I’m going on a trip with the man I’m seeing, but I’m worried about whether he’ll give me an allowance. In situations like this, how much do people usually receive—or do they not receive anything at all?

I’m Joe, a column writer and male member. This topic has come up several times before, so please refer to those discussions as well. As for whether an allowance is paid for a trip, I think it depends on the relationship. However, as Maezawa-san pointed out, many men generally feel that the cost of the trip itself already covers everything, and don’t intend to pay a separate allowance. From the way you phrased your question, I get the impression that you feel you should receive an allowance because you’ll be spending more time together than usual. Personally, I think the only way to bridge this gap is to discuss it beforehand. It may be difficult to bring up, but I believe it’s better to clearly state your wishes in advance so there won’t be any problems later. Of course, there’s a possibility that not only the trip itself may be canceled, but the relationship may end as well. Still, if you want to enjoy the trip, I think it’s best to communicate your expectations. Incidentally, I’ve traveled with three women—two domestically and one overseas. I covered all the travel expenses myself (as one would expect?!), but I paid an allowance to only one of them.

Maezawa here, answering as well. When it comes to trips, some men may feel that they’ve given you the trip as a gift. In that case, they may consider the cost of the trip to be your allowance and not give you anything separately. To avoid that kind of misunderstanding, it’s better to confirm whether you’ll receive an allowance for the trip. However, most men dislike it when women bring up money. Some may think, “I already know without you saying it, so why bring it up?” or feel that you’re being greedy. On the other hand, they may genuinely think of the trip as the allowance, as mentioned above, which makes things difficult. There’s not much point in overthinking it, so I think it’s best to trust him and go on the trip. If you feel like you probably won’t receive anything, you could ask him to take you shopping at the destination and have him buy you various things. How about looking together for a designer handbag, clothes, or something you’ve wanted but couldn’t quite justify buying because it was a little too expensive? Apparently, you shouldn’t directly ask him to buy it—you’re supposed to just look at it and make it clear that you like it. But that takes quite a bit of skill, doesn’t it… >< If you can enjoy that kind of experience together, even if you don’t receive an allowance, you may still feel like seeing that man again.