DEAR ABBY: I'm a 40-year-old working mother raising a daughter who is the joy of my life. Once in a great while I'll accept an invitation to go on a date and hire a baby sitter to watch my daughter.
My question is, who should pay for the sitter? The man who asked me out or should I? I have yet to have a suitor offer to pay. Is that just the way it is, or are these men just cheap? -- MOM ON A BUDGET
DEAR MOM: Paying for your daughter's sitter is your responsibility. When you become involved in a steady relationship and the cost of a sitter becomes a financial burden, discuss it then with your boyfriend, who should be willing to share some of the cost.