Given that just about everybody is tightening their belts these days, figuring out who should pick up the tab on a date has become an increasingly complex dating dilemma. Deciding who pays what and how often is a matter of real concern for budget-savvy singles who want to have a healthy dating life without having to break the bank in order to make it happen. Whether you are a single man or a single woman, dating in today’s economic downturn can take as much of a financial toll as it often does an emotional one. Let’s take a look at some of the most common views about financial matters in the dating world and see how they compare to your own.

• Admittedly Old-Fashioned - Whether held by a man or a woman, the more traditional view of dating generally insists that men should be expected to pay for any and all dating related expenses. This idea dates back to the days when men were typically more financially secure than women. Even though modern women have advanced by leaps and bounds in the financial security and independence department, many traditional men and women still hang on to the idea that it is a man’s responsibility to foot the bill on a date.
  
  
• Quasi-Progressive - Singles who fall into this category might pretend to be okay with women taking financial initiative in their dating lives but it’s really just for show. Deep down, they still cling to their old-fashioned ideas about men courting women in a certain way. Quasi-progressive women may offer to pay for part of or the entire bill but secretly expect their male suitors to reject such ridiculous offers. Truly progressive men who fail to recognize the undeniably mixed signals are not likely to score a second date with a quasi-progressive partner.
  
  
• Genuinely Progressive - To me, a genuinely progressive single is one who is not shackled to conventional gender stereotypes and who is fluid in their approach to modern dating issues. It is as much the woman who insists on paying her own way as it is the man whose ego allows her to do so. Progressive singles will generally not read into spending habits as much as their less progressive counterparts tend to do. They pick up the bill when they can but can also appreciate being treated every once in a while.