A comment made by a financial blogger who said that "there is an iron law of seeking a girlfriend among e-commerce industry practitioners" stirred some controversy recently on Sina Weibo.

He disclosed that women who spend lower than 128 yuan ($19.08) averagely for one dress will be labeled by the big database of Taobao as "cheap." He further explained that these people spend more time bargaining for goods, which increases the operating costs of the business. Such women are so difficult to please in daily life that they are not worth making girlfriends with, according to the blogger.

Every year before International Women's Day, many Chinese females load up their shopping carts on Taobao for discounts being offered by online businesses, especially those who deal in cosmetics and women's clothing. 

Different from women of former generations who dressed up to please their husbands or boyfriends, today's women wear makeup and dress well to arm themselves in order to win respect, expand their social circles and outpace their peers.

Taobao denied that there is such a threshold for 128-yuan dresses, and the company's staff in charge of algorithms explained that the original intention of personalized recommendations was to meet its users' diverse needs. But the search results will change dynamically according to users' purchases.

The blogger's comment caused heated discussion among netizens who were amazed that a woman's consumption habits could affect finding herself a spouse or enlarging her social circles. 

One netizen named Yunduanchuipaopao agreed that women who buy dresses priced at 128 yuan or under reveal their poor economic condition and show they value price over quality. The netizen thinks a woman who purchases cheap products but does not accept the fact that you get what you pay for will be difficult to get along with in daily life.

Another netizen argued that one of her friends usually buys clothes priced between 70 yuan and 80 yuan on Taobao. But she is such a nice person that everyone likes her and she has gone steady with her boyfriend and has been introduced to his parents.

Material girls

But is it true that a woman's consumption behavior could affect a man's willingness to date her?

According to a report by Chong­qing Morning Post in October of 2018, a 26-year-old woman surnamed Shen from Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality was rejected by a man with whom she had been chatting online for one month after finally meeting offline. The reason, according to the woman, was that her gorgeous appearance and preference for big-brand fashions deterred him.

Shen dressed herself in luxurious branded fashions and accessories, which she claims won her intensive attention from passersby but caused the man to be silent during their first date. Later that night, Shen received a message from the man who admitted that, despite their online friendship, in reality he found that their personalities and lifestyles did not match. 

Shen's appearance left a false impression on the man, according to her, causing him to misunderstand the woman's extravagance. Shen told media that she was not a material girl but just wanted to leave a good impression on the man. 

Han Meimei, a 25-year-old woman living in Shanghai, believes that a woman's consumption habits revealed on the first date can affect a man's decision to continue dating. 

"Most men do not want to date women who appear to be too expensive to support. They prefer women dressed up without too many big brands," said Han.

Opposing voices

On the contrary, 29-year-old Wang Lan, who also lives in Shanghai, thinks that if a woman appears to be thrifty and dresses too casually on the first date, it may give an impression that she does not care about the man she is meeting. 

"When two persons' consumption habits differ too much, they will separate naturally," Wang said.

This was echoed by 31-year-old Sasha, a married Chinese woman who works in Shanghai. "If a couple have different consumption habits, their life together will be negatively affected," Sasha said. 

Thirty-five-year-old Jiang, a female professional in Shanghai, however, feels that although most of her blind-dating counterparts would not declare frankly that their consumption habits affect a man's willingness to continue dating, she often feels it does. 

Liang Jia, a 25-year-old woman in Shanghai, who is well-paid, recalled that once a blind date treated her to a cheap bowl of Lanzhou ramen. 

However, a married man surnamed Qin told the Global Times that a woman's consumption habits cannot reflect a woman's overall character.

Faltering friendships 

Even between women, different consumption habits can also lead to different results in friendships.

Han said that she has friends who frequently travel abroad and buy very expensive branded products. Gradually, she has felt that she can not keep up with them and some of their friendships have not lasted. "Nor can I get along with people who are not willing to spend any money, either," Han added. 

"Regardless of sex, people with different consumption concepts cannot become friends," Wang said. "People who like dining at high-end French and Japanese restaurants or who go out for British-style afternoon tea can never make friends with people who order take-out with coupons," Wang said. 

Wang gave an example of a female friend whose economic status and family financial situation was not high. Every time they went out together, Wang would suggest having simple Guilin rice noodles, which was more affordable for her friend. 

Jiang agrees, explaining that "those who live in villas will never make friends with those who live in apartments, especially at the workplace." However, Sasha thinks their different consumption habits should not determine whether they can be friends.