Dating Tips

7 Reasons Why Men Say No to a Second Date

We’ve already looked at seven reasons why women turn down a second date, but now it’s time to look at why men may run a mile from another date with a woman!

1. You didn’t seem interested in him.

Paying a bit of attention to your date is pretty essential. If a woman ignores a man, doesn’t ask questions about his likes and dislikes and fails to engage in much eye contact, then you give the impression of not being interested.

2. You talked too much about yourself.

It’s always good to share details about yourself, but there’s a fine line between sharing information and dominating the conversation by endlessly talking about you, you, you! Get that balance wrong and he won’t be keen to endure another date with you.

3. You used Twitter and Facebook during the date.

It’s fine to enjoy using Twitter and Facebook and not surprising that you may want to share news of how your date went – but save it until afterwards! Getting your phone out, sending Tweets or updating your Facebook status during the date is just plain rude.

4. You talked about your ex boyfriend.

At some point when you’re dating, a conversation about your ex’s will inevitably happen, but the first date is not the time or place. If you talk about your ex boyfriend, whether in a friendly or disparaging way, it’s no wonder your date doesn’t want to come back for seconds.

5. You didn’t make an effort with your look.

It’s a sad fact, but looks do matter on a date and it does help if you’ve made an effort with getting ready. If you went straight out from work without changing, didn’t apply fresh make-up or run a brush through tangled hair, then you give the impression to a man that you’re not bothered. Who can blame him to look elsewhere for another date?

6. You didn’t seem tactile.

It may have been your first date, but a little bit of willingness to show signs of being tactile would have helped. If you pulled your hand away from being held or brushed his arm away from your shoulder, then you’ve given the impression of not being keen on physical contact.

7. You didn’t offer to pay.

Some men may like to pay for the first date activities, be it a meal, drinks or cinema trip, but it’s always polite to offer to pay your share. Failing to offer to pay at all, and give the impression that you assume he’ll pay doesn’t bode too well in the impression stakes. No wonder he’s not keen to go on a second date.

Tags: 7 reasons, men, second date, women

5 Texting Dating Scenarios to Avoid

Texting has become a major part of many people’s lives and it’s as normal now to send a text as it was in the past to pick up the phone. But when you’re dating, texting isn’t always the best form of communication. Here are five classic texting scenarios to be aware of and avoid where you can! 

1. Don’t send vague texts

The limited space on a text can limit how much information you’re able to send on a single message. If there’s not room to fully express yourself, and the limited text you send could end up rather vague, then don’t send it at all. Email instead or wait until you see your date in person.

2. Don’t text your friends when you’re on a date.

Being on a date with someone that seems to be constantly attached to their phone, especially when they’re texting, instantly gives the impression that you’re bored with their company. Don’t get tempted to reply to all and sundry when you’re on your date. Unless it’s a really important text, ignore it until later and give your date your full, focused attention.

3. Don’t tease by text

Texting can be great for flirting, but there’s a fine line between sending flirty texts and teasing texts. If you’re early on in your relationship with your date and aren’t 100% sure if they totally get your sense of humour or will understand your teasing via texts, then err on the side of caution and don’t tease them by text just yet.

4. Don’t get carried away with txt talk

Not everyone loves abbreviated text talk or understands it. Whilst it can be fun to exchange texts with your date, it’s not so great if what you send comes across as undecipherable goobldegook. There’s no harm in using occasional abbreviations that most people will understand – “It was gr8 to c u,” for example – but don’t write entire text messages in abbreviations that may not be recognised.

5. Don’t break up by text

Texting can be useful for many things, but breaking up with your date is certainly not one of them. It’s rude and your date deserves more than just a text to tell them things aren’t working out.

Tags: communication, date, dating, text, texting, txt talk

7 Reasons Why Women Say No to a Second Date

Ever wondered why a woman turned down your suggestion of a second date? If you thought your first date went really well, and can’t understand why a second date was refused, read on to discover 7 common reasons why women say no to a second date!

1. You didn’t make a good first impression.

First impressions count on dates and, for whatever reason, if your date didn’t take to you immediately, then that can make it or break it as far as moving onto another date goes.

2. You didn’t dress for the occasion.

Even if you don’t care two hoots about your appearance the rest of the time, it’s really important to look your best for your first date. If you didn’t change your t-shirt, had a stain on your tie or wore crumpled old clothes to a really smart restaurant, then you can’t blame a woman for being less than impressed.

3. You talked too much about yourself.

There’s a subtle art to first date conversation and, as important as it is to share some facts about you, your life and your interests, harping on forever about yourself forever can have a massive overkill effect.

4. You didn’t talk enough.

Balance is vitally important and if you didn’t talk enough then your date can be put off too. The ideal first date conversation includes plenty of input from both of you. If you can remember uncomfortable silences when neither of you spoke, or you didn’t end up chatting much at all, then no wonder she doesn’t want to go on a second date.

5. You didn’t leave your mobile phone alone.

Tweeting, texting, checking emails or taking phone calls whilst on a date can be an instant attraction killer. If you’re seen to be in love with your mobile phone and more interested in that than the woman you’re supposed to be wooing, then it’s no surprise she’s not up for meeting again.

6. You got drunk.

A little bit of alcohol can calm date nerves tremendously, but getting drunk on your first is a big no-no. Slurring your words, staggering on your feet and generally being drunk don’t make a sexy or appealing impression.

7. You got too frisky.

For some, this may go hand-in-hand with getting drunk, but if you got a bit too frisky on your first date, without being sure that your date appreciated your actions, then this can be a dead cert second date killer.

Tags: reason, second date, turn down, women

4 First Date Preparation Tips

First dates are all about making a good first impression and this is especially so when you’re moving from chatting online to meeting in person. As well as looking your best, successful date preparation involves being organised in other ways too. Read on to discover our four top tips for essential first date preparation.

1. Swot Up on Emails Before Your Date

It’s not unusual for people to be in contact with several potential dates, especially if using an online dating site. Before your date, make sure you swot up on the emails and messages you’ve exchanged – it is not a good first impression to start mixing people up and can be a real conversation and date killer.

2. Choose an Appropriate Date Setting

Use the knowledge you’ve gained about your date from chatting online to pick an appropriate date setting. Meeting in a club may seem fine to you, but if your date has commented that they don’t like noisy clubs and prefer quiet locations, then the date will be a dud before you even get there.

3. Speak On The Phone

If you’ve only ever exchanged emails or texts, it’s helpful to have at least spoken to your date on the phone once or twice before you meet for the first time. You may find that you don’t like the sound of him, you can’t understand his accent or that she doesn’t get your jokes.

You might want to still give the date a go anyway, but if you don’t fancy it anymore, then at least it will save you both time, effort and money.

4. Be Clear About Where You’re Meeting

There’s nothing worse than waiting for ages for your date to turn up, only to discover you’re been waiting in the wrong place. So in your date preparation, be clear about exactly where you’re meeting and make sure the other person knows the details.

Some stations have two or more entrances and exits, for example, and there may be bars or restaurants with the same name, but in different locations. In case of confusion, give your date a postcode or email a link to a streetmap, so you’ll know they’ve got the right information before you set off.

Tags: date tips, first date, preparation

How to Cancel a Date

If you’ve agreed to go on a date with someone, but then find yourself having second thoughts or wondering whether it’s really such a good idea, how do you cancel the date? Here are five practical do’s and don’t’s for cancelling dates.

1. Don’t just ignore it and not turn up

However awkward you feel about cancelling a date, it’s never a good idea to just ignore it and not turn up. Apart from the fact that it’s simply not a polite or nice thing to do, if your date has made special arrangements to meet you and travelled far, then they may be left out of pocket too.

2. Do be honest and say you can’t go.

Honesty is usually the best policy and it’s far better to be honest in advance and say you can’t make the date as planned, than leave your date high and dry.

3. But don’t be too honest about why!

The only thing to be aware of when cancelling a date is being too honest. If you’d agreed to go on a date with someone out of pity, because your friend told you to, because you didn’t have anything else on, or because you couldn’t get any other dates, then don’t tell them that.

Whilst honesty is good, too much brutal honesty is going too far. Don’t feel you’ve got to tell your date exactly why you’re cancelling, just stick with a line that you can’t make it.

4. Don’t leave it until the last minute to cancel

If you’re going to cancel a date, and have been thinking about it for a while, then please don’t leave it until the last minute to cancel. At least give your date a bit of notice if you can, so they can make alternative arrangements, rather than being left with no other options for the day.

5. Do have courage!

If you’re having a bit of a wobble and a worry about going on a date, and are thinking of cancelling it, then don’t do it before you’ve thought it through properly. It’s normal to experience first date nerves, especially when going on a date with someone you’ve met online.

Think it through carefully before you abandon the idea – after all, he or she could turn out to be your dream date!

Tags: cancel, cancelling a date, date

5 Tips Getting Started With Online Dating

If you’re about to embark on an online dating adventure, then here are some top tips to get you started!

1. Check out a range of sites before signing up

Before you part with money or sign-up to a dating site, spend some time looking at the various options first. They aren’t all the same and don’t all work in exactly the same way – some may have members in your local area, whilst others may be further spread – so it’s best to suss them out first.

A lot of dating sites offer free trials, so take advantage of these, as you’ll get a better idea of how the different sites work.

2. If you’re looking for a relationship, rather than a fling, use a paid site.

There are a lot of dating sites which offer a free service and, not surprisingly, they’re busy and awash with singles. But they can also attract a lot of people who are just up for a good time and a casual fling. If you’re after romance and a longer relationship, it’s worth signing up to a paid dating website.

Anyone who’s serious about dating and finding Mr or Ms Right won’t be afraid to part with their cash, whilst quick flingers will always swarm to the free dating sites first.

3. Write a confident profile to sell yourself.

Your dating profile is like your shop window. It’s an important chance for you to sell yourself and, in order to come across well, you have to write confidently and positively about yourself. Take time writing your profile, try and come up with a striking – but not cheesy – headline.

4. Always post a photo with your dating profile.

Dating profiles with photos are guaranteed to get more clicks than those without photos. However much people say that it’s not looks that count, when it comes to online dating people do prefer to know what people look like.

Choose a recent photo of yourself that you’re happy with. Avoid the urge to post a picture of yourself when you were younger or slimmer, as this will always backfire when you actually meet someone!

5. Interact with people on the dating site.

Once you’ve bothered to pay, sign-up and create your own profile on a dating site, don’t just sit back and wait for people to contact you. The chances are they will, but getting out there and interacting with other people on the site is important too.

Search for people by interests or location and send a message to those who interest you, even if it’s just a quick ‘hi’. If the site has online discussion forums, then get involved in those too, as it’s another good way to get your username on the radar.

5 Low Cost Date Ideas

Dating doesn’t have to be expensive and if you’re on a budget, you can still enjoy a great night out together without breaking the bank. If you need to watch your spending, but still want to woo your date, then here are five low cost date ideas.

1. Free live music events

It can be expensive to buy tickets for popular concerts, but if you look around, you may well be able to find places in your local area that are holding free music events. Okay, so they may not be the biggest and greatest bands, but bands at the early stages of their careers often play for free in pubs around the country. You get all the benefits of a live gig, without the huge bill.

2. Open mic nights

On a similar basis, many pubs and bars hold regular open mic nights, for comedy or poetry readings. They’re usually free to attend, can be very entertaining and, if you’re feeling brave, you could even get up on stage and read a poem to your date.

3. Hold a board game party

If you love games and have friends that do too, then why not hold a board game party at your house? Invite some friends around, prepare some food and drinks and play to your hearts content. This is probably not suitable for a first date (it’s not ideal to let someone know your address quite so soon), but is great for subsequent dates and a good way of letting your friends suss out your new love interest.

4. Walk in the park and feed the ducks

Walking doesn’t cost a penny to do and it’s a great form of exercise. Why not take your date on a walk in the park – it will provide you with some quality time to just amble along and get to know each other. Take a bag of bread with you and you could feed the ducks together too.

5. Visit a museum or art gallery

If you and your date enjoy museums or art galleries, then why not incorporate a visit into a date? Although many museums and art galleries charge an entrance fee, there are still some that are free of charge, which could help create a very budget-friendly date!

Tags: budget dates, cheap dates, dating tips, low cost dates

10 of the best bad date exit strategies

With the best will in the world, not all dates are equal. Unless you’re extremely lucky (or ultra selective), the chances are that you’ll experience a bad date at some point in your dating days.

When your date is excruciatingly bad, you can be forgiven for wanting to bail out – but you might at least try to do so as nicely as possible, rather than going to the toilet and never coming back. Here are our top 10 exit strategies for getting yourself out of a bad date!

1. The crisis call exit

If you’ve got friends willing to play along, then you could pre-arrange for someone to phone you halfway through your date with an emergency crisis.

If things are going well, you don’t need to act on it, but if it’s all going pear-shaped, then hearing about a sudden crisis is good exit strategy to have. Don’t get too carried away with your crisis ideas though – keep them believable!

2. The double-booked exit

Pretending to have double-booked yourself is a good way of gently letting down a bad date, but you do need to implement the plan at the beginning of a date.

When you arrive for your date, make a point of saying that you’ve discovered at the last minute that you’ve accidentally double-booked yourself and might have to leave early. Be creative, but realistic, with your reasons – for example, it could be your workmate’s leaving do, a work event you should have been at or a friend’s party.

If your date is less than inspiring, then you can use the excuse to head off early.

Don’t worry if all goes swimmingly well and you don’t want to leave. Your date will be even more impressed that you’ve given up your time to spend with them!

3. The spillage exit

This isn’t ideal if you’re wearing your favourite frock or designer suit, but if things have got really boring and you’re hating every minute of your date, then you could always put to use the spillage exit.

This is a move best made with a bit of prior thought – it’s better to use white wine, vodka or gin, rather than red wine or beer. Put simply, you need to engineer a situation where you accidentally spill your drink all over you, with monumental effect.

If you make enough of a fuss about the whole incident, not bearing to stay in the clothes a minute longer, you can subsequently rush off home to change and get the stains out.

4. The tiredness exit

This one is ideal for anyone who is already bored to tears by their date and can’t help but yawning and looking bored. Yes, it’s the tiredness exit.

In order to pull this one off, you need to be able to suitably fake extreme tiredness, where you can’t stop yourself yawning. It’s also good to team it up with the idea that you have to be up super early the next morning for work, so need to go home early to get a good night’s sleep.

5. The illness exit

No-one wants to be suddenly struck down with dire illness on their date, but if the date is the worst you’ve ever been on, then you could enlist the help of the illness exit strategy.

This is the one where you suddenly feel unwell and have to rush off home straightaway. It could be a faked dodgy stomach (you may have to rush to the toilet several times before to really pull this one off), feeling sick or, for the girls, you could fake sudden women’s problems.

6. The parking ticket is running out exit

If time is ticking on and you can’t wait for your date to end, then you could always use the good old line that your parking ticket is running out, so you really must go.

It can work too even if you haven’t driven – just make sure he doesn’t then spot you carless and walking, as your guise will be blown.

7. The scaring him witless exit

If you don’t fancy any of the other exit strategies, and don’t feel up to faking an illness, tiredness, prior commitment or spilling something all over yourself, then you could always go for the scaring him witless exit strategy.

With this novel method, the idea is to be as scary and off-putting as possible. This could be through disagreeing with everything he says, coming up with weird and wacky made-up hobbies and activities, or indulging in raucous laughter or giggling for no apparent reason.

If successfully used, this should have your date making their own excuses pretty pronto, leaving you alone as you’d desired.

8. The long-term commitment exit

The first or second dates aren’t the place to start talking about long-term commitments – that comes further down the line – so if you’re keen to lose someone sharpish, talking about commitments is a good way of doing so.

For example, you could suddenly start talking about how you’re dying to get married as soon as possible, want to have his babies, would like your date to meet your parents tomorrow and want to move in together straightaway.

As long as you’re not out with someone who really is desperate, then you’ve got a jolly good chance of putting them off and ending the date – and any future ones – in a shot.

9. The ‘must catch my train, bus or plane’ exit

Another useful transport-related trick to have up your sleeve is the notion that you need to suddenly rush off to catch a train, bus or plane.

It could be that it’s the last train or bus back home, or that you’re need to dash to catch a plane away for work (and what an even better reason to be unable to see your date again soon, or get their calls).

As with the car park ticket exit trick, just be sure to be well out of his view if you’re not heading towards a station or airport.

10. The honesty exit strategy

If all else fails and you’re really far too nice at heart to pull off any of our other exit strategies, then there’s always the honesty exit.

Some people find it hard to do, but if you’re not enjoying the date, know you won’t get on and there’s no chemistry at all, why not just be honest and tell them. You don’t have to go into a great long explanation of what’s wrong, just keep it simple, tell them it’s not going to work and leave.

Tags: bad date, commitment, dating, exit strategies, exit strategy, honesty

5 things he really means when his dating profile says…

Online dating is a great way of meeting new men, but whilst his dating profile may seem self-explanatory, you can’t always take what he says at face value.

Whether it’s his views on what he’s looking for in a woman, a description of his personality or his employment status, sometimes you have to look between the lines to discover the reality.

If you’re wondering what the statements in his dating profile may really mean, then read on to discover the truth!

1. His Ideal Woman

If his profile says that he’s “looking for a woman who cares about her appearance and looks good,” you may think that sounds positive.

But in reality, it could mean that he values looks as far more important than personality, plus it could be a sign that all he wants is some great looking arm candy on his arm to wow his friends.

2. What He’d Like to Do On His Ideal Date

If his profile simply says, “My ideal date is a romantic candlelight meal or a long walk on the beach in the sunset,” it may seem nice on the surface, but really reeks of lack of imagination. It’s a sign that he can’t think of anything better to say and hasn’t really given it that much thought.

3. Employment and Salary

The profile section that deals with employment and jobs should give you an insight into what he does for a living. But it’s not always clear cut.

If his profile has the words, “I’m in between jobs” in it, alarm bells should start ringing. Put simple, this probably means, “I’m unemployed and out of work.”

Likewise, if there’s a space for him to include his yearly salary – and some dating sites do have one – then take it with a pinch of salt. It’s especially so if he’s picked one of the highest salaries, as he may just be trying to impress you with illusions of money.

It’s probably better if he’s left it blank – he may be too shy to share this with the world, but you can find out for yourself when you vet him in person.

4. His Hobbies and Lifestyle

Of course you want to know about his hobbies and lifestyle, but you may need to use your own imagination here too.

If his profile says he, “loves sports and football,” then what it could really mean is that his Saturday’s are dedicated to sport, so don’t expect to go out on a date then.

5. What He’s Looking For

Finally, when he describes what he’s looking for, if his profile says, “I’m not looking for anything serious,” “I’m just looking for friendship,” or “Let’s just see what happens,” it all means he’s looking for sex.

Tags: dating profile, men, online dating, what he really means

40 Dating Acronyms Revealed

Online dating is a great way to meet new people, but when you’re browsing online dating profiles or communicating with new people, you’ll no doubt come across acronyms used. These are a set of letters used instead of words, which help shorten phrases.

There are a now a massive amount of weird and wonderful acronyms used online, especially in the dating world. If you’re new to online dating, or not familiar with acronyms, then it can be really confusing knowing what they mean.

To help avoid any confusion, and ensure you’re clear about what people mean from the start, here’s a useful reference list to help you grasp the meaning of 40 commonly used dating acronyms.

1. AKA – Also Known As
2. BBW – Big Beautiful Woman
3. Bi – Bisexual
4. D – Divorced
5. D&D Free (D/D Free) – Drug and Disease Free
6. DTE – Down to Earth
7. F2F – Face to Face
8. FYI – For Your Information
9. GBM – Gay Black Male
10. GWM – Gay White Male
11. GLBT – Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgendered
12. GSOH – Good Sense of Humour
13. HNG – Horny Net Geek
14. HWP – Height/Weight Proportionate
15. IR – Interracial
16. IRL – In Real Life
17. ISO – In Search Of
18. LD – Light Drinker
19. LDR – Long Distance Relationship
20. LS – Light Smoker
21. MBA – Married But Available
22. MM – Marriage Minded
23. MSM – Man Seeking Man
24. MSW – Man Seeking Woman
25. NBM – Never Been Married
26. ND – Non-Drinker
27. N/Drugs – No Drugs
28. PDA – Public Display of Affection
29. RL – Real Life
30. SBF – Single Black Female
31. SBM – Single Black Male
32. SD – Social Drinker
33. SI – Similar Interests
34. SO – Significant Other
35. SOH – Sense Of Humour
36. STR – Straight
37. SWF – Single White Female
38. SWM – Single White Male
39. TLC – Tender Loving Care
40. WAA – Will Answer All

Don’t forget that if you’re not sure what someone you’re sending messages to means, then always ask for clarification. You don’t want to find yourself in a sticky situation further down the line when they think you know what they’re looking for, and you’ve actually got no clue!

Tags: acronyms, communication, date, dating