Name: Solo-maxxing. Age: Newish. Appearance: Single, unwilling to mingle.
What is Solo-Maxxing?
Solo-maxxing is a new term describing the choice to remain single, specifically because relationships are too expensive to sustain. Data from the Bank of Montreal's 2026 real financial progress index in February noted that the average Gen Z date in the US – including food, drinks, transport and grooming – now costs $205 (£152). If you need to go on 20 dates to find love, that's $4,100 (£3,044) before ongoing maintenance dates.
Economic Pressures Drive the Trend
With disposable income scarce and Gen Z most affected by AI career displacement, many are resigning themselves to being alone. TikTokers promote solo-maxxing, with one user describing “the ability to do things by yourself and not depend or lean on anyone else” as the number one skill to learn in your twenties.
Performative Solitude?
Activities include filming oneself going for a run, at restaurants, or at the cinema. However, sharing these moments online may be performatively being alone for likes.
Is Solo-Maxxing Cheaper?
Last year, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimated a single working-age adult needed £30,500 gross annually for a minimum acceptable standard of living, while a couple needed £43,000 between them (£21,500 each). Surprisingly, being single costs £9,000 more per year than being in a relationship. So solo-maxxing may be a misnomer.
As one commentator noted, “An entire generation is resigning itself to singledom because it's cheaper than being in a relationship.” But the numbers suggest otherwise. The trend may be driven more by perception than reality.
What's Next?
Expect to hear about couple-maxxing soon, as Gen Z navigates economic pressures and social trends.
