If I invite them, I wouldn't mind going dutch but if they invite me, then they should pay. At least that would be my expectation. I'm not interested in dating someone who is significantly more wealthy than me, because I don't like this power disparity. So, I def don't need a man to pay all the bills, but to pay his share and that enables him to have money to do nice things for me and for me to do nice things for him without either feeling overburdened. As someone on the lower socioeconomic status this is what works for me.

I get the fantasy some women have of men paying for everything but I feel like we don't often discuss how that power dynamic can impact the relationship. I've had friends with boyfriends who have threatened to not pay for something as a form of abuse. Even my soon to be ex husband once threatened not to pay his share of the bills even though he had the money, which I felt was the last straw. Money, relationships, it's messy, but def worth discussing. As always, I enjoyed your work.