I disagree with you, but that's OK. I DO agree that women should have standards, but I loved coffee dates when I was single and dating lots of guys. A coffee date is a great first date because it has a set limit. If you meet the guy and realize there is no chemistry - you're out 20 minutes and the guy is out $3. Because I always just got a regular cup of joe.

If the date went well, OTOH, I might ask if we could order food or go for a walk at a nearby park or get ice-cream. I was pretty good at reading men so if I wanted more they did too and the date would go from 20 minutes to a couple of hours.

Note, this was only for first date. After that, I would expect more creativity from him. Not necessarily money, but more of an effort. If he was watching his pennies, no problem as long as I liked his company and he paid enough attention to me to suggest activities I liked that he could afford.