Before I met my partner, I went on a $180 date and paid for the whole thing. She hardly said thanks and we went our separate ways.
So much regret.
I still paid for the date most of the time after this, as I feel like its "man" thing to do, but dates became a lot cheaper.
It feels nice when a woman offers to split.
That gesture is enough as I'll say no, I'll pay. But, you do get some women who "demand" to pay half. It's probably a power thing or something, but sometimes it can be genuine rather than "I don't need a man to pay for me!"
On a second or third date, I’m happy for a woman to pay for the date.