Banging is pricey. Photo: Justin Case/Getty Images

All any of us really wants is someone who will cook us crock-pot dinners and have biweekly sex with us as we slowly give up on bathing. But to find that person, we unfortunately have to participate in the tortuous experience known as dating, which requires meeting new people (ugh), putting in effort (ahh), going places (argggh), and also, as it turns out, spending a ton of money.

As the Washington Post reports, a recent Match survey found that the average unmarried American spent $1,596 on their dating life last year. The survey of 5,500 singles also found that the average was higher in certain cities, including Washington, D.C., where the average was $1,788, and New York, where singletons spend $2,069 in the pursuit of getting laid. The sums includes bar tabs, dating-site memberships, and even getting ready for a date, from a haircut to a manicure and new outfits.

The survey also broke down the average by gender — finding that men tend to spend more (with an average of $1,855) than women ($1,423). But despite the difference, the majority of women who go out with men responded that the bill should be split evenly — only 36 percent of women surveyed said they think men should pay the full check on a date, while half of the male respondents agreed.

So, to save some money, might we suggest holding off on dating until it goes on sale again next cuffing season?