A DAY IN THE LIFE: MALE EQUALITY

One of the most common cause of friction in any relationship -- whether the couple has been together a few months or 1,000 years -- revolves around money.

One partner's idea of a good buy is the 20 pound bulk jar of pickled eggs while the other one thinks that having a telephone isn't worth the expense.

It's usually this way. One partner's money burns a whole in his or her pocket while the other borders on being a tightwad. My fiancee and I are no different.

Lori is the most compatible woman in the world for me, but we have very different money-management styles.

She actually attempts to save money and stick to a budget. She is a very good dresser, yet all of her clothes are bought at used clothing stores. She always pays her bills on time and is leery about buying things she doesn't really need.

I, on the other hand, am awful with money. I don't understand it really. I don't have a lot of bills, but I'm always broke. Until I get married I'm living with my folks. I drive a beat-up old 1979 Ford Fairmont. Other than that, my money is my own.

But I'm always running out of money. I don't get it. I just can't imagine what it could be ...

Oh, wait, something's occurring to me. What happens every time I get paid? Oh yeah. Either Lori comes home from school in Kansas City or I go to there to see her.

THAT'S where my money goes. When she comes here, we eat out, go to the movies, eat out, see a play, eat out, catch a concert, have drinks. And we usually finish the night with grabbing a bite to eat.

When I go there I have to rent a car ($100 for a weekend) because my hunk of junk car would never make it the 350 miles to her house. Then we eat out, go to the movies, eat out ... We pretty much repeat the cycle only add a few more dollars onto it because things are much more expensive there.

And I'm always stuck with the check. Don't get me wrong, she does usually get the tip, which costs her a whopping $5.

I have to scrimp and save for days before she comes in so I have enough to keep her entertained. If I happen to NOT have any money, I do whatever it takes to get some.

Oh, well. Who needs two kidneys, anyway?

She says she costs a little more but she's worth it. What do you say to that?

And then add on the fact that she's going to be a doctor in a few years and I can't help but look at it like an investment.

Maybe she does cost a little more now, but do I really want to have a cheap skate reputation when she's pulling in $200,000 a year? I want to be able to remind her of how generous I was when I was the one with the money so maybe she'll see the logic in buying me a Rolls.

But that does little for me now. I'm broke and all I have to look forward to is getting paid and doing it all over again. Two weekends of fun a month and the rest of the time I'm at the local soup kitchen.

It's not intentional and it's not really her fault. (Not really.) She's been trained by society that the man ALWAYS pays. That's just the way things are.

Many women are constantly battling with men. They want respect, equal pay for equal work and not to be harassed in the work place. To put it simply women want equal rights.

But they don't. Not really. They want SUPERIOR rights. They want all of the things I mentioned earlier and still get out of paying for dinner.

I'm all for equality. I think that women have been treated unfairly all along. But what about men? Things are changing for women. Slowly they are getting all the things they have been asking for.

But no one is opening any of my doors. No one lights MY cigarettes (if I smoked). How come I'm never patted on the behind and told to "keep up the good work, honey?"

It's just not fair. Men have been stuck with the check for too long. Now that women are getting what they want, it's time men took a stand.

In the '60s and '70s women burned their bras in protest. Maybe men should burn their check books.