I guess it depends on your situation. In my case then BF (now DH) always had a better financial situation, so he always paid the bill. If you are both equal financially then maybe you could take turns? If money is tight, then maybe try & figure out a way to do things together that cost less. One of my favorites is staying in for game night (take turns @ eachothers house if not living together). I had the kids make their own mini pizzas. Cost is minimal, just English muffins, jar of spaghetti sauce& cheese, then broil. All 5 kids seemed to love this one! Good luck!

"No One Ever Said Life Is Fair!"- My Father

He pays for the first few until i decide if i like him or not. Once i know i like him i will pay for my own. 5 years into it we trade who is going to pay. I just took him to dinner the other night and handed the guy my debit card and he look at my BF and said "what? you should be paying for this pretty girl to eat" he was laughing of course.

Well...Dh makes way more money than me so he always paid without question. he got pissed when I'd try to split the bill. Then I got sick of feeling bad so I started asking the waiter to put mine and choochoo's food on a separate check. it worked really well for my self esteem but DH HATED it. I thought it was fair though, he pays for himself and his kid then i do the same. made me feel good about myself.

Now, we each have a copy of our business credit card and our life credit card...he pays the bill on both so it doesn't matter who uses the cards. i still retain my own credit card for my needs (ya know...shoes,makeup,clothes,christmas gifts,birthdays,valentines,etc...)

money is such an awkward topic of discussion for most people...we just try to have a businesslike attitude with each other about money and keep the emotion out of it. That's how we work together all day everyday without killing each other

I hope you're able to figure out a solution before it gets too icky at home honey

"Venting without the desire to look within and improve your situation is simply venting to hear yourself bitch."

..."I'm not mean, you're just a sissy."

When FH and I first dated he insisted on paying for everything and still does. He is also "Old school". The Man pays. He lived about 4 hours away, he would call and tell me to get ready to go eat, when he was about 30 minutes from the house.
Many times, I had dinner ready when he arrived, because I love to cook and prefer to eat at home most of the time. And how was I going to feel, like I paid my way...I would cook for him, gourmet food and he loved it...candle light dinners are very romantic.( he still loves when I cook fancy meals)
I would get everything ready the night before he arrived. decorate table. Menu planned etc and not tell him.
** sometimes after a few months of datng, I would even set up the bedroom and dress sexy. etc. He worked 2 days a week and would drive to my house on Wed. and stay until Sunday. Because of the distance. (was 8 hrs RT ) Sometimes he would pack me up and take me back to his place for a few days.
We've known each other for 12 yrs now, the first 5-6 yrs we were just friends. After we became a couple, and dated ( our first date was a weekend trip to Bahamas ), we stayed at each others homes.
We always went on a romantic weekend, or a weekly trip ( during summers), always a surprise, while dating & those times we ate every meal out, and he paid for everything no matter what it was.
If my adult children were here when he arrived , he would invite them and paid for them too.
When we went out with his kids (which we did during the Holidays) he paid for everyone. I have never paid for a meal, he just wouldn't allow it.
And each time I fly back & forth to my house & Texas he pays for everything..always has.

First off, I would say who's doing the asking? Like when you're dating without kids, the person who suggests the date should be the person who pays. But if you're past that point (and it sounds like you are) and are in the "it's just assumed we're going out but no one did the formal invitation" phase of the relationship, that's different. Personally, i think you should take turns. It's a gesture of good will from both of you towards the other person's children. If you are planning on making a life together then you can expect that there will be times that you are buying things for the other person's child/ren. For ex: household groceries, popcorn at the movies, picking up fast food, etc. You wouldn't stop at McDonald's and then itemize the bill for your husband when you got home right?

Now if there is a huge income disparity between the two of you then you should either 1) agree to just pay for yourselves and your own child/ren or 2) talk to your DH and let him know that you feel under pressure because of the costs of all of these meals out and see if the two of you can't find a comfortable solution.

I am the idiot here. I am from Texas and we were taught by our parents that men open doors, pull out chairs, order for their dates (after asking them what they want) and pay for everything including kids' meals.

I'm probably a little old-fashioned but I've never let a date pay for anything.

Truth be told it really just depends. You shouldn't expect dinner to be bought and should go on the date with the expectation that you will pay for your part of the meal. If they offer make sure you offer as well, it's just polite. Where are you planning on going to eat? I love the mashed potatoes from Boulder Creek if you need a suggestion

We take turns but nobody keeps track. Our money is all pooled so it doesn't make any difference who pays anyway, it all comes out of the same pot.

When dating, I think my rule would be the person who does the inviting pays. If it was my idea I'd expect to pay. If it was his idea I'd offer to pay but to be honest I'd expect him to refuse my offer.

We take turns but nobody keeps track. Our money is all pooled so it doesn't make any difference who pays anyway, it all comes out of the same pot.

When dating, I think my rule would be the person who does the inviting pays. If it was my idea I'd expect to pay. If it was his idea I'd offer to pay but to be honest I'd expect him to refuse my offer.

BF pays, always. He asks me out for dinner and he pays. I have had to endure dinner with his kids, no fun, but he pays. The controlling mini BM/wife was trying to orchestrate dinner (on dad, of course!) for all of them, my two and myself. We declined and have yet to do dinner with all. I cook fairly often, but then, so does he. We both like the way we do things. If he asks me for a date, he pays for that date. If he didn't want to, he wouldn't ask.

Archaic maybe, but it works for us.