The price of love: Manitobans opting for less expensive, fewer dates, survey finds

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A new survey from Toronto Dominion Bank finds Manitobans are taking financial caution when it comes to dating.

According to the survey, 37 per cent of Manitobans polled are opting for less expensive dates - the highest rate of any province.

The report goes on to say 22 per cent of Manitobans are going on fewer dates based on current economic conditions.

With regards to the economy, surveyors found 21 per cent of Manitobans are prioritizing financial transparency earlier in their relationships, while 20 per cent place greater emphasis on finding a partner with secure finances.

Manitoba again ranks higher in this category than any other province.

The survey finds more than half of Manitoba respondents have never had discussions over finances or have delayed the conversation until after moving in or getting married.

At 51 per cent, Manitoba also ranks the highest in the country in this category.

A quarter of provincial respondents said they have kept a financial secret from their partner. Conversely, 44 per cent would consider breaking up if they found their partner lying about money.

The survey found other top reasons Manitobans would choose to end a relationship include perspective partners not offering to pay for anything coming in at 41 per cent, bad spending habits at 32 per cent and 27 per cent say refusing to save for mutual goals stands out.

Nearly one in three Manitobans would like their partner to sign a prenup if they get married or enter a common-law arrangement.

Divya Ramachandran, assistant professor of marketing at the Asper School of Business, was not surprised b the survey’s findings.

“I believe the cost of living in Manitoba is something that’s pretty high up there in people’s minds,” said Divya Ramachandran, assistant professor of marketing at the Asper School of Business.

“With the fact that the cost of living is increasing, I think that’s leading to a lot of these decisions around dating.”

Across the country, the survey found 30 per cent of Canadians are now going on fewer dates due to cost, while 29 per cent are switching to lower-cost or free date options instead.

The report also finds 25 per cent of Canadians across the country are prioritizing financial transparency earlier in their relationships.

The TD survey notes a nationally representative sample of 1,502 Canadians were polled. Results were weighted by age, gender, and region to match the population according to census data.