I've been casually seeing this girl for a month and a half now. For our 6th date, we went out to dinner - she suggested going to this restaurant slightly higher on the price scale. She was ordering whiskey and other drinks for both of us. At the end of the meal, she suggested we split the $150 bill. She has a very high paying job in tech and gets large checks from her parents, and I'm a karaoke host looking for a day job because my karaoke job doesn't pay enough to live off of, which she knows. Is this a red flag? I was a little off put that she'd suggest splitting and being equal rather than equitable, when she has zero worries about money and I'm highly struggling financially. Am I being dramatic? Or does she not have a community oriented / equitable mindset about money?
My thoughts: If you wouldn't have taken her to that restaurant, perhaps because it was stretching your budget, then you should have said beforehand so as to avoid this issue. If you want money not to become an issue that breaks the friendship (of whatever type), set the ground rules so you aren't a. put in a situation where you are stretched and embarrassed b. taking advantage of he/her/them. I think, just because she seems more affluent than you shouldn't mean she has to pay for stuff and you don't. Rewinding to before your date,, if it were she who suggested restaurant x, the expensive one, and it was a bit too expensive for you, there is nothing wrong (it's actually better) if you say it's a bit beyond your budget currently so, can we go elsewhere? If she says ok, then you can go somewhere cheaper. If she decides to take you to the expensive one anyway, that's on her and very nice of her too.