12 Unbelievable Things People Would Rather Do Than Have Sex

Sometimes other things take priority. Like bacon.

Updated 10 years ago, October 15, 2014

What could possibly be better than sex with the one you love? Well, according to science, a lot of things really.

And it’s not to say that sex isn’t still important to people, but sometimes other things take priority. Like bacon.

A recent study revealed that 16 percent of women in the UK would give up sex for life to have a slice of cake. I mean, cake is good and all, but what? What other things are triggering “not tonight, honey” excuses from both men and women? See the scientifically-proven, better-than-sex activities below.

1. Avoid Car Shopping

Car shopping is stressful, everyone can agree on that. But Edmunds.com, a car-shopping site, just released a survey revealing just how awful it can be. So horrifying that people would skip sex to avoid bargaining for their new ride. In fact, one in five Americans would rather give up sex for a month than haggle over the price of a car. Yep, to 21 percent of Americans avoiding a haggle is worth a dry spell.

2. Eat

Keep the Godiva out of the bedroom. In 2012, TODAY and Match.com revealed that 1 in 3 singles would choose food over sex if they had to pick. The grub your partner would drop you for? Chocolate (26 percent) and steak (25 percent).

But the food loving doesn’t stop there. In a brand new study, 74 percent of French women said they’d rather eat than have sex. And, 25 percent surveyed said they actually get more pleasure out of food than lovemaking. (I mean, have you tried the food in Paris?!) About half would skip a romp in the sack for chocolate, followed by cheese (39 percent). Somewhere in France, there are a lot of confused boyfriends crying right now.

3. Eat Bacon, Specifically

What’s the food men and women can both agree is better than sex? Whether in a Bloody Mary, inside a chocolate bar or right next to your scrambled eggs, bacon takes the cake (which is probably also filled with bacon) on the pleasure scale, according to a survey conducted by Maple Leaf Foods Inc. When given the choice between bacon and sex, 43 percent of Canadians went with the crispy meat. As for Americans? There hasn’t been a study on bacon versus sex just yet but judging by wedding cakes like this, TV shows like this and fourhour tours like this, we think the majority of the US would agree.

4. Eat Cake, Specifically

Remember when Rihanna so eloquently sang, “he want that cake, cake, cake, cake”? Well,science has spoken and both men and women want to have their cake and eat it, too. So much so that one in six women would give up sex FOREVER for a slice of their fave sweet. As for the guys, nine percent of men were willing to give up on sex for some good ‘ol cake. People were also willing to give up their car and internet to indulge in the treat. What kind of cake are these people eating? Or more importantly, how bad is the sex?

5. Use Their Smartphone

In our digital era, it’s no surprise we’re all addicted to our smartphones. Heck, 44 percent of us are sleeping with them. But even more than having a small panic attack when we get the 20 percent low battery notification and don’t have our charger nearby, our iPhone is more important to us than an orgasm. When asked to rank what they can’t live without, US adults revealed they favor their smartphones over sex in a survey by Harris Interactive. Maybe we really are dating our mobile devices.

6. Sleep

More and more we hear how important a good night’s sleep is for our well-being and our relationship. But for women specifically, catching zzz’s are more valuable than sexy time. According to the Better Sleep Council, almost 80 percent of women admitted they would rather get some shuteye than get intimate. Sorry guys, but maybe she’s dreaming of you during her slumber.

7. Own A Plasma TV

Dating a coach potato? We already know there’s a good chance his bacon, egg and cheese is keeping him out of the bedroom, but there’s another thing, too. A survey from the UK shows half of men would rather have a plasma TV than sex. A 50-inch Plasma TV, to be exact.

But, that’s not a total relationship-killer because another study out of the UK from NOW TV shows women would rather watch their favorite TV show than get freaky. Hey, at least everyone across the pond is on the same page with their dry spells.

8. Drink Hot Chocolate

Bad news for Irish dudes on cold winter days. According to a study by Cadbury, 70 percent of of Irish women admit to prefering hot chocolate to sex. Sometimes the sweet stuff just hits the spot better.

9. Watch Soccer

It’s true, he really does love his team — like a lot. A survey from online sex toy retailer Bondara revealed that 40 percent of British men would choose watching an afternoon soccer match over getting it on. And, it’s even worse for the ladies dating Queens Park Rangers fans — 57 percent of their guys choose their team over sex. I guess I won’t be filiing out a profile for DateBritishGuys.com anytime soon.

10. Masturbate

Yes, solo sex is technically is a type of sex, but it’s one that doesn’t include your partner. And while men seem to be the experts at masturbating, it’s something women certainly value in their lives. According to an infographic from JimmyJane, a surprising 41 percent of women say they enjoy self-pleasure over having actual sex. No official word from the guys, but we’re doubting Drake is alone.

11. Catch Up On Paperwork

Talk about a wild night! In the NOW TV study, women admitted they’d prefer to catch up on paperwork than have a passionate night in bed with their partner. That one’s gotta hurt. We hope for everyone’s sake those papers are reallyinteresting.

12. Read A Book

Maybe they were in the middle of an erotic novel when they took the survey, but women from the NOW TV study ranked reading a book over having sex. For their husbands’ sake, we hope the house is filled with chocolate, bacon and a plasma TV.