Speaking of those "first dinner dates"..

[C.Ann]

For all of you ladies, do you order whatever you want - regardless of the price - something you would like in the mid-price range that you would like - or the cheapest thing on the menu that you would like?

 

[happygirl]

It has been a while but most of my first dates I paid for my own so I got what I wanted/afford

 

[monkey68]

I generally ask what the guy is getting, and then get something around that price range, especially if he's paying. If I'm paying for myself, I get whatever I want.

 

[C.Ann]

Forgot to add the option of getting what he's getting (if you like it) to kind of play it safe..

 

[pigletgirl]

I usually go middle of the road, especially if dbf is paying. He definitely doesn't have unlimited funds and so, I try not to take advantage. The funny thing is though, he will order of the most expensive menu items when he pays...

 

[PatsGirl]

I try to go middle of the road pricewise but figure that's okay if he has picked the restaurant in the assumption he knows the menu. The thing that makes me uncomfortable sometimes is the price of wine which I enjoy with dinner. It's nice if he orders a bottle and suggests a few things off the menu for me but that hasn't happened in quite a while

 

[bumbershoot]

I was vegetarian for most of my dating life, so my food is never the most expensive.

But I always came prepared with money, just in case, so I made sure to order what I could afford, in case the dude decided to split the check or go dutch. Only happened once, and on a date that he asked for, he drove, he chose the restaurant, etc. Of all the dates that I expected the dude to pay, that would be the one, and that's the one where it was announced at the time of the bill that we'd be going dutch. Guess he realized he liked me about as much as I liked him during that meal! (though I ended up liking him even less thanks to the paying business)

 

[C.Ann]

I'm really surprised by some of the responses here.. Back when I dated (just after the prehistoric age - LOL) a lady NEVER, EVER would pay or be expected to pay..

My first dinner date, I was so afraid of ordering something too expensive I got sick to my stomach and barely poked at my food..

 

[aprilgail2]

I will typically split the bill so I get what I want...I hate the guy paying stuff...

 

[AustinTink]

I'm really surprised by some of the responses here.. Back when I dated (just after the prehistoric age - LOL) a lady NEVER, EVER would pay or be expected to pay..

My first dinner date, I was so afraid of ordering something too expensive I got sick to my stomach and barely poked at my food..

I'm with you C. Ann. I never, EVER paid for my dinner on a date. My mama didn't raise no fool!

 

[Took]

I'm with you C. Ann. I never, EVER paid for my dinner on a date. My mama didn't raise no fool!

Ditto. If he asked me, he paid. However, if things "picked up" then I would ask him for dates or cook for him to even things out.

 

[Stacerita]

I would order what I normally would order.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Well, waaay back in the day when I used to date, I would order something median priced... I would usually play the whole, "I can't decide between the X and the Z... what are YOU getting?" From there, I would choose X or Z.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I almost never pay for a meal with friends. Most of them are guys and I offer to pay but I always get shot down. When I'm with them I usually order whatever I want but most of the time they'll order the most expensive thing anyway so I'm all set... I also try to convince them to split an appetizer

On the first dates... I will also get something less expensive or a similar priced item.

This whole girl paying thing is bogus to me, at least on the first few dates.

 

[Handbag Lady]

This has made me think.

Back when I dated, I paid for most of the dinners. Then again, I did the inviting because with the guys I was interested in, going out to dinner wasn't on their radar.

My husband, however, paid for the first several dates.

Now, DH and I switch off. We make our own individual money and this seems most fair.

However, I have a group of friends that are mostly men and they have this silly rule, "Girls don't pay." I figure I am making up for lost time from my youth!

But, everyone so often, I make my husband go out with us so that I can pay. (They don't know it is my credit card slipped to my husband!

But in EVERY situation, I would order whatever I pleased to eat.

 

[Disney Doll]

Back in the day when I dated (20+ years ago now!), I would generally ordre middle of the road. Sometimes I'd do the "what are you having?" routine, just to see his price range, if I was unsure. I was always prepared to pay for myself, but generally the guy always paid. If I invited him, I paid. Once DH & I got serious when we were dating, it was kind of like "Do you have money? No? OK, I'll pay" and we took turns with it...we kind of considered the money "ours" at that point, so it didn't really matter who paid.

I will say that I have listened to some of the younger women I work with talk about dating these days, and apparently often the expectation of the man is "well, I bought you dinner, so ". In that case, I would be forced give that "gentleman" the amount of $$ dinner cost and then respectfully request that he not call me again.

 

[Rora]

I generally ask what the guy is getting, and then get something around that price range, especially if he's paying. If I'm paying for myself, I get whatever I want.

Same here!

 

[redlight]

I order what I'd usually order, which is mid range.