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How Finding a Soul Mate Can Cost You

By U.S. News & World Report

Looking for love? These days, there’s a pretty fair chance you’ll search online for romance. According to a 2013 survey from the Pew Research Center, 1 out of 5 adults ages 25 to 34 had used an online dating site.

But just as there are plenty of fish in the sea, there are lots of “nets” you can catch them with, from Match.com to a dating site called PlentyOfFish. But how do these sites stack up against each other, how much do they cost and what do you get for your money?

This is not a comprehensive list of everything available, but if you’re looking for a dating site to join, you have plenty of options. Some dating sites are free, and with others, you can browse profiles before deciding whether to pay for a membership. Just don’t expect to have a clear idea of what you’ll pay for a dating site until you begin the sign-up process. Most sites offer some form of dynamic pricing, which means the price depends on what part of the country you’re in, the time of year and possibly your gender.

OKCupid.com. This site is free, making it one of the more popular sites. You can communicate with anyone you want, and if you choose to pay for a premium membership, you can, for instance, browse profiles without other members knowing you’ve checked them out. One of the quirks about this site is that there are a lot of questions (apparently in the low thousands) you can answer. The more questions a potential match answers, the better you can gauge your chemistry. Plus, the questions are sometimes thought-provoking, and sometimes kind of weird, so you may have fun answering them.

EHarmony. This is one of the pricier dating sites. How much? It depends. For instance, eHarmony is currently running a promotion for $39.30 a month if you buy someone a year’s membership. The site is also touting a yearlong membership for $15.95 a month if you use a promo code. Sign up for a free membership (you won’t be able to see photos), and you’ll get steep discounts via email.

Arguably, the benefit of joining a site like this is that you’ll find serious-minded members who really want to meet someone, since they’re paying for the service. And as the TV commercials point out, you’ll answer several questions at the outset (give yourself at least an hour to leisurely go through them), and then hopefully you’ll be matched with good candidates.

Match.com. You’ve probably heard of Match.com. Who hasn’t? It’s been around since 1995. Prices vary, but the average cost is $20 a month, according to the company. One compelling reason to join is that a lot of people do. (Some dating sites have pretty slim pickings when it comes to profiles.) As of 2015, Match.com had 2.39 million paying members.

Zoosk. This is a “free” site. That is, you can look at profiles and photos for free. But if you want to contact anyone, you’ll have to get a paid membership, and what you pay may vary. Zoosk doesn’t state what you’ll pay, and a request to the company went unanswered.

You can also buy virtual coins and use them to unlock and access premium features, according to the Zoosk’s website, which is something former member Beth Carter wasn’t crazy about. “I’ve been divorced for over 11 years and have been on many sites. Zoosk is the strangest by far,” says Carter, a business owner who runs Beth Carter Enterprises, an executive coaching service.

PlentyOfFish. This site is free, although you can buy a premium membership. An email requesting the price of a PlentyOfFish membership went unanswered, however. As is the general rule with paid dating sites, the longer the period you join for, the cheaper it is. If you’re an optimist, you may think you’ll meet someone immediately and may opt for shorter membership, right? So in a sense, by discounting longer-term memberships, you could argue that many dating sites reward pessimism.

ChristianMingle.com. Designed for like-minded Christians, this site has become popular partly due to a wave of TV ads. You can browse for free, but like many sites, you have to pay if you want to meet someone. The site, also like many others, doesn’t tell you the price of membership.

HowAboutADate.com. Around since 2011, this site offers a free, 30-day, five-message plan for users to try. After that, there are various pricing plans, starting with $9.95 a month for 50 messages.

Dao Nguyen, the site’s founder and a San Francisco-based software engineer, says she was having trouble meeting someone, so she decided to create a dating site focused on pairing people with similar interests. Nguyen says you post the type of date you want to go on, you receive replies, you (hopefully) choose someone and then you go out.

Nguyen is still single but says she uses her own site and has met many nice guys. She just hasn’t found the right one yet. “I’m very picky,” she admits.

Tips for getting more from your dating service. Brad Hines, a Boston-based serial entrepreneur, social media strategist and occasional user of free dating sites, says he has been paid by some people to improve their user profiles on dating sites. Hines has a couple of suggestions for anyone who wants to dress up their profile and boost their chances of finding a match.

First, Hines suggests posting at least three photos for other members to peruse, but no more than five or six. These should all be reasonably well-shot. “No cellphone selfies, hopefully,” he says.

Hines recommends having one headshot, one showing you from head to toe and another perhaps illustrating your interests.

He says to avoid having a friend in a photo, especially in the first picture people see. He says that’s especially important when using dating mobile apps like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, which enable users to quickly look at the photo, and, with the swipe of their hand, connect or move onto a new profile.

“It can be very awkward — and probably a blow to the ego — when you find out that the person who swiped for you thought the profile was of your friend,” he says.

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How Finding a Soul Mate Can Cost You originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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