The idea of dating when you are older seems scary at first. For one reason or another, you’re now single and ready to find someone special.
Dating has changed since you were younger. You know the world isn’t what it used to be. You also know that the days of bumping into someone and falling in love are long gone as well.
People today are far more introverted, and meeting singles is harder. If you were fortunate enough to meet someone back in the day in a smoke-filled bar, then the new world you’re about to experience is something like you never imagined before.
Mature Singles most common mistake
The most common mistake older people make when they seek out a partner is they dread the dating process.
No one likes the awkward pauses and strange stares that first dates can produce. You might strike out quite a few times before hitting a home run.
Don’t allow yourself to get bent out of shape because a handful of dates fall flat.
You’re beyond the point of caring what other people think about you. For the first time in your life, you’re comfortable in your skin, and that translates into a much better dating experience.
We have some tips that you can use to help you find a mature single man or woman to date.
Landing that precious first date isn’t as difficult as it once was. You’ll find that it’s easier today to meet singles in your area and that’s in large part due to the internet.
However, those of you who aren’t comfortable with online dating don’t have to use it. Though, if you don’t use dating sites, then you’re cutting your success rate to artificially low numbers that some might not find acceptable.
Church is the tried and true place to meet mature singles
If you go back far enough in your genealogy, someone in your family tree found love at church. It’s still a great place to meet people.
You’ll find that the younger generations don’t like to attend church as older people do. That doesn’t matter to you since you’re trying to date someone your age.
If you aren’t currently a member of a church, search online for a denomination that you agree with. If you live in a big city, then you’ll find all kinds of churches.
Almost all churches these days have websites or, at the very least, a listing showing their name and street address.
Larger churches offer a much better chance of success than smaller churches. Also, large churches usually have gatherings for singles who are seeking partners.
Check out their site or contact someone in the church to see if they have something like that.
It does seem a little cheesy if you contact the pastor right away, asking if they have anything going on for singles. The members of the church might get the impression you’re going there to hook up and nothing else.
Become a valued member of the church and get to know people before trying to find someone to date.
Civic groups and even politics open up doors mature singles to meet
There are all kinds of clubs that you can join. What about politics? Are you someone who considers themselves a political junkie? If so, why not donate some of your time to causes or candidates that you believe in?
You’ll work with other like-minded people who share the same values as you do. Also, you’ll reach out to people in your community, and that too will introduce you to more people.
You stand a better chance of having a long-lasting relationship with someone who shares the same interests as you.
There is also a greater sense of fulfillment when you work together with someone who wants to improve the lives of others.
Meet new people by volunteering your time
There are all kinds of non-profit organizations that are always in need of volunteers. Soup kitchens, food banks, and animal shelters are a few places that you can volunteer.
Try to get yourself out there with other people so you can meet others.
The problem that many people have is that they aren’t in situations where they can meet potential dates. Do you find yourself stuck inside all the time without the chance to meet anyone new? If so, then try volunteering to see if there are any people who you might hook up with down the line.
Try to get a job where you work with the public
What do you do for a living? Do you work all day long in an office? If so, you might consider changing your profession.
Why not? The lack of people in your life has a negative impact. You may consider going back to school to learn a new trade.
It sounds a bit rash to think that you’re going to go back to college to hook up with someone. You need a fresh change of pace, and maybe a different job will give it to you.
If you’re a people person, then getting out there with the public will be a good change of pace. It’s all about creating opportunities in spaces where there was otherwise none.
Using the internet to meet mature quality singles
Almost all of you are going to turn to the internet as a means of connecting with other people. You’re at an age where this feels uncomfortable.
Your kids or grandkids talk about online dating, and it seems a little strange for someone your age to give it a try.
Why should it sound strange? There’s nothing strange at all about someone wanting to hook up with someone else. The idea that you should waste away living a life that isn’t what you want is more absurd than using the internet to connect with people.
Social media is a free, but a tricky option
Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks are loaded with singles. Facebook is the most popular social networking site that people use for dating.
You might have clicked on some profiles while checking out the followers of your friends. Facebook at the other social sites do have lots of people and talking to them is super easy.
You run into the problem of not knowing who is single on some of these sites. Sure, they list relationship status and all that, but you never know who is being upfront.
You also have to assume that they get all kinds of messages from people who are trying to find someone to date.
Facebook is a great place to meet people but do so with quite a bit of caution. You never know who is on the other end. Sometimes shady people start fake Facebook accounts, and they pretend to be people who they aren’t.
Reddit and forums can also be tough
When you hang out on Reddit or forums, it feels like everyone shares the same interest as you. The problem here is, you never know who is on the other end.
You can’t judge someone’s personality by what they type. You do know that you share some of the same interests as they do, but that’s about it.
Don’t go to Reddit looking for love.
Free dating sites for mature quality singles are they worth it?
There are a few free dating sites like Plenty of Fish that people seem to flock to. Should you use a free dating site? Depends.
Just like some of the paid dating sites the free dating sites often don’t screen people. It makes sense since the free site doesn’t have the resources to vet out their users. There are always a few bad apples in the bunch, you need to be careful.
It should be noted that there’s a difference between a free dating site and a dating site that has free accounts. Some dating sites offer free accounts with limited features.
You won’t have as many problems at these sites as you would with ones that are free. Almost everyone that joins a dating site with a free account eventually upgrades to a premium account.
The money the site makes goes into hiring people and creating software that checks for fraudulent users who are up to no good.
Free sites are a good way to see if online dating is for you.
Check out these free sites or sites that have free accounts to test out the site first.
Paid dating sites may be the best way to start
A monthly membership to a dating site isn’t too costly. If you join for three or six months, you’ll usually receive a hefty discount.
Always sign up for the free account first and poke around before committing any of your hard-earned money to a premium membership.
A free account will give you insight as to what the site is about and how many people in your area it has.
Should you join a niche dating site for people who live in rural areas or for those over a certain age? It’s your call, but you’ll probably have better results with a site that is geared towards mature singles.
Remember, the more members the site has, the more they can spend on advertising and getting the word out. The dating site must work hard to bring in new singles, so there’s plenty of people to mingle with.
Your profile should be short and sweet
If your profile takes more than a couple of minutes to read, then no one is going to read it. Include at least one picture of yourself that shows what you look like.
Use your phone to take a selfie and make it look good.
Don’t upload photos to your profile that makes you look like you’re ready to walk down the red carpet. You want to show people what you look like every day, not only when you’re looking spiffy.
Include what you want in a person and a few things that you don’t like. Are you seeking someone who will put up with your smoking habit?
Make sure to include that information in your profile. If you’re an animal lover, include that too. Someone who is allergic to cats might not want to date someone who has an entire household of feline friends.
The internet may be the right path to finding mature quality singles
As you get older, you begin to understand how valuable your time is. You don’t have forever to find someone to spend your tomorrows with.
It’s next to impossible to meet people in the real world. It seems that everyone is always suspicious of strangers these days. You have to be so careful about how you talk to people, or the first impression will be terrible.
If you’re the type who seeks out companionship in person, you’ll need to work on your social skills. It’s not impossible to do, but it’s not something that will come easy.
Online dating feels cold at first, but technology has changed quite a bit.
Every smartphone these days has a camera, and you can use it to live chat on Skype. There is no reason why you can’t see and hear the person before you meet up with them.
It’s a good idea to use chat software to meet the person virtually before taking the plunge and going out on a first date. After a few dates, you’ll get the hang of it, and then it won’t seem so strange.
Online dating is easier than meeting people in real life because it allows you to scan through hundreds, if not thousands of singles, to find the right person for you.
Fun is what dating is all about for mature singles
You feel rigid right now, and it’s because the idea of trying to find a new partner makes you feel uncomfortable. It’s been a long time since you were in this position.
You might have spent what felt like a lifetime with your last partner, and the idea of splitting up with them never crossed your mind. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs, but somehow you’ve got to get up to bat and hit it out of the ballpark.
Have yourself a good time.
Go to restaurants you’ve never been to before. Let your guard down and laugh at a joke and enjoy a walk through the park on a sunny day. You deserve to be in love, and dating is the way that you make it happen.