The temperature drops, the holidays approach, and suddenly everyone’s coupled up like it’s a biological imperative. Welcome to cuffing season—where loneliness meets cold weather and your dating app matches skyrocket right alongside your spending.

But here’s the thing nobody mentions: winter relationships are expensive. Between holiday dates, gift expectations, and the general “let’s stay in and order food” vibe of cold months, cuffing season can wreck your budget faster than you can say “Netflix and actually chill costs $60 in delivery fees.”

The cuffing season price tag

Let’s do the math on a typical 3-4 month winter relationship (November through February).

Standard dating costs:

  • Weekly dates at $50-100 each: $800-1,600 for four months
  • Holiday gift (because you can’t not): $50-150
  • New Year’s Eve plans: $100-300
  • Valentine’s Day (the final boss): $100-200

Total: $1,050-2,250 for a relationship that might not survive spring.

And that’s before you factor in the “staying warm together” expenses like constant takeout, matching ugly Christmas sweaters, or splitting an Airbnb for a weekend getaway.

The unique financial traps

Gift-giving pressure: You’ve been dating for exactly three weeks when the holidays hit. Do you get them a gift? How much do you spend? Too much is weird, too little is cheap, and navigating this without clear communication is financially stressful.

The slow financial bleed: Winter dates are expensive. It’s too cold for free park walks, so everything costs money—bars, restaurants, movies, indoor activities. Summer dating has cheap options. Winter dating does not.

The February finale: Just when you think you’ve survived, Valentine’s Day arrives with its mandatory romantic gestures. Break up before February 14th and you’re heartless. Wait until after and you’ve spent another $150 on dinner.

How to cuff without going broke

Set expectations early: “I’m not big on expensive dates” is a totally reasonable thing to say. Anyone worth dating will respect it.

Embrace low-cost winter activities: Ice skating in public parks, holiday light displays, making dinner together—these are romantic and cheap.

The gift conversation: If you’re newly dating when holidays hit, talk about it. “We’ve only been seeing each other for a few weeks—let’s keep gifts small/skip them?” saves everyone stress and money.

Budget your cuffing: Decide upfront how much you can afford to spend on dating this winter. When it’s gone, it’s at-home date nights.

The reality check

Cuffing season is fun, but it’s not worth going into debt for someone who’s going to ghost you when spring arrives. Date, enjoy the company, but don’t let seasonal loneliness convince you that spending money equals building a real connection.

Your future self—the one looking at credit card statements in March, single again—will thank you for being smart about it.