While online dating through paying membership sites may seem like the safer way for adult dating online, it is important that you get what you pay for.

With over 100 free online dating sites, you may have to weed through many inappropriate sites until you get hooked into a good one, but if you're not getting your money's worth through your current membership in your online dating service, free may be the way to go.

How much is too much?

The going rate for joining an online dating service is $20 to $30 a month membership fee. Typically this is done through a credit card (on the reputable sites, since a credit card is traceable, weeding out the weirdo's) and monthly payments are simply deducted. There are also sites which use token systems, wherein you purchase a certain number of tokens and one is used each time you make a contact. There is a chance that you will end up wasting your tokens if you do not get replies, though. However, it is a good system if you are out of town a lot and may not be able to use the contacts allotted in your monthly membership fee, which usually do not roll over if unused.

Single online dating can take months, even years before you meet someone. So do not cancel

your membership just because you meet some one. If you meet someone right away, great. Give it the same amount of time you've given your other relationships. But read the small print. If you find you need to cancel your membership, don't put it off. Forgetting that you are being auto-debited every month can lead to charges way after you've forgotten you ever joined an online dating service in the first place. (How will you explain that one?!)

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