Nope! We used British pence pieces (never mind that they were worth about 2.5 cents) until drcpunk lost both of the two we had left over from the 1995 Worldcon.

Regarding affording less...it depends, really. I'm functionally supporting drcpunk these days as I'm employed and she isn't, but that's basically a matter of practicality, and we'd both prefer if she were employed. Plus, our relationship was very solid long before this became an issue. It's complicated, I think, but I think central is that the relationship dynamic was well established long before I had to decide whether to support her.

It's a little different with pocketnaomi, as I'll tend to cover one good-sized meal at some point during my visit (and, of course, cover my own transportation, hardly a minor expense). OTOH, my visits are infrequent (once or twice a year) and she'll typically make a point of taking me out for a meal at some point even if it isn't -as- nice a meal as the one I cover. I guess this counts as "infrequent," though.