Image from Men's Fitness
They say the best things in life are free. Like love, it is
free and it is one of the best things indeed in life. However, even when that
is freely given, during the course of the relationship needless to say you
would spend. Of course there’s that eating out, watching a movie, buying gifts
for each other and more. Some even go to the extreme of having vacation with
each other. That is not a bad thing at all. Spending for the relationship is no
issue here. After all, you both are inclined to be with each other in order to
make the relationship stronger and you both would be closer.
However the main issue here is on the notion of spending.
When I first started dating, my parents were very
transparent on one rule. And that is to pay for my bills while on a date. Since
then, it has become my principle to spend on my own whenever my boyfriend and I
would be outside.
Perhaps girls might raise an eyebrow on this one. Is it not
the boys who would be responsible for treating you whenever you are out? Should
they be the one in charge of the bill?
I dare say NO!
In any relationship, the both of you should be working
together. This also holds true for your money and finances. As much as
possible, do not simply rely on the goodwill of your partner to treat you every
single time.
That is why I suggest the split rule with regards to dating.
The concept of split rule is very simple. You have to split
the bill whenever you go on dating. It would be best that you split if you get
to have the same food or the same items to be divided between the two of you. If
you happen to order something different from your partner, shoulder your own
bill. I know there are still good men who would rather pay it for you. That is
really good. However, if he or she will pay it for you every time you go out,
then that’s bad.
According to a recent study presented at the American
Sociological Association, modern ideals suggest that gender shouldn’t play a
role in who pays for dates. Yet, there is that traditional notion of chivalry. That
is why most men would rather pay it.
A study conducted by David Frederick presented the following
findings.
“The study, which surveyed more than 17,000 unmarried
heterosexual men and women, found that 84 percent of men and 58 percent of
women said men pay for most dating expenses, even after the relationship has
been cooking for a while. And, evidently, a lot of women like it this way; 44
percent said they were bothered when men expected them to kick in some cash.
Many women do wind up offering to help—some 57 percent in
all—but they’re not exactly sincere about it: 39 percent confessed to hoping
that men would reject the overture.
Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of men believe women should
contribute, and 44 percent went so far as to say that they would stop seeing a
woman who never reached for the bill. Yet they’re also deeply conflicted, with
76 percent reporting that they feel guilty accepting women’s money.”
Such study is indeed practical even locally. No wonder most
say that being in a relationship is pretty expensive. However, we do note that
most women nowadays are working and they are more than capable to pay for their
own bill.
Even more, the components of relationships are best shared. This
holds true for finances.
P.S. To those doing the 52 Week Money Challenge and 52 Week Money Challenge Version 2, it is Week 6 already! Did you deposit the next amount yet?
P.P.S Want to know more about investing, savings, stock market and more, check out my reference here. You can download free ebooks and resources too.