Looking back over this year, I found that the total cost per date was roughly ¥150,000. A few years ago, I think it was around ¥100,000. For a salaried worker earning about ¥10 million a year, ¥100,000 is manageable with some budgeting, but honestly, ¥150,000 is extremely tough. What’s the average for everyone answering?

I’m Saito, a columnist ♪ A man’s income can change over time. So if you’re worried, you should work on improving your abilities and increasing your income. Women will be happier that way too.

Maezawa from the Corporate Planning Office here as well. When it’s a woman you really like, I think it may be necessary to hold back a little, even if it’s tough. But if you usually feel that 10 is the right amount, then I think 10 should be fine. In that case, deciding how to allocate it can be tricky, but it’s okay to experiment and see what works.

I’m Hikōki, a male member. I’m not sure whether you simply had a lot of encounters with women you really liked, or whether you went on dates with everyone under roughly those same terms, but… If you were spending ¥150,000 per date, does that mean you were spending about twice that on women you particularly liked? If not, I don’t think there’s any need to force yourself to spend over ¥150,000 every time. My assumption is that the women in these clubs are thinking, “If you’re going to waste money on unnecessary luxuries, just give it to me instead.” So I try to make sure that at least 70–80% of the date budget goes directly to the woman. If a man spends ¥50,000 on a hotel and dinner, I think it’s only natural for her to think, “Then give me about twice that, too!” rather than being happy about it. Regardless of income or where you go, if you’re considerate about that financial balance, you’ll come across to women as kind—or, more precisely, generous. Even with a little over ¥100,000, I think a woman would be happy if you could give her ¥70,000–¥80,000 of it. The idea that women are happy because you take them to lavish restaurants, hotels, or on trips is a fantasy. The reality is probably more like, “If you’re spending that much, how much are you going to do for me?” No matter how much you spend on the date itself, she may get very little enjoyment from it if the amount you give her doesn’t increase accordingly.

I’m a male member, Date◎Yume. Recently, someone posted the following question in this Q&A forum: “I had a commemorative photo taken with my girlfriend at a restaurant on her birthday. I was happy at the time, but when I looked at it later, I felt disillusioned seeing myself making a ridiculous face next to my young, beautiful girlfriend… details omitted…” (https://universe-club.jp/help/member/detail/3016) In response, Mac gave the following answer: “How many 10,000-yen bills would you have to put in the man’s hands to make him look like an equal match for the woman? That’s the appropriate allowance you should be paying. A golf handicap exists so that both players can enjoy the game. If you feel embarrassed or apologetic, simply increase the allowance and there’s no problem.” I found myself thinking, “Maybe he has a point…” I’m a member at the bottom end of the dating club, so unlike the person who posted the question, it’s extremely difficult for me to come up with large dating expenses. I’m nowhere near that level, but I do spend—or somehow manage to come up with—as much as I possibly can. Difficult circumstances are difficult in every era and at every level. There’s always someone above you, and someone above them as well. There are people below you, and people below them too. Even when things are tough, I feel that as long as you stay within your means and, as Mac said, prepare an allowance and so on that makes you an equal match for the woman you’re seeing and that she can be satisfied with, that should be enough.