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'ThursDATE': Matthew Hussey on Who Should Pay on the First Date (Exclusive)

By Liz Calvario‍ 5:01 PM PDT, October 3, 2019

Matthew Hussey is back for ET's ThursDATE!

This week, the dating and relationship expert is touching on a "controversial" question: Who should pay on the first date?

"My answer is almost certainly going to get me in trouble," Hussey says. However, he does have a handful of good points when it comes to who's picking up the check at the end of the night -- and it all depends on who makes the first move.

Whoever asks the other person on a date pays, but…

"I believe that if a guy doesn't offer to pay the whole thing when he asks you on a date, he wasn't taught right," Hussey explains. "But I also believe if a woman on a date allows him to pay for the whole thing without at least offering to pay half, she wasn't taught right."

"That moment, that gesture, is what shows respect for somebody else," he adds. "It's also what allows somebody else to say, 'No, no. I got this.'"

You can always contribute…

"Just because someone isn't allowing you to pay for the date, it doesn't mean you can't contribute on some level," he says. "For example, if someone took you for dinner and a movie, they may have paid for the dinner, they may have paid for the movie tickets, but then you buy the popcorn."

"That little moment of contribution shows a level of teamwork. You don't have to have equal contribution to show equal respect," he notes.

If the woman asks the guy out…

"Speaking from personal experience, if someone asked me on a date, I would still want to pay," Hussey says, adding, "But the truth is we also live in a world today where people make different amounts. You contribute on the level you can."

"If you've been seeing someone for a minute and they keep taking you on extravagant dates because they feel like they need to," he continues, "it's nice to reassure someone sometimes that that's not necessary."

And remember…

"Just showing that you're watching someone's wallet for them goes a long way," Hussey shares. "It shows what is fundamental for a relationship, that you two are teammates."

Be sure to tune in every Thursday for your dose of dating and relationship advice on ET. For more of Hussey's wisdom -- including tips on g etting back into the dating scene -- watch the video below.