Who Pays

In this day and age, decisions about who pays for what have become more complicated than in previous dating ages, when the rules were clearer. Up until '70s, the man usually paid for everything. As more women went  to work and the women's liberation movement demended equality, it became more common for couples to "go Dutch," where the man and woman would share paying. in more modern times, the woman can now pay for the whole date! With these changes, it is even more important than ever to be clear about who will pay for what.

Here are some guidelines to follow about who pays:

• Whoever invites the other person out will pay for the date. If he asks her to go out for dinner, he pays. If she invites him to go to a concert, she gets the tickets.
• Whoever has more money might pull more weight paying.
• Whoever doesn't pay can offer to contribute -- and should be prepared to follow through with the offer if accepted, without being angry or resentful.

Whoever pays should be prepared for whatever the costs of the evening will be -- and then some bring cash and credit cards (if you have them) to cover whatever you expect to pay, with some added "emergency" money in case something else comes up or some vendors accept some form of compensation other than what you expected. Even if you are being "treated," be prepared to take care of emergencies (as in, he loses his money, you have a fight, and you have get home on your own steam).