Single women aren't looking for wealth, but they are looking for someone who shares similar values around money, dating service providers say.
We've all heard gender stereotypes around men being the main breadwinners and women being financially dependent on their partners. But according to the two dating service providers Newshub spoke to, money isn't a driving factor among women or men.
Describing her clients as largely "goal-driven and ambitious", Sasha Madarasz, owner of Two's Company, a one-on-one matchmaking service, told Newshub women aged 40 and under are more likely to want someone who is independent rather than financially independent.
"Money sits within the top five but maybe at five...I find what's most important is Kiwi women are looking for men that have their own lives, friends, family, travel, hobbies," Madarasz said.
Women don't stipulate that their potential match has to be a homeowner, but many do want someone who is "financially sensible", she adds.
"They're not looking for someone to pay their way [or] go halves in a house with - they're looking for someone on equal footing with similar goals."
Match making notes on dating profiles showed money wasn't completely off the radar for women however.
One woman said she wanted someone who "measures success on [the] depth of relationships and commitment rather than assets - financially secure".
Someone who "cares about other people - charitable etc - not all about the money," said another.
For men, money was lucky to get a mention at all, Madarasz said. Having looked through around 30 profiles of single men, none had made specific requests about money.
One man, who described himself as a "large business owner" said he wanted someone who can "keep up with him and push him", adding that he was "not worried about someone being smarter or more professional" than him.
"Men are looking for someone who is fun, enjoys their work (a big one that keeps coming up), and ambitious," Madarasz adds.
"Pride in appearance, down to earth, has time for a relationship [are also common]," Madarasz adds.
A spokesperson for Bumble, a social dating website that allows women to make the first move, says young women ('Millennials' and 'Generation Z') generally expect their partners to "share the same values as they do".
"Many women also said that it is important to have shared views on political and social issues in romantic relationships..attitudes to money and personal finances absolutely fall into this category," the Bumble spokesperson said.
Since the onset of COVID-19, people had "reassessed" what they were looking for in a partner and how they viewed compatibility. More alone time with less distractions has given women in particular more space to think about what they want out of a relationship.
"Characteristics such as sexual attraction and physical features have become less important in favour of the deeper parts of a person's character, which is laying the foundations for healthier and more equal relationships," the Bumble spokesperson added.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have hit people financially. For people already in relationships this creates a need to discuss personal finances to a degree that may not have been necessary before.
"For single people it's required them to examine their own personal financial situation and perhaps made it more important to search for a partner with similar values when it comes to handling money," the Bumble spokesperson added.
