating habits to make them more affordable. This is also generally true for Gen Xers and millennials, but the survey suggests that Gen Z is feeling it the most. Behind these numbers is a larger truth about how we are learning to navigate adulthood. What used to be small acts of connection now come with calculation. Rent, debt and the price of groceries follow us into every conversation, even into moments that are supposed to feel spontaneous and light. Online, the conversation is just as divided as the check. A 19-year-old TikToker, @not2daii, says she refuses to accept dates for free food, arguing that independence and self-love matter more. Another creator, @realkpreme, shares the frustration that many men feel when they invest time and money in dates that lead nowhere. In another video, @222ashlea222 offers a more balanced view, admitting that some women do go out for free meals but reminding viewers that most are just trying to connect while surviving the same economy.