I don't know how many times my sister waited until the check came to let me know that she had no money. I haven't talked to her in a year and a half for other reasons, but even if I were talking to her we would not be doing so in a restaurant.

I always pay my way and do the right thing. I am not a bludger.

I usually pay but money doesn't mean much to me. Not that I am super wealthy or anything, I'm just in a better place than most of my friends. I honestly just dislike the idea of money in general. If I have electricity, internet, and a decent guitar to play then I don't really need much else.

i can't think of the last time i didn't ..... i'm boring and the only thing i do is go out to eat - usually after work. and usually it's with the person who worked with me. so i usually pay. now if somebody asks me to go to eat and i don't say i'll pay, then i won't pay.. and if somebody hints around they don't have $$ and still wants to go, i will tighten up like a clam. i don't mind paying but i really don't like being somebody's wallet. i'll probably have a story about paying for things in about 3wks.

Pay my own!

Can't afford to do that

I used to often. Now I'm just a tight ass old grump.

I just pay for my own food. Often, dates have footed the bill for me, as well. I would pay or not depending on whether the date was good or not. My reason for this is that not every woman is going to be dating material, bottom line.

It depends. My female BFF makes good $ so we take turns but it isn't something we track. My male BFF doesn't make as much so I always pay for him. To me it's about some level of reasonableness. Some people, I always pay for. Other people we take turns or whatever seems more or less equitable.

If I did the inviting, I'm prepared to pay. If I'm meeting a group of friends, we all pay for our own meals. If someone invites me out for a meal and doesn't specify otherwise, I assume they are paying, but I still carry enough money to cover my own meal. That's in case my companion surprises me and expects me to pay for my own meal on our last ever dining experience together.

I'm up front and because I enjoy cooking as do my kids, no problem But if we going out, I ask whose paying. If I am paying for all then I pick the restraurant now that I'm retired & not rich. I tell them they pay for their drinks.
If you can't be honest & upfront with the people you love, seems a bit shallow.

Most of the time--which I'm cool with because there was a time when I couldn't do this, and you never know, that time could come again.

Pretty much never. If I am eating out its because I am traveling for work. If I am traveling for work the client pays for my food.

I offer to pay only if it's visiting friends or family from out of town I seldom see, and I'm the one who invited them to dinner.

On a date, the guy pays, or that's our last date.
I don't want a freeloader, or to pay my own way after I took the risk of meeting some stranger.

We pay for our own food if we're just friends.

I try to carry my own weight when it comes to paying a meal check. my brother in law and I meet once a month or so for dinner and we swap out paying the check. I have usually paid for date meals, but in relationship meals hopefully the bill is shared. my boss usually picks up dinner when we are working a job, but I don't expect him to do it. my dad never let me pick up a tab.

Depends on my company. If out on a date, I usually pick up the tab. When out with colleagues we rotate. When out on business, if I am being solicited, the Pharm rep or the organization that wants my business picks up the tab. Most of the restaurants that I frequent know my face and I usually get a great deal.

I often don’t go to restaurants other than lunch breaks, can’t afford to. I’m not into dating so that’s not an issue. The grocery store gets expensive, so usually I just eat one to one and a half times a day. Hell, in the last month or 2, I’ve lost 10-15 lbs. I work all over the place, so restaurants are lunch. I try to keep it under $5-$7 and we always pay our own.

As a family we all pay for our own meals except on special occasions when the host announces this will be on me. Even then we will at least pay the tip which can be large.

Yeah, I am in the same position. I partly raised a lot of kids. When they are 7 or so and while at school naturally I paid for everything. Once my son finished school, I travelled a little, he stayed home and continued to feed his mates when they were out of home, he later housed some for free when they lost their jobs. Now they earn so much more than either of us, yet always come here, stay for days and eat everything.
If we eat out, same deal, there is always full expectation one of us will pay, even to the point they just walk out to their cars leaving he bill on the table. Tomorrow night is a little different, it is a young guys 21st. I took all the older ones out for dinner on their 18th and 21st, so it is a ritual.
They must see us as alpha males? Providers?
Like you, I have to put a stop to it.

I take turns

My friends usually stop us from footing it.

I expect to pay my own way unless otherwise specified.