How Many Men Are Okay Paying for a First Date? — Dollars and Sense
There is something to be said for a young man who, in an attempt to sweep his newfound lady friend off her feet, takes her out for a romantic meal at a nice restaurant, gazes deeply into her eyes, and ... asks if she'd mind picking up half the check.
And that something is: chivalry is dead. Well, almost.
Research by fridayfriday.com found that a majority of straight men, 51 percent, would prefer to split the costs of a date—even a first date. According to the survey, less than one-third of men said they would pick up the check for the first date, while one in five said rather than shelling out cash to pay for the entire evening, they would prefer to pay for portions of it—buying a round of drinks, for example. Five percent of the deadbeat dates surveyed said they would be more than happy to allow their new lady friends to pick up the entire tab for the evening.
Researchers say that financial strain is the leading reason for such a lack of chivalrous behavior, with 91 percent of men reporting that if their date is a dud, they would rather leave early in order to save a couple of bucks. Men are apparently more worried about keeping their finances in check than they are about making a good first impression on a date.
A spokesman for the survey said, "Some of those [men] surveyed pointed to the fact that the gap between male and female pay was still shrinking and therefore it wasn't unreasonable to expect some money on their part."