Dating Tips

When To Give Your Online Date Your Number and How To Protect Your Privacy

When to give your number out?

Online dating is a great way of meeting new people, but if you’ve so far online communicated online, at what point should you hand over your phone number?

Giving out your phone number used to be the norm in dating, especially when you met people in person at clubs or pubs and wanted them to get in contact with you again. But with online dating, there’s so much of a need to give out your phone number, or at least not at first.

There’s also the issue that it’s not always so easy to know 100% exactly who you’re communicating with when they are just a relatively anonymous name on screen.

If this is a concern to you, then here are four practical tips for guarding your privacy en route to giving out your phone number.

1. Make The Most Of Online Communication

When you’re trying Internet dating for the first time, it can be really tempting to give out your phone number to the first people you’re in contact with. But in terms of personal safety, you’re much better off holding fire and making the most of online communication, at least to start with.

One of the major benefits of a lot of online dating sites is that they’re designed to protect your privacy. Sometimes people can seem perfectly normal and nice for the first couple of messages, but then you discover a side of them you’re not too sure about. Until you’re 100% sure and comfortable with someone, don’t give out your phone number.

2. Give Out An Email Address

If you’ve been communicating through the comfort of an online dating site and want to take things a step further, then it’s a good idea to give an email address first, before a phone number.

If your current email address has your full name on, or goes to a work address, and you don’t want to reveal that much personal information, then there are a plenty of sites where you can set up a free web-based email account that you can just use for your dating encounters.

3. Chat To Them Online

If you want to chat more than simply through email, then chatting online is a good next move. There are lots of instant messaging services available and you can begin to build up more of a rapport through direct, real time chat.

4. Giving Out Your Phone Number

If the time has come and you really want to give out your phone number, and perhaps arrange to meet your online date, then it’s still not necessary to give out your real phone number.

If you’ve got an old mobile phone knocking around, know someone who has or can buy a really cheap one, then it’s very inexpensive to buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card to use with it.

This gives you a completely separate phone number to use, so you can communicate with your date as much as you wish, but remain safe in the knowledge that they needn’t know your real number until you’ve met them and are perfectly happy about giving it out.

Tags: date, mobile number, number, online dating, phone number, privacy, telephone

Do You Google Your New Dates?

The Internet has become a huge part of our lives and many of us now take Googling and Internet searching for granted. But when you meet someone new, whether online or in real life, do you Google them and is it a good idea?

Googling a new date is so tempting. It’s intriguing to find more about they’re interested, whether they tweet or not, if they have a Facebook profile, if they write a blog and even who they’ve dated before. Depending on their name, how easily findable they are and whether they’ve active in social networking, all this type of information can be relatively easily obtained from a simple Google search.

But whilst you may be curious to learn more about your date, is it really a good idea to Google them before you’ve been on your first date?

The Pros of Googling Your Date

If you’ve met someone online, then there can be some obvious pros of carrying out a quick Internet search on them.

* You can check out the basic facts they’ve given you and try and find out whether they’re who they say they are and are a genuine individual.
* You may be able to find out whether they work where they say they do.
* You may be able to find photos of them, such as on their Facebook profile, and see whether the pic they’ve sent you is up-to-date or not (some chancers may send pics that are of them 10 years ago!).
* If you do find any worrying facts, then you’ve got the chance to pull out of the date.

The Cons of Googling Your Date

But as much as there are some benefits to be had from looking up your date, doing so before you’ve even met for the first time can have some downsides too.

* Sometimes you might not always like what you find.
* You may uncover facts about your date that they’ve chosen to not tell you yet and knowing them may make things awkward for you.
* You may discover their exes, or that they’ve been married before and haven’t told you.

So, before you hit the search engines and dig the dirt on your date, think about whether you’re prepared to face the truth about what you find. And what would you think if your date Googled you?

Tags: date, dating, Google, Googling, Internet

Are Discount Coupons Acceptable to Use on Dates?

Half price dates

Dating can be an expensive affair. Even if you’re splitting the bills with your dates, there are meals and drinks to pay for, theatre or cinema tickets to buy and the cost of transport to and from your day or night out. So, given the chance, is it acceptable to use discount coupons to help stretch your budget when dating?

It’s a tricky issue. On the one hand, using a discount coupon to get reduced price entry to a local attraction, a few starter if you buy a main course at a restaurant or buy one get one free on cinema tickets are all highly tempting offers. If you’re going on lots of dates whilst trying to find the right person, or on lots of dates with one person, then the cost of it all can add up.

But even though it may make you feel better to save a few dollars here and there, your date may not be so impressed. What’s more, the situation may be harder to judge when you’ve only just met.

When It’s Not Acceptable to Use Discount Coupons on Dates

The worst time to pull out your discount coupon and make a saving has to be on the first date. This is a time when first impressions count more than anything else and using discount coupons can easily be seen as a negative action.

For someone that doesn’t know you well yet, you may get viewed as a cheapskate for trying to save money, which is probably not the impression you’re trying to achieve.

When It May be Acceptable to Use Discount Coupons on Dates

Although first dates aren’t the most appropriate times to use discount coupons, there are other dating situations when they’re more acceptable.

After you’ve been on a few dates with the same person and have been seen to pay full price for these, then announcing that you’ve discovered a fantastic deal and want to share it with them may go down well.

If you find a deal that you can organise in advance, such as buying a meal to cook at home on special offer or buying tickets with a discount in advance, then you could sneakily get away with making use of discounts without having to declare it to your date. Depending on the nature of the deal, then this could work in your favour if your date thinks you’re spending more than you actually are!

Tags: coupon, date, dating, deal, discount, special offer

5 Texting Dating Scenarios to Avoid

Be careful with texting

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

How to Cancel a Date

Call and cancel

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

40 Dating Acronyms Revealed

Online dating can be great

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

5 important online dating safety issues

Be safe when meeting your online date

1. Guard your true identity until you’re comfortable to share full details.

When you’re contacting people online, through online dating sites, it’s highly advisable not to give out personal information – or at least not until you feel comfortable in doing so. This means your name, phone numbers, email address, website, blog details, your address or any other information that could be used to identify you.

2. Don’t use your real name as your username.

Most dating sites require you to choose a username. For safety, do not use your real name, as you never know who could be browsing the site. It also doesn’t always take a genius to be able to track you down. A lot of usernames may be taken, so you may need to be creative when coming up with ideas.

Do be careful if choosing a sexy username though. A sexy username may succeed in getting you noticed, but not necessarily by the ‘right’ kind of people!

3. Think twice before posting a picture of yourself on free dating websites.

Dating profiles with photos inevitably have a better chance of gaining clicks and attraction, but think twice before you post a picture on a free dating website. If it’s on a secure area of a paid-for dating site, then it’s a bit more secure and can only be seen by members. But if it’s on a free dating site, anybody could see it. So think about whether you feel happy about the potential of anyone finding your dating profile and picture.

4. Use an anonymous email address.

When you’re trying out online dating services, it’s a good idea to set up an anonymous email address to use. Not only is it handy to keep all your dating emails together in one place, but it also helps protect your identity. If and when you do decide to move from communicating via an online dating site to direct emails with interesting people, it means that you still get to retain some privacy.

5. Trust your gut instincts.

Do try and trust your gut instincts and, if you feel uncomfortable about someone who’s been emailing you, then act on it. Online dating can be great, but there sadly are some nutters out there and you need to carefully sift through your emails and suss out the true gems from the crazy bods. If you feel unsure about someone, then it could be for a very good reason!

Tags: date, online dating, safety, tips

5 foods to avoid eating on your date

So, you’ve got a date lined up and it involves going out for a meal. Meals are a great way of getting to know someone, but if you’re keen to make a great impression, it may be best to avoid certain foods. Here’s why!

1. Spaghetti

Spaghetti

It’s a lovely Italian favourite and much-enjoyed pasta dish, but unless you’re totally au fait with twisting and twirling spaghetti around your fork in the true Italian way, it’s best avoided. Eaten gracefully, spaghetti is fine, but if you’re less adept at dealing with it, you could find yourself in nightmare date alley.

Imagine the scene: you’re eating spaghetti, chatting up your date and trying to look really cool. As you attempt to manoeuvre your next mouthful of spaghetti onto your fork, it all goes out of control. The spaghetti slips, the sauce flicks and your calm composure is lost. Flicking sauce on yourself is bad enough, but it gets worse if it goes anywhere near your date. No, spaghetti is definitely one of the top five foods to avoid if you’re on a date.

2. Garlic

Garlic

Unless your date is also happily consuming garlic-based dishes, or foods such as garlic mushrooms or garlic bread, then it’s another best avoided date food. You don’t want to end up reeking of garlic for the rest of the evening and, if you’re hoping for a kiss (or two!), then your chances could be seriously dashed by the garlic lingering on your breath.

3. Hot and spicy curry

Spicy curry

In a similar vein to garlic, it’s also a good idea to give a wide berth to a hot and spicy curry, or at least on your first date. The smell of curry is well known to stay with you and, if you want to make a memorable good first impression and not one that’s based on the smell of what you ate, it’s best to not choose a spicy curry.

4. Seafood that involves shell removal

Seafood platter

Even if you love seafood and can’t get enough of it, it may be best to avoid eating seafood that involves shell removals on your date. That includes plates of food that come with the seafood still in the shells, like paella or other dishes. Although you may enjoy picking apart the crab shells or pulling out the lobster meat, doing that at the table with a potential new date isn’t the most alluring thing.

Not only is it cumbersome and messy, but you’ll also end up with an extra plate on the table – full of empty seafood shells – and as many tables for two aren’t oozing with space, this could take up valuable hand-holding room. So definitely think twice before you order and avoid the seafood on your date.

5. Greasy or messy foods

Greasy and messy foods - avoid!

As much as you may be yearning for a plate of greasy chips, it’s not the best choice for a date. As a rule, it’s best to avoid any obviously greasy foods, as the grease could easily get transferred to your hands. If you’re touching your date, they’ll not end up too impressed by the feel of your greasy hands.

Likewise, any obviously messy foods, like a burger that may squish out of the bun, spare ribs that involve being picked up to eat or corn on the cob that could get stuck in your teeth, are all best to avoid eating on your date. After all, you want to be remembered as someone who was fun to be with – not someone who made a mess or spent the remainder of the time picking food out of their teeth!

Tags: date, foods, foods to avoid, messy