It’s the beginning of the year and you’re already behind with all of the Christmas bills that are now due. So when you want to sign up for a dating service site, with its high monthly fee, how are you protecting yourself and your budget?

Before you even plunk down your credit card, you need to be aware of one thing – dating sites want to make money. But at the same time, there are a number of dating sites who simply exist to take money from people without giving them anything in return.

At least, that seems to be what US and World Report claim.

Here are some ways to make sure you are not only protecting yourself, but also getting your money back if you should be dissatisfied with the service:

• Investigate the site before you sign up – Don’t just sign up on the first site you find. Read reviews. Find out what your friends are using. Take some time to figure out whether this site seems like it’s set up to help you.
• Read the contracts – Find out how much money you need to pay and whether you will be signed up for a monthly charge from the start.
• Try to pay by check – If you can, try to pay by paper check. This way, if you’re done with the service, they can’t automatically charge you on your credit card. True, this is a rare feature in dating sites, but if possible, it’s the best deal.
• Find out who to contact with complaints before you have a complaint – This way, you can give them a call and see how helpful they are before you sign up, letting you know how helpful they will be when you are a member.
• Keep records of your charges.

Reviews Bad, Complaints, Fraud, Money, Reviews, Scam, Trust

There’s usually some pretty clear signs that all is not well in a relationship. However we are often too close and too involved to notice these signs ourselves. Often it takes our friends or family to point them out to us. Being in a relationship for a long period of time can seriously cloud your judgement. Knowing when to give up on a relationship is not as easy at it seems. Sometimes you can find yourself in a bad relationship, a one-sided relationship, or even a destructive relationship without even realising it. This happens simply because you’ve lived with your partner for so long and the relationship may have changed slowly over time, getting progressively worse.

Things that may have been little annoyances at the start may turn into much more serious issues later on. These can appear in many different guises, from partners who are abusive, partners who belittle you in public, who don’t care or show you respect, to those who are jealous, or who are possessive of your time.

So what keeps someone in such a relationship? The most common reasons they don’t just split are:

• Fear of change
• Fear of being alone
• Denial of the situation
• Guilt, especially when kids are involved
• A belief that the partner will change or go back to how they once were
• Putting up with them, because ‘when they are nice they are very nice’
• Being attracted to a ‘dominant’ personality

Unfortunately, getting into these types of relationships in the first place can be a repetitive pattern for some people. How ever much you love someone, it is not a reason for staying in a bad relationship. Don’t waste your life. Get out while you still have time and regain your self-respect. Getting out of a bad relationship is difficult to start with, but it is well worth the heartache and turmoil. Once out, the sunlight that was missing from your life will return, and a few months down the line, you’ll be amazed with yourself as to why you lived in such a situation for so long.

Rejection Abuse, Bad, Dump, Jealous, Love, Possessive, Rejection, Relationship

The longer you date, the more likely you are to have a bad dating experience. Even if you’ve hand-selected the person on the Internet, taken the time to get to know them, and actually talked to them on the phone, nothing compares to the actual experience of the date. So, what do you do if things aren’t going exactly as you planned?

First of all, the first date can be an intense experience. Whether you admit to it or not, you’re trying to impress the other person, trying to show off and trying to be more than you actually are – and that can be a recipe for disaster. You’re both nervous, you both are saying things that you wish you could take back…is there anything that you can do?

If your date is rude or disrespectful, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t end your date immediately. You don’t need to deal with anyone that’s not being at least courteous to you. Simply get up from the table, thank them for their time, pay your part of the bill, and leave. It might seem rude, but if you’re both having a bad time, why not cut your losses and run?

If you get the sense that your date is just nervous, you might want to stick it out for a while and try another date when you’re both a little used to each other. There can be a world of difference between those two meetings.

However, if you just get a hunch about someone, you might want to end the date. Intuition is a powerful mental ability that can alert you to someone who may be dangerous – always trust your gut. It’s worth having to pay for your meal and call a cab to race home.

Dating Essentials Bad, First Dates, Impress, Nerves, Online Safety, Rejection