The new ‘penny dating method’ has people swearing off dating, claiming they’ll ‘never leave the house again’.
Move over, ‘cookie jar method’; TikTok is now buzzing with an even more controversial dating trend.
If you’ve found yourself newly single just as the warmth of hot girl summer fades and the chill of cuffing season sets in, you’re likely fretting over who will keep you warm without skyrocketing your heating bills. This trend might just be the last straw.
This toxic approach to dating might make you decide that paying extra for heating is preferable to re-entering the dating scene.
The ‘penny dating method’ is essentially about giving your all in a relationship initially, only to gradually reduce your effort and involvement until there’s nothing left.
While it’s typical for people to make more effort during the initial stages of a romance than after several years, the rationale behind the penny dating method is particularly harsh.
Erika Tham, a TikToker, gained viral attention when she detailed this method in a video.
In her video, Tham recounts a conversation with a male friend about ‘love bombing’—an initial phase of overwhelming affection in a relationship.
The friend revealed to Tham that some men use ‘penny dating’, a tactic where women are treated like ‘piggy banks’.
“To get her interested, obviously, at first, you have to be feeding her hundred dollar bills,” the male friend explained to Tham.
“Now here’s where it gets sick.”
The method involves fluctuating the level of effort, sometimes increasing it briefly before dropping it again—akin to a sinister version of love bombing.
“The next thing you do is bring it back up to 95. Instead of feeling like they’ve lost five, suddenly she feels like she’s gained five,” the friend noted.
*Screams in manipulation*
@erikatham you learn something new everyday 🙃🙃🙃 #lovebombing #dating #boymath
Tham elaborated: “Basically you just keep repeating this cycle and weaning her off your effort until you get to the point where you’re giving her pennies and suddenly, she’s excited to receive a nickel.”
This so-called strategy left many viewers shocked, as thousands took to the comments to express their disbelief.
“Penny method is CRAZY,” remarked one commenter.
Another added: “You can’t convince me this isn’t psychological torture.”
“MY JAW DROPPED wha-,” wrote a third.
Someone else chimed in: “That’s sooo evil.”
And one final commentator declared: “Never leaving my house again.”