You are absolutely right, since dating these days are once and done dates, it can be very expensive. It's hard particularly for young men who don't have a career and are making close to minimum wage. A single date can absorb their disposable income for an entire week. I believe this is contributing to young men deciding to forgo college. They are forced to make a choice between being able to date financially at a time when they are most compelled to date or sacrificing being able to date to achieve long term career goals. Young men often give up college for a full-time gig so that they can 'get the girl'. It's a bad idea for young men to try to appear to be a provider when in truth the are not financially prepared to be one.

Women are traditionally interviewing for home maker and child rearer. They will demonstrate that they are capable of letting the man take lead in the date (deciding what to do and where to go) and that they can be an agreeable companion. The difference between that and prostitution, in my opinion, is the following:

1. A prostitute isn't looking for a provider, they just want to be paid for their service.

2. A prostitute isn't looking for a companion, women are.

4. Men aren't just looking for sex. We too are looking for companionship.

My suggestion is this: In a truly egalitarian arrangement women and men should be seeking equal partners. This means they should decide, together, how to spend their time when they are dating and they should share the cost.