Bumble Reveals How Irish Adults Are Navigating Dating

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Your Place Or Mine? Bumble Reveals How Irish Adults Are Navigating Dating While Living With Parents And Friends 

New research from Bumble, the women-first dating app, has revealed that over two thirds (70%)* of adults in Ireland find it more difficult to date when living at home with parents or roommates, leading to conflicts between home and heart. Bumble’s research found that almost a third of respondents (30%) are currently living at home with their parents, including a quarter (24%) of those aged 24 – 35. The majority of Irish daters (70%) say it’s more difficult to date while living with parents, rising to three quarters of men (75%) in contrast to two thirds (65%) of women. Difficulties include fast forwarded timelines, increased costs and date admin: 1 in 3 (65%) respondents living at home or in shared accommodation have to spend more time planning dates because of their living situation

Bumble’s findings illustrate the impact of the housing crisis on Irish daters.  Over 2 in 5 (43%) have found themselves experiencing fast-forwarded timelines, as potential partners are introduced to family and friends earlier. Over a  third (36%) of adults living with parents or in shared accommodation say that their situation makes dating more expensive as they seek to leave the house more often.  Whilst living with parents or shared accommodation might make relationships intense more quickly, over a third (39%) of Irish people said it could also be a potential turn-off.

In light of the cost of living crisis, it’s not just living arrangements impacting the way people date. Bumble identified a trend of ‘Cash-Candid Dating’ – where single people are being more open and honest about their finances while dating. This is particularly true for 18-24 year olds, with over a fifth (21%) would talk about salary or finances on the first few dates. ***

Dr. Caroline West, Bumble’s Sex and Relationships expert, shares her top tips on navigating dating when living with parents or in shared accommodation.

• Negotiate some time by yourself in your house – whether that means doing the dishes for a week or something similar. This gives you time to plan a date with your partner, and your housemates might just be happy with taking turns to give each other some private time in the house. If you are living with your parents, offer to pay for a meal out for them. This will also help you build a good relationship with your parents too as they get to spend quality time together.
• Intimacy doesn’t always have to mean sex. Explore physical intimacy through holding hands on a walk along the beach, plan a picnic and talk about what you want from relationships, or go to an outdoor yoga class and feel the endorphins together. This helps you lay a good foundation if and when things turn a bit more serious and physical intimacy is on the cards.
• If you are going to move in together perhaps sooner than you would normally like due to the housing crisis, talk to your partner about what living together will look like, and what you would like to see for the future of the relationship. If you’re not on the same page now, it’s best to know this before committing to a lease.
• Dating can be expensive, but finding free things to do in your city will not only help your wallet, but help your dating life too. Original dates will make you stand out more than someone who just wants to go to the pub, and sober dating allows people to really get to know each other. Research from Bumble revealed that two thirds (66%) of people in Ireland believe they form stronger, more genuine connections on dates that don’t involve alcohol**
• There are no rules about who has to pay for dates in 2023: Talk with each other and come up with solutions that fit your principles and budgets. Compromise is key in a healthy relationship, so sharing costs in ways that work for you is part of a sustainable relationship.
• Set boundaries platonicallytoo: Talk to your friends about how you want things to play out when you introduce a new partner, and ask them to respect your new relationship

*Statistics taken from a survey carried out by Bumble between27th April 2023 and 4th May 2023 on a sample of 1,000 Irish adults.

**Research was carried out online by Research Without Barriers – RWB. All surveys were conducted between 2nd December 2021 and 7th December 2021. The sample comprised 1,002 IRE adults.

***All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2187 adults, of whom 567 are aged 34 and under. Fieldwork was undertaken between 26th – 27th July 2022. The survey was carried out online. The figures above have been weighted and are representative of UK adults aged 18+.