Matchmaker Mairead Loughman: 'I don't split the bill with friends or with family. Never have. So why would you do it on a first date?'

""I was kind of getting to the stage of my career where I was starting to get quite comfortable," she tells Katie Byrne on the latest episode of the Money Talks podcast. "I launched these dating events called Table for Six around the same time where I sent three single ladies and three single men on group dinner dates, and it literally just took off.""

""Nine years later, Loughman has matched over 10,000 people around the country. "Most people that come to me are a little bit lonely," she says. "A lot of them are successful. They've done a lot with their life already, but they're thinking, 'I'd like to have someone now to share that with'." As a matchmaker, Loughman identifies potential matches who align with a person's values. She says money comes up in the initial consultation "a lot more often than you would think"."

"Loughman also explains why she thinks the biggest financial decision a person will ever make is "who you decide to have a relationship with" and why the motherhood penalty can leave women financially worse off. "Women have a lot to lose financially when they get married, especially if they're going to have kids," she says, noting the impact of maternity leave on a woman's income. Elsewhere on the episode, the matchmaker talks about the importance of preserving financial independence, how to spot financial red flags and who should pay the bill on the first date. "Splitting the bill, to me, is an absolute no-no," she says. "I don't split the bill with friends. I don't split the bill with family. I don't split the bill with""

A matchmaking business called Table for Six began by sending three single women and three single men on group dinner dates and expanded into a nationwide service that has matched over 10,000 people. Many clients feel lonely despite career success and seek companionship. Money frequently arises during initial consultations and often appears subtly, so financial compatibility is emphasized because arguments about money can occur even among wealthy couples. Partner choice can be the largest financial decision, and marriage plus parenthood can impose a motherhood penalty via lost income and maternity leave. Preserving independence, spotting financial red flags, and setting expectations about who pays on dates are important.

Read at Irish Independent