With more than 25 million singles in the US, online dating has surely become the quick, safe and cheap way to find the partner in your local area. So what exactly makes online dating quick, safe and cheap? We’ll break it down for you in this article.

The Quick: With so many people having busy work schedules, they may not have the kind of time to do efficient searching for a partner. But with online dating you build a profile and even with just a few minutes to spare a day, that is plenty enough to receive messages, send messages and set up dates. And the best part is you can get a profile up and running over a weekend. If that isn’t quick, then nothing is.

The Safe: There is a reason people do online dating. It is a fact that 1/5 of all people getting married now-a-days met their partner online. Truthfully, there is no better way to screen people and feel them out then online. The format gives people an environment that is very laid back, unlike the time crunch of social situations, so they can ask the important question and get to know each other well beforehand. Not to mention, all dating sites have security measures involved to protect you personal information, and remove people who are being inappropriate.

The Cheap: Dating can get very expensive. Often, you spend all the money on a first date only to find out that the potential partner is not your type. This can be a depressing waste of money. But by getting to know them first, you slim down potential daters only to those with the highest potential. And setting up an online dating account most times is free. Even if you did want to upgrade to a membership, they are still way cheaper than dating service and usually out you in control, so there is no middle man.

Times are tough, and if you have a new lady in your life, the first few dates are great to go cheap on to see what she is really about. After all, you shouldn’t feel bad at all because only 10% of daters and dates turn into anything, so you do the math. That’s a lot of money wasted just to get a feel for a girl. Thus, we suggest you try these 5 cheap ideas first to see what she is about before you go for a fancy steak dinner.

Cheap Date Idea 1: Go to a museum on a Free Friday. Most city museums will open their doors free to the public one day of the week. Usually, it’s on a Friday night, and there may even be some free drinks in it too. Plus, this way you start off on a good foot and look like a nice, cultured individual.

Cheap Date Idea 2: The local university will often open its hall for free to the public for viewing of Masters and Doctorate concerts as well as staff concerts. You may see for example a really nice piano concerto by Mozart performed by a world-class musician free of charge. This idea is romantic and cheap.

Cheap Date Idea 3: Another great idea is to go to a poetry reading/open mike/poetry slam. If you look into your local hip newspaper, these kind of events aren’t hard to find. They are really, really entertaining and totally free. And if you’ve had your hand at poetry, it could be your chance to impress her.

Cheap Date Idea 4: It’s always nice to have a picnic it a pretty outdoors place. This is always cheap because you can just pack some sandwiches and drinks, and that is all you really need. The key here is to find a perfect place and to go on a day when there is perfect whether. But if everything is as planned, no girl will ever turn down a nice, romantic picnic.

Cheap Date Idea 5: Sweat together. This could be as simple as going for a jog in a park, or a by-donation Yoga class, or even for a dip in a local spring, river or the beach. The secret here is to make a day of it.

Yes, I am an Elmo lover. He is the cutest little fuzzy ball. I remember having the Tickle Me Elmo toy and when I was younger. Ever since then I buy anything that has to do with him. I don’t have my room decorated in Elmo, but I love buying t-shirts, underwear, stuff toys, and other related objects. Some guys might think that is silly or immature at my age level, but I don’t see anything wrong with what I am doing. Now that you have some background info on my love of Elmo, I would like to give you some background on myself. I am a fun and free spirited woman that just love living life! I have been single for about 5 and a half months, and it is time to get back into the adult dating world. I want to meet guys that have the same wants as I do and that don’t mind my love for Elmo.

Now this is a bit surprising but in a way not. Jesse James did cheat on Sandra Bullock with some tattoo model. Jesse and Kat Von D admitted to dating each other after James and Bullock’s divorce was finalized back in Sept 2010, but now they are engaged. Both parties have confirmed that the rumor is true and that both couldn’t be more in love and happier. No wedding date has been set yet. I guess wealthy men do go after tattooed women.

Ladies you are on a date and it isn’t going as well as you pictured it. And this isn’t the first date that is like this. All your dates are bad. So what is going on? Here are some mistakes that women make on a date.

Talking too much. Girls you have to let him talk a little, Find out if you have anything in common. You will never know that if you don’t shut up for a few minutes.

Being too high maintenance. Guys like girls that are easy going, that can go with the flow.

Being insecure. Trust me when I say men like confident women. If you keep saying that your not good enough or that your fat or ugly. He is going to believe it. You have to show me that you can work it.

Coming on too strong. If you start talking about marriage and babies on the first date, he is going to go running. Take it slow, get to know each other. You don’t even have to have sex right away. Relationships last longer when you take time and letting it develop.

Remember ladies when on a date, I know it can be nerve racking, but be yourself go with the flow. If it doesn’t work out there are plenty more men out there.

Men do you have a clingy girlfriend that you don’t know how to deal with? Such as you calls you multiple times a day, she invites herself to hang out with you and your friends just to see you. Do you feel trapped? She is around you 24/7. You just want to hang out with your friends or spend some time alone. Here is a good way of talking with her.

It is important that you take the space that you need or even if you feel you have to break up with her. No one likes to make a girl cry, but it isn’t healthy to be in a relationship that is hurting you. It is time to stand up to her and tell her how you feel. If you can’t stand up for yourself in this relationship, you’re not going to be able to in the next one either. If you want time with your friends without your girlfriend, then take it. She can deal with her feelings about it. As a matter of fact, it will be an opportunity for both of you to grow. As you start to take space and assert yourself, it will stir up feelings in both of you. Be willing to talk about it, to reassure her that you still love her, it is just that you both need time to do your own thing. She might have a hard time understanding at first, but if she really loves you, she will understand.

It is always exciting to meet someone online. You have been talking to them for weeks or even months and the time has come when you both think it is a good time to meet each other.  Going out on a date with someone you have never met before can be stressful and exciting, but you should always remember to be safe about it. Here is how.

Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back. You don’t have to spill all the juicy details, but at least let someone know what your plans are. Also tell them who you are going out with. Give full name of the person.

Drive yourself or agree to meet your date somewhere. While having your date pick you up may seem nice, it can also leave you stranded if you the date isn’t going well and you want to split.

Go somewhere public. As romantic as a candlelight dinner at your date’s apartment may sound, it’s not a good idea if you don’t know someone very well. Meet somewhere very public during your first few dates.
Listen to your gut. If something, or someone, doesn’t feel right, listen to that feeling. It’s there for a reason.
 
Watch your drink. Keeping an eye on your drink at all times means someone else can’t change your plans for the evening without you knowing about it.
 
Carry cash. Everything seemed great at first, but it went downhill faster than you could believe. Now you’re stuck at a club and just want to run. Having cash available in your wallet makes catching a cab or bus much, much easier.

Agree to check in with a friend at a certain time. If you don’t want to worry about calling someone at a preset time, have them call you. Decide beforehand language you can use to say if it’s going well or not. Yes, the food here is fantastic,” or “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear you’re sick!” won’t sound strange to your date, but your friend can pick up on what’s going on.