Two Becomes One

Who Pays?

Posted on October 15, 2009 by Two Becomes One

It’s interesting times we live in. I recently had a friend come to me, just baffled because when he went to pick up the check, his new date which had been going swimmingly suddenly turned on him in an offended huff. Others still yet find that at the end of the dinner their date is glancing at the check- both wondering who picks up the tab. It used to be so simple, but now it is not, or it seems it isn’t. Figuring out who picks up the tab for that night out is actually easier than you may think.

The New Rule of Thumb

The new rule, as based on current opinion polls and studies is, if you initiate the date, anticipate paying for it. This provides a more gender neutral way of going about things because it is no longer the accepted norm that the man picks up the tab. After all, what if your date isn’t a man? There are many scenarios where you can go wrong on a date, but don’t let this be one of them- if you’re invited along, bring enough cash to cover, but allow the person who asked you to pick up the tab if they are going to. Being ready for anything is just an overall good idea when dating new people, but in the case of paying for dates, it may just save you some trouble, as well.

What if They Aren’t?

If you are out on a date and the person who asked you has not made any moves towards picking up the check, you might ask if you can help with it. This expresses that you anticipated they were going to pick it up, in a polite way and perhaps they just didn’t realize. However, if you find this to be a one way thing with you constantly picking up the tab- be careful. If you enjoy that sort of thing, and like to spoil your dates in this manner, there is certainly nothing wrong with that. Nor is there anything wrong with allowing yourself to be spoiled- but if it seems like you’re on a one way street and you don’t want to be, stop in your tracks and address the problem before it becomes a habit. In the event that you do find yourself getting a bit annoyed with you always being the one getting the check, perhaps politely ask if they might not want to go dutch next time they ask you out if that is the case.

The way that we’ve seen work best nine times out of ten is, the person who initiates pays- the opinion polls back that up, this seems to work out best. But being able to cover the tab should that become an issue can salvage an awkward situation rather quickly should the need arise- and you never do know what another person is thinking until the situation comes up in this case. So, be prepared, but polite and this should go over smoothly.

Check out Two Becomes One