Who Should Pay The Bills In Relationships?

Switching off who pays based on who suggests a specific date is a healthy way to keep the financial responsibility in a relationship equal while each partner still gets to be treated from time to time.

Whether it is a first date or a couple in a long-term relationship, the person who extended the invitation should be prepared to pay,” says dating expert and author Kevin Darné.

“Otherwise, it would be very presumptuous to suggest going out and automatically assume the other person is going to pick up the tab.”

To set yourself up for financial equality in your relationship, dating and relationship expert Carol Roderick, MEd, PhD, suggests both partners set aside some funds each month for their own date budget. “The amount of money that they each set aside should reflect how the couple handles finances in their relationship overall,” suggests Roderick.

“For example, if one partner earns significantly more, they may have a greater date budget than their partner.”

My Personal Take

Times are defintely different now.

The belief that the higher-earner should always pay may fizzle out with time.

“When you look at the younger generations, more women are reaching for the bill as societal norms around finances in relationships are changing,”. In fact, 80% of people believe it’s more socially acceptable today for women to earn more than their male partners, and 77% don’t think relationships need one ‘breadwinner’ anymore.”

As the survey found, younger generations are more likely than older generations to feel like all costs should be split evenly.

“Times have changed,”. Today, we’re seeing women earning more than ever before, taking on more executive roles in business and winning seats at the board table. Great strides have been made in evening the power balance between males and females, in and outside of the workplace, and I think this is made evident through this generation’s preference for splitting costs evenly. It’s really a testament to the societal desire to achieve a true balance between genders.”