We live in a time when w omen earn their own money, build careers, run businesses and are perfectly capable of paying for their own dinner. But does equality mean every restaurant bill needs to be split down the middle? In this edition of ‘The social rules nobody taught us’, HT Lifestyle spoke to counsellor, Ankita Kaul, to understand how to navigate the often-awkward bill conversation.
“I don’t think so. For me, a man paying for a meal has never been about whether a woman can afford it. She further highlighted that providing does not mean extravagance. A man does not need to take a woman to a five-star restaurant and spend beyond his means to prove anything. Pick a small café you love. The price of the dinner matters far less than the intention behind saying, ‘I’ve got this’. That does not mean a woman should never pay for anything, nor does it mean a man’s only value is his wallet. Relationships are far more nuanced than that. When it comes to rent, EMIs, children, investments and building a household, every couple should decide what financial partnership works for them.
Take her for a ₹ 500 meal if that is what comfortably fits your budget.
It is about the gesture of providing and taking care of someone,” said Ankita.
