PHILADELPHIA — Given the price of gas, Rob Martin would no longer date someone who lives hours away. And since the cost of dining out has increased, the 32-year-old has found himself opting more for virtual first dates — such as phone conversations — before investing time and money on an in-person meetup. He keeps the first in-person dates casual, too, such as coffee or ice cream.
In recent years, he said, he ended things with someone he was dating in part because she lived too far away.
"I was spending about $20, back and forth, seeing her," said Martin, a union staff representative who lives in Royersford, Pennsylvania. To boot, he added, he didn't see the relationship going anywhere.
