It’s the age-old conundrum… who pays for the first date. Most traditional women and men will say it’s the man’s responsibility to pick up the tab. Still, some progressive men and even feminist argue that women should be treated equally, and a man picking up the tab is a form of misogyny. Regardless of how you feel, it’s always a somewhat awkward moment at the end of the date. So what’s the etiquette approach?

Let’s get straight to it. Technically, going half on a first date is socially acceptable, so both parties should come prepared to pay or at a minimum extend the offer to pay. However, it is most common for the person who initiated the date to pay for the bill.

If you know the other person is planning to pay, it’s courteous to be mindful of costs. Only order what you can reasonably eat and that’s at a moderate price point. Also, if a suggestion is made for an additional activity outside of the original scope of the date, you should be prepared to offer to pay or split the additional costs.

As two southern gals, we wouldn’t be honest if we didn’t say we appreciate and tend to have the expectation that a man would pay for the first date. However, we always come prepared if things don’t go as planned. It’s important to make clear, just because you pay for a date doesn’t mean the other person owes you anything – not a second date, not any form of intimacy, nothing. It would be totally inappropriate to suggest otherwise.

Who do you think should pay for the first date? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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