[pearlieq]

Well, this might be an unpopular opinion, but maybe I'm a little more old-fashioned than I thought.

Unless there are some extenuating circumstances, I expect the gentleman to pay for the first date, assuming he asked me out. I would be pretty turned off if the check came and he told me what my portion of the bill was! I honestly probably wouldn't see him again, or we'd go out just as friends.

First of all, I do believe that the person who did the inviting should pay. If a guy asks you out on a date, he's inviting you out. But more than that, I believe in traditional American-style courtship. By inviting a lady out and paying for the first date, a man is saying, "I enjoy your company and I'm willing to make an effort for you. I have enough resources to be an acceptable partner for a relationship"

And then, within the first few dates, the lady will pick up the check, provide event tickets, or cook a meal for the man. That's her way of saying, "I enjoy your company too. I'm not looking to take advantage of you, and I also have enough resources to be an acceptable partner for a relationship."

As the relationship progresses, the couple will work out a mutually agreeable way to fund dating. They may take turns paying, or maybe he'll pay for the meal, and she'll pay for the entertainment. In my case, I was a sophomore in college and DH had a good job, so he did most of the paying, but I tried to make up for it by paying when I could, cooking meals for him, and finding low cost entertainment I could take him to.

I certainly don't think a woman should just sit back and demand a man pay for everything, and she should absolutely not be accepting money from him for bills, clothes, etc. To me that seems like taking advantage and doesn't really make her look like a very attractive partner.