It’s been seven years since my divorce and occasionally I think I’m ready for a new relationship. The problem is I am something of a home body and don’t really like the thought of going “out”. It’s time consuming, expensive, and way outside of my comfort zone.

My daughter thinks I should get out and meet people. I suppose I should be but it all feels too hard for me. I’d rather be behind my computer creating something wonderful for you! 🙂

The loneliness begins to take a toll after a while though so what’s an attractive, smart, and slightly bitchy assertive woman like me to do?

I’ll tell you.

Discovering Online Dating Sites

A few years ago I discovered dating sites. It was almost like discovering fire!

I was initially turned off because of the horror stories I heard.

But as the years went by I began hearing (and meeting) people who were actually meeting and marrying people they met online. Just the other day I met a lady who met her husband online so there are a few success stories.

I began to experiment with the idea then got the nerve up to actually join a site, write my profile, and post a picture. I waited and sure enough I began to get messages. The problem was I couldn’t read them because I had to become a full member first. 🙁

I tried a few different sites and learned a lot of lessons in the process. With my budget at the time, I needed to find free dating sites. It was risky but I had to go through trial by fire if I wanted to meet someone.

I had to implement a few things to weed out the duds including:

  • Making my intentions clear
  • Creating a clear, concise, and compelling ad
  • Sticking to and communicating my boundaries
  • Following my intuition
  • Being my authentic self

One site I’ve used is:

PlentyofFish (POF)

Pros

  • Definitely PlentyofFish on this site from every corner of the globe it seems so you are going to find someone in your neck of the woods
  • Easy set profile set up. I think it may take about five minutes but I took longer because I wanted a more complete profile.
  • A great option if looking to date seriously as the search options range from casual to looking for marriage
  • Features a forum to meet people and talk about the single life or connect with people with the same interest
  • Great app to check out profiles and your messages as well as respond on the go
  • Location based results. I was a little freaked out when I was traveling and got messages from people in the city I was visiting. I suppose it’s good if you want to meet someone locally.

Cons

    • You have too many people to choose from. Too many choices can keep you and a potential date from making a decision.
    • May run into a few creepy people. Be sure to vet them carefully and follow your intuition.

In part two I’ll discuss other online dating sites and Online Dating Strategies that Works (for me at least 🙂 )

This article was sponsored in part by PlentyofFish.com but the experiences and opinions are my own.