🏁 Axios Finish Line: Cheap dates

Plus: Festive ducks | Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Instagram   Axios Finish Line By Mike Allen, Erica Pandey and Jim VandeHei ·Nov 30, 2022 Nov 30, 2022 Welcome back. We'd love to hear from you at finishline@axios.com. Smart Brevity™ count: 352 words ... 1½ mins.     1 big thing: The death of dinner dates Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios   The custom of emptying wallets for a lavish dinner on a first date may be on its way out. The big picture: The collision of a number of trends — including skyrocketing prices, the pandemic's popularization of outdoor hangouts, and the rise of online dating — is starting to kill the traditional dinner date. Today's young people prefer long walks in the park, picnics or sampling street food — especially if it's a first date with a person you've only just met on a dating app. That can be a lot easier on the bank account as the price of meals at restaurants and drinks at bars has spiked 17% and 12%, respectively, per the most recent Consumer Price Index. Case in point: Natania Malin Gazek, a 35-year-old in Brooklyn, New York, told the Wall Street Journal she goes on walks around Prospect Park for first dates. "If it's not a match, neither of us need to feel resentful that we invested our time or our money and can instead feel glad that we got to take a walk in nature," she said. This attitude is reflected in people's profiles on the dating app Tinder, too. Mentions of picnics, drive-ins, mini-golf, street food and camping are all up in Tinder bios, according to the app. And 25% of surveyed singles on Tinder said they're drinking less on dates this year than last year. The bottom line: The grand gestures we saw in romantic comedies 20 years ago might be going out of style, dating coach Julie Spira told the Journal. The new first date is all about keeping it casual. Share this story.     A message from Instagram Explore 30+ Instagram tools helping teens have positive experiences     Instagram's tools can help parents keep their teens safe on social media, help teens see less sensitive content and help them spend less time on our platform. Because teens' experiences on Instagram should be positive and supportive. Explore our tools and set them up today.     🦆 Smile to go Photo courtesy of Tony P. Here's some inspiration to flex your artistic side for homemade holiday gifts this season, via Finish Liner Tony P.: "For about 20 years, I've been making polymer clay ducks and penguins for my family and friends." "They've become collectables in those households and cost about a buck and thirty minutes to make. A lot of joy in both giving and receiving."   Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: