Posts Tagged ‘Online dating’

What Should I Do To Marry A Rich Guy?

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

I’ve recently read an article that deserves some recognition. It has had us in stitches and needs to be shared with you.  Quite simply a young lady posted a message on a popular forum entitled “What should i do to marry a rich guy?”  She is having problems finding a wealthy man to marry.  She goes on to list the requirements she wants in her future husband and continues with questions of where to find such a man.  It ends brilliantly with a response from a banker at J.P Morgan a leading financial services firm.  Anyway we won’t ruin it for you, take a look for yourselves and enjoy:

Here is what the young lady wrote:

Title: “What should I do to marry a rich guy?”

I’m going to be honest of what I’m going to say here. I’m 25 this year. I’m very pretty, have style and good taste. I wish to marry a guy with $500k annual salary or above. You might say that I’m greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is considered only as middle class in New York.

My requirement is not high. Is there anyone in this forum who has an income of $500k annual salary? Are you all married? I wanted to ask: what should I do to marry rich persons like you? Among those I’ve dated, the richest is $250k annual income, and it seems that this is my upper limit. If someone is going to move into high cost residential area on the west of New York City Garden(?), $250k annual income is not enough.

So who's the wealthy one here then?

I’m here humbly to ask a few questions:

1) Where do most rich bachelors hang out? (Please list down the names and addresses of bars, restaurant, gym)

2) Which age group should I target?

3) Why most wives of the riches are only average-looking? I’ve met a few girls who don’t have looks and are not interesting, but they are able to marry rich guys.

4) How do you decide who can be your wife, and who can only be your girlfriend? (my target now is to get married)

Signed,

Ms. Pretty

The philosophical reply from a banker at J.P. Morgan:

Dear Ms. Pretty,

I have read your post with great interest. Guess there are lots of girls out there who have similar questions like yours. Please allow me to analyse your situation as a professional investor. My annual income is more than $500k, which meets your requirement, so I hope everyone believes that I’m not wasting time here.

From the standpoint of a business person, it is a bad decision to marry you. The answer is very simple, so let me explain.

Put the details aside, what you’re trying to do is an exchange of “beauty” and “money” : Person A provides beauty, and Person B pays for it, fair and square.

However, there’s a deadly problem here, your beauty will fade, but my money will not be gone without any good reason. The fact is, my income might increase from year to year, but you can’t be prettier year after year.

Hence from the viewpoint of economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you are a depreciation asset. It’s not just normal depreciation, but exponential depreciation. If that is your only asset, your value will be much worse 10 years later.

By the terms we use in Wall Street, every trading has a position, dating with you is also a “trading position”.

If the trade value dropped we will sell it and it is not a good idea to keep it for long term – same goes with the marriage that you wanted. It might be cruel to say this, but in order to make a wiser decision any assets with great depreciation value will be sold or “leased”.

Anyone with over $500k annual income is not a fool; we would only date you, but will not marry you. I would advice that you forget looking for any clues to marry a rich guy. And by the way, you could make yourself to become a rich person with $500k annual income.This has better chance than finding a rich fool.

Hope this reply helps.

Signed,

J.P. Morgan Banker

How To Impress A Girl From L.A

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

Los Angeles has quite the reputation.  When people find out it’s where I live they automatically assume I bump into movie stars daily or ask me if I know anyone rich and famous.  It’s not all glitz and glamour, though.  So why should you care about impressing an L.A girl, anyway?  Lately I’ve been hearing from so many people who met their significant other across the pond, in a foreign country or even from just a few cities over.  I’ve never believed love should be limited by your postal code, and I’m not starting now.  So just in case you should ever fall head over heels for an L.A girl, here are the best ways to sweep her off her feet.  Movie stars need not apply, of course.Photo of LA

  1. Confidence Is Key.  Not standard dating advice confidence though, I’m talking major kicking ass, taking names swagger.  In L.A, everyone has something going on, somewhere to go, a story to tell.  It’s a city full of movers and shakers and if you can’t keep up, you won’t stand a chance.  Hell, even if you really can’t keep up, it’s best to fake it until you make it.
  2. Don’t Get Caught Up.  The worst people in L.A are the ones who are hoping to sleep with some famous actor (never gonna happen) or have a one night stand with a model.  Actually, I lie-the WORST people in L.A are the ones who are trying too hard to be famous.  Not trying to crush anyone’s dream, but if you’re a girl living in L.A the last thing you want to do is date yet ANOTHER “musician” or “struggling actor.”
  3. Look The Part.  I love guys with excellent personal style…I don’t care if he’s wearing a trash bag as long as he’s rocking the hell out of it.  You don’t have to be David Beckham gorgeous at all-it’s about working with what you’ve got.
  4. Healthy Is Hot, But So Is Whiskey.  In L.A, we’re all about health and holistic mumbo jumbo. Everyone is so concerned with their “healthy lifestyle.” What a snooze-fest.  I do yoga, work-out and juice my vegetables and all that stuff…but with that said, I like a man who is a MAN.  Who isn’t afraid to do shots of whiskey and eat french fries at 2am and throw his diet to hell.  No girl likes a man on a “diet”, trust me!
  5. Take Me Out Of This City.  L.A can feel like one big concrete jungle and sometimes I feel trapped by the smog and the traffic and all of the people.  The best way to impress a girl from Los Angeles is to take her out of the damn city. The mountains, a quiet beach, or well…what about the UK?  Now that’s impressive.

We Love Dates is a popular online dating blog written by Liz, an L.A girl who left her heart in London. Come say hi!

Go Compare At The Supermarkets Of Love!

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

“Where else can you go in a matter of 20 minutes, look at 200 women who are single and want to go on dates?” This was a comment made by a single man in a recent report which examined over 400 academic studies and was published this week in the Psychological Science Journal. The report looks at the benefits of being exposed to a huge dating pool of potential dates and partners and the disadvantages of being overwhelmed by choice.

Supermarket of LoveA hectic professional schedule and a busy social life can mean that there is so little time to meet new people. If you want to extend your reach beyond the my friend who works with scenario, it can be quite hard without the help of meddlesome matchmaking friends and parents. Let’s face it, it’s tough. “Online dating is good. I’m very, very glad it exists. It gives opportunities to singles who otherwise wouldn’t have them,” said Eli J. Finkel, an associate professor of social psychology at Northwestern University and the study’s lead author. Online Dating is now the second most common way of starting a relationship – second only to meeting through mutual friends.

It’s funny how far dating in the digital era has come. When online dating was a new concept back in 1995 it was seen as dominated by desperate dans and weirdos, which in turn cast a stigma over the process of meeting someone online. Now that’s all changed, an ideal solution for workaholics and busy singles alike, the report found that in one month last year 25 million people were using online dating sites to meet new people. On the flip side, the report also focused on the time consuming problem of going from profile to profile and this can “can result in the objectification of potential partners.” Surely this same thing happens when you’re scanning potential talent in a bar on a Thursday night?? It’s not online dating that encourages this attitude, it’s already there! We first decide whether or not someone looks “attractive” and then we make the decision on whether to approach them or not. Finkel and his team compared online dating to shopping at ’supermarkets of love’. Well, every little bit helps!

Dateless for Valentine’s Day? Come party with us at new venue Kanaloa for our infamous F**k Valentine’s – Just Party event. There’s still some tickets left!

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

Everyone has “adult” friends. You know the ones, 1 x long-term relationship, 1-2 mortgages, 2 x cars, 1 x very large engagement ring, probably 1 x ISA (I still don’t really know what one of these is!). We all launched ourselves upon the world at the same time and whilst some of our friends will morph from 25 to 45 literally overnight, others will stay renting and dating. Not renting dates…renting apartments and dating. Or as I like to term it, living! Though because I fall into the “Others” category, I am slightly biased.

Keeping Up With the Joneses

Not my scene at all!

As soon as one of your friends becomes an “adult”, socialising with them suddenly takes on a new dynamic. Instead of gossiping about latest beaus, great dates and the comedy bad ones, you find yourself drawn into conversations about wedding dresses, the disastrous state of the property markets (“You really should think about getting on that ladder”, one cautiously advises me), and sensible cars. Unfortunately I know nothing about wedding dresses, preferring Rodarte to Rowley and my idea of a sensible car is a pre-booked taxi.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to be happy for your adult friend’s radically normal lifestyle, but the real challenge is spending time with them and not questioning your own. Every time I meet up with one of these friends, I go into a calculated frenzy which follows these steps 1. Find suitable life partner. 2. Spend hours on Findaproperty.com searching for dream house that is near good schools. 3. Look into wedding receptions at that amazing Scottish castle I was just recommended. Waking from this temporary bout of insanity is like waking from a bad dream. Awful because it’s a reality so far removed from my own. I return back to my work week peppered with lunches, cocktails, at least one out of control night and a weekend brunch. I’m still asking myself, why does my adult friend have it all and I have nothing to comfort me on a Sunday morning but a Bloody Mary?!

Bizarrely, over drinks with a newly engaged “adult” (she has been playing with her hair and wrapping her hand around a champagne glass so to give me as many glimpses of her ring as possible), she very tipsily tells me that she is secretly jealous. Unbelievable. Jealous of what I ask. She tells me how she would love to go out for drinks randomly mid week and arrange dates for a Saturday night. She also liked the idea of being able to change your apartment every 6 months. Sayings are awfully cliche, but never has the one about the grass always being greener, been so true!

The sun is out and I think that means we should go hunt down a fabulous beer garden. Need ideas? This should help

Faking It

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

It might have escaped your attention that the world is going fashion crazy. This happens twice a year when the fashion capitals of the world play host to the world’s stylish elite and the items they will be coveting in 7 months time. It all sounds a bit mad when it rolls out of it’s usual home on the pages of Vogue and splashes the headlines of general news. How could we ignore it?

Style and Dating - A Match Made in Hell?

Love on the Front Row? Not Likely

Actually I can’t ignore it. I have dealings in the fashion world so the Fashion Weeks inevitably take hold of my life and grasp me in their fur-lined, leather trim grips until they have all passed me by, leaving me in peace for another 6 months. Finding time to schedule a date is near impossible as every minute of your time is accounted for. Have you ever seen Anna Wintour hand in hand with a man whilst she sits front row? Absolutely not. In this world the main focuses are status, style and of course the catwalk. There is no room for romance here.

That said, you couldn’t help but think of love, passion and flirtation when models came down the catwalks to the soundtracks of “You’ve got the Love” (PPQ). “I Put A Spell On You” (Burberry) and “Friday I’m In Love”. Most of the time you’re sitting with a colleague, a fellow fashion mate or alone. Despite all of the theatre of a fashion show (designer X has decided to focus on the romantic liaison of historical lovers Y and Z or more common, “the starting point for this collection came from the unrequited love of Rockstar A and Muse B”), you’re supposed to sit there maintaining a cool, collected gaze apparently devoid of all emotion and of course, dateless. Two worlds existing in one room.

Thinking on this there are parallels to be drawn between fashion and dating. The drama and emotion you feel internally when processing feelings for someone whilst you’re trying to maintain a calm and measured outward presence. Simply put, playing it cool. Like the fashionistas on front row with their steely glances and intimidating presence, you’re faking it. I do it too. When I saw a beautiful white feather gown sweep the floor at the Royal Courts of Justice to the soundtrack of Swan Lake, did I jump up and shout “I love you”, “I want you”, “I need you in my life”?? No of course I didn’t. I watched it go up the catwalk and back down again, and then turned my head to the next dress. You would never have known how I truly felt.

Want to go on a date this week? Good, me too. Let’s make some plans!

Who’s Cheating Now?

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Men are usually more suspect to cheat on their partners on the assumption that for men, sex is a purely a physical act. However women craving the security from a relationship feel that sex is the thing that strengthens their connection to their partner. If women are happy and feel secure they don’t cheat whereas men will cheat either way. Traditional and perhaps outdated views, they do feel somewhat out of touch.

In fact the tides may well be changing and not because more women feel unhappy or unfulfilled in their relationships, but because on the whole they are becoming more affluent and successful in their careers. Apparently this brings out the animalistic male inside and as a result, they are hungry to hunt their prey as they are hungry to dominate the boardrooms.

Who's Cheating Now?

And you thought it was only the housewives...

AskMen UK found a recent poll that studied 2000 people and whilst 15% of men had been two timing their partners, 20% of women had been involved with another man. The lustful 20% tended to be the more successful professionally than the more faithful women who they were tested against. Desperate housewives they certainly aren’t, loyal wives and girlfriends they are. Those late nights in the office, those cocktails after work seem to be the more dangerous territories for adultery than the classic scenes of porn movies. You know, wife waiting at home for the plumber to come fix her pipes…

AskMen put it down to womens’ tendency to be indecisive over mens’ quest for “lust and entitlement”. I think they’re missing the point here. It lies in womens’ quest to “have it all” – the career, the husband and perfect home and not forgetting, the dangerous liason. This is nothing new though, women as cheaters have been catching up to their make counterparts since the 60’s and now it seems they’ve surpassed them. Women beware though, apparently men are better judges of knowing when they are being cheated on.

To complicate matters further, what constitutes as cheating is no longer as finite as it used to be. For me, anything from physical contact is cheating but once you’ve initiated a situation in which this physical contact might happen, you have to ask yourself what you were thinking in the first place. When you arranged to meet your ex, grab a drink with an old lover, deep down you knew what you were seeking out. For some, cheating is relative to the type of relationship they have. Open relationships are more popular than ever. Threesomes aren’t even that taboo anymore. My advice would be to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into from the start and that you both understand what your relationship means and the rules that are sacred to maintaining trust.

Bank holiday has been and gone but we aren’t retiring from Summer just yet. We are busy making plans for the weekend…you should be too!

Rule Brittania!

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Recently we interviewed a fellow dating blogger on UK Vs. US dating. I returned the favour by trying to answer the question on the mind of every American girl, how to date a British boy. In case you missed it, here it is. Was I off here or bang on the money? You decide.

We <3 English Men

1.Most British men enjoy three things 1. Sport (particularly football or rubgy) 2.  Beer 3. Drinking beer whilst talking about sport. If you want to date one, either be prepared to talk about it (brownie points for this) or understand that if you go out with his friends this is what they will talk about. If neither of these options appeal, you might have to make concessions in your dating schedule.

2. British men love a dry, witty sense of humour. Don’t be put off if they use this on you. Their straight talking “taking the mick” style of conversation is what is known as “banter”. If you can enjoy good “banter” with them, you’re already winning them over.

3. They love it when you have your own thing going on. British men like their women independent and able to challenge them every now and again. That said, avoid being too militant. Don’t shy away from vulnerability. Remember, British men are descended from a culture that bore the knights of the round table. Allowing yourself to be the damsel in distress appeals to their sense of chivalry.

4. Don’t forget your p’s and q’s! British men are big on manners. Someone who is polite, measured and remembers to say please and thank you is a princess worthy of their heart.

5. British men aren’t renowned for their immaculate style like the Italians are but they really do appreciate a sense of style even if they don’t know what label or designer it’s from. A woman who knows how to dress will score highly.

August Bank Holiday is the weekend of the Summer. If you don’t have plans, fear not! Make some now, it’s not too late.

Dating Across The Atlantic

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Do our American friends do anything differently to us? How do they feel about online dating vs. offline? What’s really going on in the US dating capital, New York? Forget Carrie, we have a real authority on dating in the big apple. A fellow blogger and dating enthusiast, Chiara Atik from HowAboutWe has helped me answer some questions and offer tips if you ever find yourself in NY and on a date!

NYC Dating, how does it compare?

Sex and the City? Daters in NYC have a relaxed attitude to online dating

I wondered how dating in New York compared with over here. It seems like they have a relaxed dating scene in the States and they are very proactive about arranging dates.

Couples will date casually for a long time before going exclusive. This means they’ll see each other one or two times a week, max, and this can go on for months before making a serious commitment.

I love this attitude towards dating. It’s a great way to break up the week and experience new things. You don’t have to feel pressurized to go exclusive, try what you like and then decide if you want to take things further.

Attitudes to online dating have dramatically changed over the last couple of years with online dating becoming the efficient tool for meeting people in our all too busy lives, of course it’s fun too.

Cooler sites aimed at younger audiences such as OkCupid and HowAboutWe have done a lot to make online dating a resource, and not a last resort.

Happy to count ClickTonight in that basket! The idea of actively engaging with people online to go and arrange to meet in person, is what it’s all about. I asked Chiara about the most popular dates in NYC as we are always trying to provide great date suggestions for our members. She had these ideas:

Alcohol-based dates are obviously immensely popular: brewery tours, cocktail dates, etc. We’ve also found that activity dates with some sort of competitive edge are really well-received: mini golf, beer pong (does that exist in the UK?), darts, etc. Outdoor movies are popular in the summer time, and any sort of unusual food date is a perennial favorite (for example, how about we try different types of cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery, etc.).

Unfortunately beer pong is relatively unheard of here despite my attempts to introduce to friends but you never know, it might catch on. Other than that, I’m all for the above and will find out where these things can be done in the UK. Before I let Chiara go, I had to ask her about some of her most memorable dating experiences, the good/the bad/ the strange…

Funniest/most memorable dating experience? Hmmm. I went on a date once where the guy ended up talking to another drunk guy at the bar, and I ended up leaving with the bartender’s number. That was unusual! I’ve been lucky to have never been on a truly awful date…most have mine have been sweet! One guy knew I liked puppies so he organized a walk taking me to different pet stores in the city to look at the dogs.

And finally, what can we learn from our US dating counterparts?

New York daters are in general pretty relaxed and up for anything: we know that even a bad date can’t last forever, and at the very worst it will make for a great story to tell our friends later. So in general, we’re pretty open to putting ourselves out there and dating and meeting lots of new people in the hopes of eventually finding the right one!

Great advice and parting thoughts. Thanks Chiara! Get me on the next flight.

We would love to hear your thoughts on dating in the UK and ideas for dates. Add to our Places page and let our other members know your favourite spots.

Desperately Seeking Some Common Ground

Monday, June 27th, 2011

When you start dating someone that first initial attraction – the chemical kind, is of course important. What really makes things stick however, is reaching common ground. Things you both like, enjoy and think about are what tip that first attraction into something with substance. It means that your chances of longevity and dating success are much higher.

It could be a love of going out to restaurants, you might both like falling out of the same bar in Soho on a Friday night. Maybe it’s picnics in the park, mutual appreciation for Tarantino or getting excited over Great British Menu (we are not here to judge). Your dating destiny is all the more clearer if you both have lots in common. This is no mystery, the reasoning is pure and simple.

The first date is a great opportunity to establish this common ground. You might find that his choice of wine is terrible or you could be horrified at her insistence that the veggie option beats the meat. So be sure to go in armed with the right questions (don’t interrogate) to find out if this person sitting across the table chewing their food rather loudly is to be kept and cultivated or thrown onto the dating compost heap.

That said, can you go too far? Can you over-share? If you have bizarre or let’s euphemise – interesting habits, maybe keep them to yourself until you know it’s safe to unleash your inner freak i.e. upon discovering they also have the same strange penchant for….use your imagination here….

In a video intro on eHarmony, one girl went completely the other side of loopy in expressing her love of cats. I too have to admit I adore the furry felines, but this was just plain mad. Watch this display of insanity below and learn lessons here: establish what your date likes and share your interests but whatever you do, don’t do this.

Sit Up And Take Notice: Red Flags

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Glamour magazine with the help of some boys and past experiences have pulled together a list of relationship red flags that we should be aware of when we are dating. There are in fact 96 all together. 96 things standing between you and your perfect relationship. Ridiculous. Let’s have a look at some of them and assess what which ones are those all important dealbreakers.

It certainly has to be said that this list starts off with some serious dating faux pas, they don’t even need to be stated because we are no longer novices in the dating game and already know how to split a bill etc etc. That’s schoolboy stuff for us really! What’s listed below is a few of the “red flags” that seem to raise more questions than definitive answers.

5. They talk too much about money, politics or religion.
Yes, heaven forbid they discuss their world around them and instigate a challenging debate
.

10. None of their relationships lasts longer than a couple of months.
This does not necessarily mean someone is a commitment phobe – it could also mean they just haven’t had any dating luck or found the right person.

27. They’re too primped: manicure, eyebrows waxed, hair bleached, etc.
Surely this just means they take pride in their appearance? Vanity is one thing, wanting to look your best is another. You deserve to feel good!

Relationship Red Flags

Too many red flags?

29. They hate kids and animals.
And this renders them undateable? Maybe they’re not into the whole kids/labradors thing-doesn’t mean they can’t sustain a meaningful relationship.

46. They call you their girlfriend/boyfriend by your second date.
Ok this is potentially a little bit too much I agree, however we can’t complain that people don’t look for commitment (see #10) and then moan that they want to commit too quickly.
Double standards…

50. They tell you how much money they make, 51. They tell you what they spent on their home, 52. They tell you what they spent on their car.
This is more applicable to boys I think. But doesn’t this go against women’s innate need for security? This goes two ways – women can be just as obsessed with the material stuff as men are!

56. They don’t know how to do laundry, mop a floor, clean a tub, or make a simple dinner.
Again for boys? Well if all of the above are pre-requisites for being a suitable dating partner, then I’ve failed before I’ve begun. Surely this has nothing to do with how someone treats you, how well you get on?

63. They drop a lot of not-so-subtle brags on themselves: “I hated to take a break from writing my memoirs and training for the decathlon, but when a good friend like Matt Damon asks you to help him build thatch huts for the poor and disenfranchised in Sri Lanka for a month, how do you say no?”
Fair enough. I included this one for comedy value as I once dated someone who loved to brag and name drop. A truly ridiculous individual so I agree here – stay clear!

79. They’ve never been to the theater, symphony, ballet or opera.
Erm, I can’t count on one hand friends who have done the above. These things are not fixed indicators of cultural wealth. That person might be adventurous and sporty or maybe prefer movies and trying out great new restaurants?

85. They openly admits being unfaithful to an ex.
As opposed to hiding it? We’re supposed to encourage honesty and if they can be open about this then it’s more likely they won’t seek to hide things from you.

These are only 10 from a list of 96 reasons why not to date someone. We all have our red flags, tell tale signs that go off like little alarms when we realise someone isn’t right for us. What’s important is that you have fun with the person you date, enjoy sharing interests and respect each other. But if we were to judge against the “96 red flags” you can be sure we wouldn’t be dating anyone at all!

Want to meet attractive people who share your interests? Click tonight and start making plans.