Dear Queenie,
I know that when a man and a woman go out on a date the man is expected to pay, but these days, what with women working outside the home and all, lots of women make as much money as the man does and sometimes even more.
Queenie, is that fair? But how can a man suggest going (excuse the expression) Dutch without making a bad impression?—Realistic about dating
Dear Realistic,
In my opinion, dating should be like hosting a party – the person who does the inviting should expect to pay. However, I realise that I am in a very small minority in this respect.
It never would make a bad impression for the woman to offer to “go Dutch” (pick up half of the cost). However, a man would do well to wait until he knows his date (and something about her financial circumstances) fairly well to even consider making this suggestion – unless, of course, for some reason she is expecting to pay the whole tab, in which case he makes himself look good.
Meanwhile, it is a good idea to arrange to do things together that are not a strain on your finances (or your date’s, for that matter).
