A Partial Explanation for the Wage Gap?

I have a sneaking suspition that when we add up all the money men genaerally spend on women - but can't count on in kind - we might find that women actually get more than men. For instance, if a man spends $100 per date (I mean dinner, dancing, movies, etc) that's money the woman has saved. Add up all the money spent by men on dates, subtract money spent by women on dates, and I suspect you'll end up with billions a year spent on the ladies. That should be added to the balance sheet when tallying not just wage differences but overall income from all sources.

Here's another one from the NY Times:

Eighty-three percent of the brides in the United States say that they want a diamond engagement ring - and their grooms, in turn, spent $4.3 billion last year on them. And diamonds have spread well beyond engagement rings.

The New York Times > Competition Is Forever