LOL! Becky, I don't know if it's the late hour or the fact I'm having a glass of wine, but I'm here at home laughing at this loser who actually pocketed your change after you paid for the bill!! Seriously?? I'm dying. Dying!!!

Whipping out a coupon probably would make me slightly uneasy, but not a deal breaker for sure. What Ali said earlier would definitely enter my mind, if he was having trouble paying his bills... and at what point he'd need my help to pay them!
I went out with a guy who made me pay for the meal, and pocketed my change...and I won't even mention the paying mortgage, groceries, bills, etc... few can compete with my stupidity *sigh*

Oh I totally agree that using coupons aren't a sign of instability, I would be perfectly fine with using coupons or even paying for half of the bill. I'm a coupon user myself and if I can save a couple bucks or even just a quarter on something I would not pass it up!

Using a coupon doesn't mean you are cheap or that you have financial troubles. But in AnnaV's case where the guy takes her to the dollar movies and then makes her pay? CHEEEEEAP!

The groceries? I can't even speak about the groceries.

I think that using a coupon should not necessarily be a sign of financial instability or poor spending habits. I actually feel the opposite - why should you pay full price if you can score a deal? It's smart money management to buy things on sale. Are you cheap if you order the manager's special or the happy hour drink of the day? Probably not.

Dating is such a minefield, it can be tricky to interpret the cues and accidental miscues. I wouldn't see a coupon as a problem per se, although as I mentioned earlier it would stand out in my notice. If I were in that person's shoes, I'd find a way to pay the server with the coupon discreetly just to make sure it's not misunderstood.

Yes... What makes it worse is it happened more than once, and I dated him twice! Second time for almost a year. Then I got stuck buying him groceries because he couldn't get a job...Talk about being naive!

AnnaV, he took you to the dollar movies and made you pay?? That is the definition of cheap.

I would have to agree that it wouldn't necessarily bother me if he asked first but what guy would actually do that on the first date? I would be more than satisfied if they were honest enough to let me know that he was having financial issues and not just bad with managing money. I've helped a guy with bills and food before but he got way to comfortable with it, so I would need some reassuring that I wouldn't be paying for their water bill and groceries in the months to come.

I can count on one hand how many guys I've dated, and the first took me to the dollar movies and made me pay. Now THAT should have been a sign to back off, but when you're into someone neither dollar movies or coupons are going to scare you away.

Depends how many dates the guy goes on and if hes always paying maybe I could understand his reasoning by introducing coupons in the mix.

;)
I'm a coupon user not that hardcore to bust them out on dates but its never a bad thing to save money as long as the guy has a good job I cant bash on using coupons who knows what other bills he has to pay. I would appreciate he brought it up with me before hand as it would be a bit out of left field to see him use one.

My (now) hubby whipped out a coupon on our 2nd? 3rd? date. But he asked me quite sheepishly beforehand if I thought it'd be okay. At the time I thought "aww how cute - he's blushing!" and encouraged him to use it. We were both stone broke and this was a very nice restaurant for our standards at the time.

To those who would not like it, I can certainly see your point. Perhaps it comes down to where you are at with your own personal finances - are you strapped for cash that a coupon is almost a necessity? You probably have a different appreciation for it then. I agree with Cathy too - using a coupon would stand out, for better or worse.