Archive for November, 2007

Cheap Date Ideas for the Home-Centric

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

Not everyone likes to go out and gallivant around town. Some people, especially older folks, would prefer to kick it around the house for a little while as opposed to heading out for drinks. This shouldn’t limit a couple’s ability to have a good time together. There are some awesome frugal date ideas for people who would rather spend a few hours around the house than head to dinner at a fancy restaurant.

Star watching is extremely romantic and is a very underrated date idea. If you have never gone out and looked at the stars, then you don’t know what you are missing out on. Find a cozy spot and put down a blanket. Spray on some bug spray and just lay out in nature. If you have a backyard that allows this, then you are in business. If not, you should find a local park or a golf course for some star gazing. Your date will enjoy your creativity and you two will be able to relax and enjoy a great night without breaking the bank.

Every couple enjoys a good movie night, as well. Challenge your significant other to pick out a movie and you can also pick out a movie. Make a theme for the night and have your date follow with that them. For instance, you could have a “Scary Movie Night” sometime around Halloween to get you two into the spirit of the day. You might rent a classic that you both like or you could try to go with a movie that you have never heard of. Regardless, this will give you and your date a chance to get to know each other’s interests when it comes to films. This is something that might even turn into a regular tradition of renting movies each and every week just to see what you and your date can come up with. For only a few dollars at Blockbuster, you can make this happen.

If you have a dollar store somewhere close by, head down there and pick up items for a cheap poker game. You can use things like beans or peanuts as markers for the game. You can even pick up some funny, creative items at this store to be used in conjunction with the game. The dollar store is such that you never know what type of stuff you might find. After heading there, you might have a new date idea that you didn’t even consider before.

You and your date don’t have to head out for a night of heavy drinking to have a great time together. In fact, you might find that some of your best times have come when you just came up with something creative instead of indulging your dating cliché. You don’t even have to break the bank in order to come up these ideas, either. For less than $20, you and your date can have a great time that lasts all night.

Safety: The Most Important First Date Factor

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

When it comes to going through a first date, you probably will have many things going through your head. What do I wear? Where will we go? What should I expect and how should I act? These things are all very important, but they are no more important than your safety. The most important thing to keep in mind, whether you are a guy or a gal, is your personal safety. Though we all expect that people we meet are going to be nice and cordial, sometimes that isn’t the case.

It’s important that you don’t let the stress of a first date take your mind off of what you are doing. Planning for your own safety is ultimately very important. Any time you meet someone for the first time in a one-on-one setting, you will need to keep in mind a couple of key safety tips. This is especially true when it comes to internet dating, where you really have no idea what you are going to get. If you want to have a good, fun, safe time, then be sure to let someone know where you will and where you plan on going. Driving separately is also an option, although this is really a mood killer.

Planning for success is the easiest way to make sure that your internet dating experience ends up being a good one. Even if you have talked on the phone to a person for an extended period of time, you still might not know exactly what you are going to get. Meeting in person is the next step to your relationship and it certainly shouldn’t be something that you’re scared of. Instead, you just have to take a measure of responsibility with you on the date.

Insisting on a public meeting place is a key for a first date. When you aren’t sure what you’re going to get, you need to make sure that you will be around some people. This is a good tip for guys who are planning dates, as well. Not only will it make the lady feel safe, but it will also help to promote a nice sense of fun for the entire date. Nobody wants to be in an isolated spot on their first date. Remember that and you will have a chance to be successful.

On the first date, it’s just good policy not to go home with your date. You probably shouldn’t be inviting that person back to your place, either. This is something that will come later in your relationship, but on the first date, it’s a safety hazard. If you can’t get to know each other during the time of the date, then plan another one for soon after.

Resist the urge to go out and get drunk on a first date. This will impair your judgment and could make your make bad decisions in the long run. This will also show your date that you are serious about getting to know them.

First date safety is all about feeling comfortable. If you follow some of these tips, then you can turn an internet dating venture into a positive experience. Remember that if you ever feel pressured for any reason, you should cut off the date. Don’t let pressure cause you to make a poor decision that you might regret later.

Five Guys You Should Avoid when Dating

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

Every experienced woman can tell you that not every guy is cut out as dating material. In fact, some guys just don’t even come close to living up to your standards. There are certain types of guys that always seem to miss the ball. Here are five different types of guys to avoid when considering potential dates.

The Momma’s Boy
This is the guy who might still live with his mother. If he doesn’t, then you can bet that he lives close enough to visit anytime he feels the urge. His mom probably designed his bathroom, his bed room, and every other room that he owns. He has homemade meals sitting in the fridge because his mother insists that he eats right.

Stay Away Because: Chances are, you will never be able to beat the standard that his mother set for women. Over the course of your relationship, he will always compare you to his super mom, which is never fun.


Muscle Bound Man
You might find that this guy has lots of mirrors in his home and he has all sorts of pictures of himself sitting around his bedroom. He will have a gym membership, but also some weights to use at home. This guy has every new gadget that you have never heard of.

Stay Away Because: You will always play second fiddle to the gym when it comes to this guy’s love. He likes to have his trophies, so you will feel like one when you are hanging off of his arm.

The Typical Womanizer
This is a guy who looks good on the surface, but he lacks a lot of substance. He will act the part, as he’ll treat you like a queen. He will also dress the part with his fancy clothes. The problem with him is that he impresses a lot of women and probably always has.

Stay Away Because: He’s probably going to have so many different women pulling at his arm that you will have to always compete for time. He’s full of himself and feels like you are the lucky one for being able to share his presence.

The Workaholic
You will notice this guy, with his plan and his work ethic. He certainly looks like he has a future, but is he looking to include you in that future? He is always dressed for success and has great taste in everything, including restaurants and women. Work is this guy’s first love, though.

Stay Away Because: You will have to call this guy’s secretary to get a dinner date with him. He might take you to the nicest dinner parties, but he will probably have work to talk about with some of his fellow workaholics.

The College Professor
He’s older than you and he has a wealth of experience. He’s very mysterious and secretive, but he can lead to trouble.

Stay Away Because:
You can run into a ton of trouble messing with your professor. You will likely lose your reputation if anyone found out and he would lose his job.

Creative, off the Cuff Date Ideas

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

If you polled women in the United States, you would find that a majority of them wished that their man was more creative. Sure, they might have dated him for two years and he might treat them great. He just doesn’t come up with fun ideas to keep their relationship light and merry, though. If your relationship has become locked the mundane, then you need something to spark it. Creative dates can get your relationship going again. Step away from the dinner and a movie for two seconds while you consider some fun things to do that your date will certainly appreciate.

Doesn’t every person love hanging out at the park or at the playground? Head down to the local park and hit the playground for a while. You can spend an entire day going through that park and indulging your inner child. Swing on the swings, play on the monkey bars, and do all of these things that you did as a kid. This will certainly make you feel young again and make your relationship feel like it just started last week. If you can find one nearby, try spending a day at a local water park. These places have fantastic rides that are fun for both you and your date. Don’t worry if people give you funny looks while you’re acting like a child. Just smile and know that you are having a great time.

If it’s fall in your community, then check out the local or state fair. These are usually relatively inexpensive and offer lots of wonderful attractions. You can enjoy a candy apple, ride on the ferris wheel, and test your arm at one of the games. You can even spend a little bit of money and win a prize for your date. This might seem like a juvenile thing to do, but it is very creative and can be very fun. Visit the farmer’s market in your town, as well. There you will find some neat exhibits and check out things you might not have otherwise be able to see.

Head to the zoo if there is one close by. Everybody loves to look at monkeys and all of the other exotic animals. If people stopped loving these things when they grew out of childhood, then there would be no Animal Planet channel on television. For a relatively low price, you can spend a day or night looking at the various exhibits. You can check out all sorts of things that you might not have seen since you were a small kid.

These are some ideas that you might not have thought of right from the top of your head. They can be very fun, though. If you need something to spark your relationship, then consider heading to one of these awesome destinations. Your date will thank you for the creativity, even if you have only been dating for a little while. If you have been dating for longer than that, it could be just the spark that you needed.

“Taken” Guys Guide to Bar Hopping

Sunday, November 11th, 2007

Bar hopping is quite an art for single guys, many of whom spend lots of money and time trying to pick up women. It is a right of passage that begins during the college years and continues into early adulthood. Somewhere during that time, guys can pick up a girlfriend and all of the fun has to stop. Does it really have to go away, though? Certain parts of the bar hopping experience do, but there is still quite a bit of fun to be had for guys who are in a relationship.

The bar time for most men is cut down considerably when there is a woman involved. What used to be a nightly venture turns into a weekly one or even a bi-weekly one. That’s the way it should be, too. Men that are in a relationship just can’t spend as much time or money at the bars as they used to. Though you might not see it as a big deal, your girlfriend is going to be sure to want to see more of your face when you would otherwise be heading for the bar. How much is too much? That is something that you will have to decide for yourself. The answer should be significantly lower than what you used to do, though.

When you are at the bars, you will undoubtedly have to deflect women who are interested. It is a fact of life that women seem to desire men with girlfriends a little bit more than single men. You will be forced to deal with this. The key to keeping yourself in line is to stay away from bad situations. What sort of situations are these? Well, you should keep yourself away from being alone with good looking women who might be looking for more than just a drink. It is alright to occasionally buy a drink for a woman, but you shouldn’t make it a habit. If you do, people will begin to talk and you might run into trouble.

There is one situation that could become especially testy. If you head down to the bars enough, you are bound to run into an ex-girlfriend or two. Seeing these folks in bars is much different than seeing them anywhere else. If they are drunk and emotional, you will have to answer questions about your relationship and how “things” are going. The key to these conversations is to be honest. When your ex figures out that things are going well, she will undoubtedly leave it alone.

If you are going to be doing a lot of bar hopping, then you have to keep your guard up. Though you might not think that what you are doing is wrong, people can see you in the bar and report back to your girl. When this happens, you can expect a whole lot of trouble and you can further more expect your downtown time with the boys to be greatly decreased.