Say you’re actively dating as a man and you go on two dates per week with people you’re meeting on apps. Depending on the city, paying for dinner for two people can easily cost you anywhere from $75-150. If you’re going on two dates per week, that’s $150-$300 a week, or $600-1200 per month. The median male salary in the US is around $70K, so $4K per month. It’s not reasonable to expect a man to be spending almost a quarter of his monthly income on his dating life.
Some people might say, “well, if you can’t afford it, then don’t date”, but that line of argumentation is never applied to women. It’s very common for a woman who is actively dating to go on two or more dates per week, and they don’t have to feel limited by financial considerations.
It is fair and rational for men to either pick inexpensive first dates or seek to split the bill.