holler for a dollar?

Hey everybody!

This week's column is about dating during a recession -- namely, whether faltering finances make it any more tempting for women to accept a series of free meals. From guys they might not even care about.

Recently, I found a column in the newest issue of Elle Magazine defending the practice commonly known as "gold digging." The author's premise? Women have become so obsessed with appearing independent and skirting the gold-digger stigma that they've overcompensated by dating guys who pay for absolutely nothing. You know, the struggling artist types.

And me? I've definitely dated guys who refused to pay for things even once our relationship got serious. In many of those relationships, I justified things by saying it's just money. Or it's just dinner. But a refusal to even offer to pay generally reflects a carelessness that in most cases will ultimately extend to far more serious aspects of the relationship.

Then again, I've also dated guys who paid for EVERYTHING in order to compensate for qualities they lacked emotionally.

I guess it all goes back to finding some kind of relationship balance that's a worthwhile investment financially and beyond.

Hahaha. Good luck, right?