Coupons on First Dates in Connecticut: Frugal or a Dealbreaker?

According to new research from Study Finds, you can forget roses and fancy ass dinners in 2025. Today’s singles are way more into rewards points and coupons according to a new survey. SF found that more than half of Americans think using a coupon on a first date is totally acceptable, and nearly a third actually find frugality sexy.

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The study, done by Talker Research for TopCashback.com, found that flashy spending could be a turnoff, and budget-conscious behavior is winning people over. In fact, being smart with your wallet might just make you look like long-term material. But don’t get it twisted, there’s still a fine line between being frugal and being flat-out cheap.

Here are the biggest takeaways:

• 56% of Americans say it’s totally fine to use a coupon on a first date.

• Big gender gap on splitting the bill: 70% of men are cool with a second date after going halfsies, but only 32% of women feel the same.

• People do draw the line: skipping tips or never spending on experiences is a major frugal failure.

Which brings me to the big question: would you feel comfortable whipping out a coupon on a first date in Connecticut? If you live here, you know that daily life happens in the shadow of mansions. And while the Nutmeg State isn’t packed wall-to-wall with millionaires like people think, let’s be honest: money’s kind of in the air. Not having any—or worse, looking cheap, can definitely cramp your dating style.

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I think once you’re married with kids, the whole idea of “spending habits” shifts into a completely different gear. Just the other day, my wife told me to rein it in. Now, let me be clear—I don’t have hobbies, I’m not out here buying sneakers, car parts, or boat accessories. What she means is my tendency to go on little spending tears inside gas station convenience stores or our local Walgreens.

Something about those places just short-circuits my brain piece. I walk in for one thing and suddenly I’m convinced we need every snack in existence, a two-year supply of AA batteries, and a random board game my daughter may or may not ever play. Yesterday, she specifically warned me: "Ease up on the snack spending."

Naturally, I ignored her and went to Walgreens anyway—for a man-sized tub of honey roasted peanuts. And yes, I made sure not to use my rewards card and declined the paper receipt. Why? Because if I swipe that card, she gets a notification that her husband is once again making poor, peanut-based life choices—and paying full price for it.

Now, I’m not single anymore, but back in the day, the idea of pulling out a coupon on a date? I would've rather walked into traffic.

If I had any advice to give, it’d be this: save up a little for that first date so you can at least pretend you’ve got your financial life together. That way, she won’t immediately suspect her future might involve secret peanut missions at the pharmacy, ones you’re desperately hoping she never finds out about.