When I first started back on online dating, I was paying for dates; after a few months of "2 dates, paid for dinner and events, thank you very much, bye now" situations, I decided I was going to go for less pricey 1st and 2nd dates, or split the bill, as I was starting to get a little resentful of it. What did you mean about considering it? Do you mean, women are used to being taken out in SF?

Yes. Do coffee or a drink for a first date. There's so much to do in SF, dates don't NEED to be expensive either. One of my best second dates there was going to one of the food truck things where there was live entertainment.

I'm mostly looking at women 45-55, and I don't want kids (that's why my last relationship ended - I was 49, she was 38, and she wanted kids). Were you suggesting that even women under 45 are still hoping to have kids, and thus looking for men with more money?

Yes. Hell, I have 2 friends in SF who are pregnant now who are 51 and 53. But the filter is a good thing to stick with.

Also, just curious - what do you mean by beta vs alpha? That's a big topic of discussion in some circles, but I'm still not convinced about the definitions put forth. What do those mean to you?

Google beta men. There's a ton of info. Also check Evan Marc Katz blog. Alpha is more dominant personality.