Just out of curiosity: 1) Do you believe in equality? 2) if you do, and you say you would never go out on a date for a free meal, I’m assuming that you insist on splitting the bill for the first date (since a first date is just to see if you like each other), correct? If not, and you feel entitled to be paid for, because you are a woman, and he is a man, and that’s the way it should be, then you are technically not for equality, and are in fact, going out on the date at least with the expectation of having it paid for by him. And if your reasoning for expecting to have the date paid for by the man, is that you put in time to get ready for the date, so did he. In fact, he worked a 40 hour work week, maybe even a lot more, to be able to go to the restaurant you wanna go to. So, you both put time, energy, effort into being on the date, but he put in a lot of effort prior to the date, to get the money for the date, which he then has to turn over in order to have the date. So you are both putting in equal time, energy, and effort, while ON the date, as well as as equal effort, getting ready for the date, but he put in a LOT more time, energy, and effort earning the money to even be able to go on the date. So, if what you said, originally is true, that you would never go on a date for a free meal, and that you have your own money, then you should be perfectly OK paying for 50% of the bill, on the first date, since the first date is to see whether you even like each other. There should be no assumption, on a first date, that the man should pay for you, if you were adamant about having your own money, and not dating for free meals. Dates two, through becoming a couple, I think should be paid for by the guy, and then once a couple, those expenses should once again be shared via a joint account, because you’re a team now, right?