After spending a year in an exclusive dating club and “succeeding” at it, doesn’t everyone’s sense of money inevitably become warped, regardless of gender?

I’m Saito, a columnist♪ I’ll probably wrestle forever with what makes someone’s attitude toward money “right” or “wrong.” I’m not even sure what an “ordinary person” is supposed to mean. Compared with the rest of the world, Japanese people are actually poor and have relatively low incomes. That said, if you look downward, there’s no end to it. You can enjoy running a business from a handcart. You can know how to have fun without money. And even if you have money, you can have the sense to spend it meaningfully. I want both men and women in a relationship to have that kind of strong bond. I want to become that kind of man too, but whenever I meet someone with a higher income, I can’t help being influenced by them. (I’m not always able to just brush it off by thinking, “That’s their life, not mine…”) Since we’ve been given this one life, I also have a strong desire to master my work completely. Even if we spend everything we have, let’s keep moving forward, knowing we’ve lived as fully as we could. Let’s tell ourselves it was a valuable experience and do our best again tomorrow. She hasn’t reached her goal yet, either. I’ll keep doing my best too.

I’m Date◎Yume, a male member. It’s been exactly a year since I joined, and it’s true that my dating expenses have gone up compared with my original budget. In my case, considering my age—and my looks—I think throwing money at the situation is what works. But they’re just so cute… It’s a real problem… I’ve never experienced any of the women I date having a breakdown. As far as I know, they can be fairly extravagant when it comes to clothes and accessories, but women these days are pretty adamant: “Almost everyone has one!” Could that already mean we’re both falling apart financially? I honestly have no idea. (Tears)

I’m a male member who goes by Seattle. Since it contributes to Japan’s economy, I think it’s a very good thing overall. That said, you should spend generously as long as it’s within what you can afford—but your expenses shouldn’t exceed your income. I hope young women will save some of their money. One woman I’ve been seeing for six years has properly saved over ¥10 million, which really surprised me. I’m grateful that we’ve become close enough for her to even tell me how much she has saved.