Hey Pandas, During A Date, Is Splitting The Bill Fair Or Outdated? (Closed)

Always split the bill on the first date. No one should have the feeling afterwards that they owe something to the other. If a partner is disappointed by this, they are not the right partner. It is very important to sort these things out on the first date.

I am reminded of the post where a man found out his date saved his number on her phone as "free food"

When I was dating always insisted on paying for myself. That way the guy can’t feel like “you owe” him something afterwards.

On a FIRST date, pay for your own meal. Don't split it. Don't accept them paying for your meal. If you cannot afford to pay for your own meal, you cannot afford to date. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other FIRST date rules. Meet in a public place. Do NOT allow them to pick you up from your home or work (stalker vibes if it doesn't work out). Make sure your friends/family know exactly who you are meeting, where you are meeting and at what time. Do NOT change locations unless you let someone know where you are going. Make sure you have a coded message to your family if it is NOT going well. (Hi Mom, the date was great and I am heading home = Get here now!!!!!!) This is for MEN and WOMEN. On a FIRST date this is the first time you are meeting someone IRL. You only know what they have told you, and it could all be lies.

I say splitting the bill is very fair, especially early in the dating.

On the first date, each person pays for what they consumed (food, drinks, entertainment,etc). This would be the most simplest and fair way to do things. At the end of the date, there shouldn’t be any feelings of being used by either party. If things work out and they want to do it again, great. If things turned sour somewhat during the date, then there shouldn’t be hard feelings about money in the least because you only paid for yourself and you’d be free to move on without extra hatred.

Discuss it first. Easy as that. Prevents confusion after the meal or movie, or whatever the date may be.

The first few dates, only pay for what you had, I don't understand why some women just EXPECT the man to pay, it's pathetic.

If you become an item and you agree beforehand that one or the other will pay, then cool... or one gets it this time, the other gets it next time.

Separate checks every time, not just the first or early dates. Start as you would like to continue, honestly and EQUALLY!

I always taught my son, expect each to pay for their own but always be prepared with sufficient funds to pay for both without the expectation of anything in return.

Wow I'm behind the times if splitting the meal has wrapped back around to being "outdated." I was still of the mind that one person (generally the man, assuming it's a date between a man and a woman) was the "outdated" way to do things.

This type of thing should be discussed before hand. It's not a TV show where a lame misunderstanding is the whole plot. If you're old enough to date, you're old enough to talk.

Disclaimer: I am 13. I know nothing about dating.

Okay so in my personal opinion, I think people should split the bill or if one person ordered a lot, pay for what you had on the first couple of dates--that way, if it doesn't work out it's less awkward especially if one individual paid a lot of money worth of food.

I guess after the first couple of dates, partners would treat each other and one would pay the full price for a meal and the next week the other would do the same. Maybe if it was expensive they would both chip in?

Don't split the bill if you didn't eat the food evenly.

Sharing is caring. It works both ways. Hopefully the concept will never become outdated.

Unless the other person has explicitly stated that they will pay for the meal, splitting is the fairest.

Everyone pays for what they ordered for themselves, at least on the first couple of dates

Sounds like there is a bit of confusion about what splitting means. Splitting means everyone pays for themselves. Versus one person pays for the whole thing. I am the youngest of the boomers at age 61, and I think it is always best to split the bill and have everyone pay for themselves.

If perhaps we were in the older generation, then I would agree, yes let the man pay the bill. Sadly times has changed so much, that we women often do want this / miss this. Seems nowadays we're all equal and it would only be fair to split the bill, exactly to whom has ordered what. Seems fair enough

I would say depending on the size of the bill ($80 and over) if it is large then split it, if it is small ($79.99 and under) have one person cover it, then the next time a small bill comes up the other person will cover it. I follow this rule and it seems to have worked seeing as Im on my 5th date with my SO.