Since time began, meeting a mate has been a long and laborious affair, but creative minds and modern technology have sped up the whole process. Speed dating is now a popular way to meet new people, get a few dates, and have a few laughs. If you are unfamiliar with speed dating, it may sound like a nightmare! You are placed into a room, bar, or pub, usually with a drink in hand with an equal amount of men and women. Like clockwork, the room shifts – much like musical chairs – and you meet a new person.

Some speed dating can move as fast as two minutes per date, other less speedy dating can give you as long as ten minutes with your date. Two minutes of face-to-face time with a strange can seem like a harrowing experience. What do you say? How much can you cover in two minutes? Well, if you come prepared, you can cover a lot of ground. Arrive at your speed date with a list of questions, a good attitude, and the ability to talk really, really fast! The most important part of a speed date is not the niceties, the introductions, or the politeness.

You need to find out the nuts and bolts of the person you are meeting in order to see if you want to see more at a later date. If all you do is ask them their name, where they are from, and what they do for a living, you aren’t left with much more time. You need to arrive with a list of questions – hopefully unique, quirky, and funny – that will bring out the personality of the people you are meeting. Maybe every guy or gal doesn’t get the same question, but after a few times you will find out which questions work and which are duds.

Another thing to do is to practice with friends ahead of time. Have them ask “off the cuff” questions to you and answer them as fast as you can. The more practice you get at this, the better you will perform on speed dating night. Speed dating is a great way to spend an evening, make a few friends, but hopefully meet the person of your dreams. There are a surprising number of couples still together months or even years later so it does happen – you just need the confidence and practise to make it a reality!

Why Pay for something that is free? Free dating sites have the advantage of being zero cost to use. This can be a huge incentive if you are watching your pennies while saving for that cruise over the holidays. Those who have tried out both types of sites actually prefer the free sites because you are never made to feel that you are meeting a more elite group of people if you pay more. The truth is that you meet lots of people at either type of dating site, so why spend the money on a membership when you could be spending it on a date instead.

When you sign up for free dating sites, you can bet that other people are also taking advantage of the free site and signing up also. Simple statistics will tell you that the more people that you meet, the more likely you are to find someone that you hit it off with. The fun of the site is getting the opportunity to make lots of new acquaintances, whether or not you end up dating them or just becoming online friends. Take advantage of the site to learn about other people who like meeting and interacting with online friends.

With free dating sites, you never need to be in a rush to search for and contact potential matches online. You are never pressured to pay for another month so that you can extend your search to find new dating partners. Instead, you are free to participate in the activities at the site or take a hiatus if you need to concentrate on activities offline for a day or two. This provides you with the ability to achieve and maintain balance in your life without the stress of online contacts becoming almost a homework assignment.

People of all types and interests frequent free dating sites. You will meet a huge variety of these people on a web site where people like to gather. Of course, it is up to you to select the people you feel comfortable with, but a dating site provides a great opportunity to meet people with interests similar to your own, or people who have interests you would like to learn about. You may even have the opportunity of teaching others about a passion you have.

You get great product opportunities. Because many companies like to advertise their businesses and products on a web site that is active and draws many visitors, free dating sites are often the location of some great product offers. Do you want to take a Love Boat style cruise? You can find offers on a dating site. How about a meal at a romantic restaurant in a resort location? Just check out the offers on the dating sites with no membership costs required and you are sure to find something to pique your interest. You’ll get new ideas for activities and products usually at attractive prices.