Free Dating Sites – Wave of the Future or Bottom of the Barrel?

Your friends are tired of hearing you complain about being single, so they suggest to you “go online to find a girl!” Dating sites have taken off since the ’90s and have offered individuals the choice to find seemingly perfect counterparts. Most dating sites are services that you pay for, like Match or eHarmony. But there are more and more free dating sites popping up all over the Internet. Are they the next big thing, or the bottom of the barrel?

Paid and free websites both have advantages and disadvantages, you just need to choose one that appeals to you. Keep in mind that people on paid websites tend to be more serious about finding someone for the long haul, so if you’re just looking for something noncommittal, then your best bet is sticking to the free dating sites. Here’s how I look at it: There are two types of singles out there – Those that are looking for a commitment, and those looking for some fun.

There’s no mademan manual out there for what you should do when it comes to online dating, so here are a few things to think about to help you make the decision to pay or not:

Quality, Not Quantity
If you’re looking for quality, not quantity, pay. Why pay when you can get it for free, you ask? Because just like fine quality steak, you need to pay the big bucks for the best options available. The women you find on dating sites that you have to pay for a membership are most likely stay-at-home mother types, looking for a relationship. They’re also obviously willing to work because they’re paying for the site so they see a promise in the product.

Why Pay for the Cow, When You Can Get the Milk for Free?
There are certain features that all dating sites have, membership fee or not. Make sure when you’re looking at free sites that they have the same functions that paid sites have with security checks, that way there’s no chance of you becoming a victim of an Internet dating scam.

Free dating sites are great for those guys who aren’t looking for something long term and want to just have fun and “shop around” so to speak.

Just remember, whichever way you choose to go, be sure to put up a dashing, handsome picture of yourself. The Huffington Post says that when it comes to online dating, the better the picture, the more responses you will get. No really, it’s true. It’s a proven, scientific fact. So make sure your pearly whites and dashing fashion sense are showing in that picture.