Trying to find love today is completely different than it was 50 years ago. For example, my recent visit to a dating site, privatedater.com, made it very clear that love isn’t even free these days. As a matter of fact, according to the Gold membership requirements, one year of love will cost you at the rate of $11.66 per month, for a total of $139.92. For all of you hard-core romantics out there, I can just hear you screaming now, “Can you really put a price on love?” Well, yes, you can. If you are serious about meeting someone online for a few fun dates or a long-term relationship, paying for the service is a requirement if you want to do more than just look at various pics and send what’s known as “flirts” — flirty, simple, usually one-line messages that indicate you are interested in a particular person. In order to actually communicate with that person who has caught your eye, you must sign up for a one-month, three-month, six-month, or year-long membership, otherwise, your efforts will be in vain as most sites strictly prohibit you from providing your email address or other contact info in your profile.

When I first signed up at privatedater.com, there were different sites within the site I could’ve chosen-amateur match, dating for parents, matchmaker, and dater. Since the amateur match was for the younger set and my kids are grown, I decided to use the matchmaker service. I was asked for all the usual, pertinent info: location, name, screen name and password, height, weight, gender, age (birthday), hair color, eye color, body type, religious affiliation/beliefs, and the list goes on. After supplying the requested info, I had to create my profile.

When you’re creating a profile on a запознанства по интернет, it’s best, to be honest, and creative, but only to a certain extent. For example, if you are a cancer patient (or even a cancer survivor), I wouldn’t suggest letting everyone know right away. Once you have met someone and established a comfortable, trusting relationship, that’s when I would share that kind of sensitive information. It’s fine, to be honest regarding how you look; as a matter of fact, the worst thing you can do is lie about your physical attributes. As for everything else, make your profile unique; make sure it grabs a person’s attention right away. Displaying your own unique sense of humor never hurts either. If you can make someone laugh, that’s always a plus. Never try to be narrow-minded, either. For example, if you refuse to date anyone who is over or under a certain age, or if you have a “thing” for red hair, you may be cheating yourself out of meeting some extremely nice and even fascinating people. Always keep an open mind when it comes to dating sites.

After I created my profile, I was given the opportunity to view singles within a specified mileage range of my location. I got to pick how many miles, of course. I was suddenly given 300 pics of single, available men in my area. For the most part, the pictures I viewed showed a variety of average men who were all looking for different things. “Too Pretty For Prison” was a bit scary, to say the least, but just as there are a variety of people on the planet, the same applies to every dating site you will ever visit.

To be completely honest, looking for love in the 21st century can be a tedious, if not overwhelming, task. If you’ve spent any time at all browsing dating sites (as I have), then you already know how daunting the whole process can seem. But take to heart that your perfect match just might be the next picture you click on. Even if you aren’t looking for love, there are still options out there for you. Just a quick browse of a person’s profile can alert you to what they are looking for, whether it’s something serious and long-term, a one-night stand, or a friends-only scenario.

Once you’ve found that special someone, never forget to always practice safety first. That means if things have progressed online to the point where the two of you are planning to meet, do not give the person your address and allow him/her to meet you at your home. Always meet in a public place. If the other person balks at your suggestion to meet in public, that’s a red flag that maybe it isn’t such a good idea to continue the relationship. Also, any kind of verbal or emotional abuse is another red flag. If at any time the person you’ve been talking to becomes angry, belligerent, or otherwise abusive, that’s another sign that this person is not the right one for you. It’s also a good idea to let a trusted friend or family member know your plans (who you’re going out with, where you’re going and when you expect to return home). That way, just in case something does go awry, someone will have information that they will be able to provide to the police. No matter how much you may want to, no matter how charming your date may be, allow things to progress at their own rate. Once you are truly comfortable and feel you can trust the person, that’s when it’s acceptable to let your guard down (but just a little).

Even though trying to find that one special person among a sea of many others looking for the same thing can seem daunting, don’t get discouraged. There are numerous sites out there that host hundreds, thousands, or maybe even millions of members who may just be your perfect match. The most important thing to remember when dealing with the opposite sex, whether it’s in person or online, is that the other person is a human being too, and they want the same thing you do — a loving, committed relationship. All of that is possible, of course, as long as you remember this bit of advice: Above all else, have fun!