Guys, this is just the same type of propaganda trying to still normalize spending 5 or more monthly wages on a diamond wedding ring. Guess they now aim lower at making people think $200 dates were a thing when they likely never have been.
this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
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First date is ice cream or coffee and a walk. Find out if they’re insane before spending money.
I am insane. That's why the first date is a $5 pint of vodka and crawling through storm drains.
Sign me up...
$200 for an average date night? Who the hell is pushing that number?
Paul Dilda, Head of U.S. Consumer Strategy, BMO
Lol this fucker is clearly not very good at his job.
You see, most couples pay $50 - $120, some pay $5000+, so the average is $200. /s
At the risk of this sounding a lot like victim blaming, why are people spending USD$200 on a first date!? The first date is to get to know them and shouldn't be expensive, especially if you're not even sure you're compatible yet. The paid experience isn't the point (except as far as it facilitates getting to know the other person).
There's some serious economic problems right now, but going out and being expected to spend a lot of money would be a serious sign of financial incompatibility for me.
because that's what it costs for dinner for two at most basic bars and restaurants in a city.
a dinner date is the traditional date.
women, by and large, expect men to take them on traditional dates and pay for everything. even if you split costs, it's still expensive.
when i go out, by myself, to take myself out to dinner, a cheap dinner at a dive bar is $60. a nicer one, is double or triple that.
last time i spend less than $100 on dinner date was like a decade ago, back when things cost about half or less than they do now.
Maybe it's a cultural difference (I live in Canada), but I'd never take a woman out to a dinner date for the first date. And certainly not to a place that's $100 each. Going out for drinks (coffee/alcohol/mocktails/etc.) is my preferred option, especially for people I've met on dating apps. Or doing some sort of activity. It's chill and a much better atmosphere to get to know someone. And if you run out of things to talk about with the virtual stranger you can talk about the activity. Traditional expectations are never based on current reality, they are based on the past. If they're looking for a traditional relationship with traditional roles, that's a very good reason for me to avoid them. We don't live in the 18th century anymore.
I occasionally see people who say they expect that sort of thing as a first date and I simply find it unrealistic. More power to them if they can find someone who meets that expectation, but I don't think that's a modern expectation. Feminism is literally about equality (or close to it) and we've made a lot of progress towards it. I think most people want an equal partner, not a meal ticket.
Also US$60 for a cheap meal? Wow your economy is wild. I regularly go out to a pub downtown and get a meal and a beer for under CA$40. I often get take-out lunches (good soft drink & sandwich) for CA$20. Even going out to the most popular place on OpenTables in my city is less than CA$50 per person without drinks. I'd have no problem taking a date to any of those places and paying for it all as a third date, though I'd hope we'd be on the same page about splitting bills equitably by that point. (Note that the Canadian dollar is worth less than the USA dollar)
It’s not a cultural thing, it’s a weird manosphere thing. If you read the guy’s comment history, it quickly becomes obvious why he is single and can’t keep a relationship. If you don’t feel like it, which I don’t blame you, I summarized it in a recent comment to him:
I’ve noticed your complaints up and down this thread, I’ve also noticed them around the threadiverse for a while and I am beginning to see a pattern. You tend to be aggressively argumentative, denigrate women as a whole/complain about “woke”, refuse to see things from other people’s perspectives, and don’t listen to anyone’s advice. Have you ever heard the phrase “if everyone around you is an asshole, then maybe you’re the asshole”? Perhaps part of the issue is your behavior and attitude.
I know, I was getting a similar vibe. I just wasn't going to call it out because then he'd be less likely to engage since everyone (else) knows the stigma against the manosphere cult(ure). I thought it'd be more effective to address his arguments than to attack the community he is strongly connected to.
I commend you for your patience because you have far more than me.
I’ve seen him around for a while and he’s always making the same comments about women. That guy is only going to change when he truly wants to, which does not look likely at this time. Good luck if you decide keep trying.
Hope you have a great day :)
Where the fuck are people spending 200$ on a fucking dinner.
Last date I had topped out at 70 with tip at my favorite sushi place.
Yeah, the dates I have lined up are gonna be dinner and a movie and maybe a walk, worst case, $110 max if I'm going a little crazy.
Go hiking. Go for a walk. Stop being consumers for 5 fuckin minutes.
That might explain why all of a sudden I've gotten so popular on dating sites.