That is the question!

Yes, for years men have been visiting bars in search of women, and for years women have been visiting bars to pray on men and get free drinks. You know it's true!

So is it a good idea to buy that cute girl a drink?

In my many years of dating, I have found a valuable statistic that has guided me through this very important decision. Only 1 out of every 10 women who hints at you to buy them a drink, is actually interested in you at all. Sorry ladies, your secret is out.

For some of the men this may seem like a shockingly unrealistic number, and if you are one of those guys, I feel very sorry for you and your wallet. The reality is that most women don't go to the bar looking to hook up. They do, however, go to the bar to hang out with their friends, dance with their friends, drink with their friends (notice a pattern here), and get free drinks from any guy that is willing to pay (which there are plenty).

Knowing this, why do so many guys spend so much money buying girls drinking at the bar? The answer is obvious; they hope that the girl will get so drunk that she will finally find him good looking enough to go home with. Reality Check! That girl is at the bar with... yes you guessed it - her friends! They are watching her every move, they are watching how much she drinks, and they will pull her away when things get a little to frisky. All you will be left with is a few empty shot glasses, $40 less then when you started, and an empty bed that night.

This will happen 9 out of 10 times. So the question remains, how do you identify the 1 out of 10 that I alluded to earlier?

Simple, don't buy her a drink! Seriously! This seems crazy, I know. But the reality is, if she is interested, she wont be too bothered if you refuse to buy her a drink. If she sticks around, you can buy her the next round with total confidence that you are not being taken for a ride.

I know that for most of you, this seems risky, and you think the girl will walk away after you tell her to buy her own. The truth is yes, she will, 9 times out of 10. But remember, you are better off because she was going to walk away at some point in the near future anyway. If you just want the ego boost of having a pretty girl drink with you, then by all means. But if you are like me, and are actually looking for someone who is interested, then you know what to do

I remember one time I was at a bar, and after a short conversation with an incredibly hot blonde, she proposed that I buy her a drink. My response was, "I have a better idea, why don’t you buy me a drink. I had a really long day, and I really deserve it." She was dumbfounded, and the expression on her face was priceless. It was half confused and half insulted - I loved it!

She then sorted herself out and said, "I don't need you to buy me a drink, I can buy my own."

To which I responded, "Cool."

She bought herself a drink, I bought myself a drink, and we continued chatting. The next thing I knew, we were on the way back to her hotel room.

Women are strange, I don't claim to fully understand them. But I can only think that had I bought her a drink when she asked, I would have walked home alone that night.

The moral of the story is simple: hold strong fellow daters, the real girls wont care if you buy them a drink or not.

-Safe dating my friends!