How to battle money not your honey

(ARA) – Summer is all about spontaneous getaways, romantic interludes and young love, but the current economic condition can take its toll on your relationship. With financial stresses at an all time high, it’s often easy to put your romance on the backburner. In fact, 43 percent of U.S. couples say the recession has caused them to argue more often and primarily about finances, according to a recent survey by PayPal.

“Everyone is looking for ways to cope with the recession — whether it’s dinner on a budget, staying on top of your game at work, or cutting back on travel, and in the midst of trying to find these solutions, relationships are sometimes the first thing that suffers,” says Microsoft senior product manager, Karin Muskopf. “MSN.com put together a recession survival kit that offers our readers simple tips for coping with the stress of the economy, including a special section with tips and tricks on how to keep your relationship fresh and stress-free during the tough times.”

There are also some interesting ways to keep spending to a minimum and fun to a maximum, such as date night ideas for under $15.

* Watching the Sun Set: Like our love lives, it’s easy to overlook the beautiful things that happen around us every day. Watch the sun go down and share kisses under the stars.
Blanket to sit on: $6
Sunglasses: $2/each at your local drugstore
Lemonade: $1/each
Total: $15

* People-watching: Not all dates have to be steamy. Simply spending time together is what dating is all about. Pick a beautiful day to sit on a bench in a park and marvel at the wonders of nature.
Bottle of wine: $8
Plastic cups: $3
Bench: free
Marveling at the wonders of the public: More fun than you think
Total: $11

* Movie Night with Friends: Miss the wild abandon of your college days? Have the gang over for beers and movie — but save the make-out session for later.
Renting “Old School”: $5
Inviting your friends over: free
Going old school and having people throw in beer money at the door: awesome
Going streaking through the quad: optional
Popcorn for 20: $10
Total: $15

Other simple and affordable tips from MSN include:

* Stay on the same team: Remember you are not mad at each other, you are mad at the invisible enemy — money. Expressing disagreement, distress, and anger is part of problem solving. But, there’s healthy confrontation and then there’s kicking someone when he or she is down. Use your fingers for grabbing hands and holding on, not pointing. You’re in this together.

* Withdraw your identity from your bank account: We measure a lot in this society by the wealth a person appears to have. When it feels like the rest of the world is looking down, be the one who keeps your mate’s chin up. Affirm other kinds of success: friendship, parenting, a talent. Everyone needs to hear the words, “I believe in you,” and more so in times of self-doubt.

* Maintain a one-man-down policy with each other: If one is feeling depressed or anxious, the other has to stay up on his or her end of the seesaw.

* Reach out: Let friends and family in on what is going on with you and your financial situation. It will open the door to a flood of support. Admitting you are vulnerable will allow others to let down their own facade of “fine, thank you.”

* Take time out from worry: As with checking accounts, you aren’t always able to put into your relationship what is taken out. It’s hard to afford romance and intimacy when you are consumed by worry. Set aside time for you and your significant other, to enjoy time-out from worry.

* Always kiss each other good night: Don’t let the magic fade with overpowering conversations of the economic downturn, keep the romance alive, and never forget to kiss each other good night.

For additional tips on how to survive the recession, check out the MSN Recession Survival Guide at savings.msn.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tags: dating on a budget, inexpensive date ideas, inexpensive dates, recession, relationships and finances

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Dating in the world today is hard for everyone. Being online is something that has made it considerably easier for some, or at least given some people a chance to find another way to get to know someone they might not get to see on a regular basis. Online dating is really a way to bring the world closer together – to allow people to take a look into other lives and other cultures and talk to people who might be in a different physical place form their own. You never know where you are going to meet the person that you are meant to spend the rest of your life with – it just might be on the other side of the world. If you can talk online to many different people, you are going to have a greater chance of getting to know someone different, someone who lives somewhere else.

With all of the people who are trying to date online, even just finding a site that is right for you can be a hassle. If you are looking for a good Christian dating site, one that employs the same values and morals that you believe strongly in, and one that is going to attract people that you would be interested in dating, it can be hard to separate the dating sites that focus on things which aren’t important to you or do not fit with your Christian ideals, from those that do. Finding a good Christian dating site might be hard, in part because there are many dating sites out there, all of them trying to attract people to them. How do you know what one is for you?

There are many things that you should keep in mind while you are beginning to embark on this adventure. First of all you should search for several different dating sites and read through the materials about them carefully. Even if a site claims that it is following Christian principles and guidelines, you should read it careful to see if it is really following these ideas or if it is just using that hook to get followers. One of thing that you should pay attention to is whether or not there are any restrictions on the kind of pictures you can post or statements you can make, or on the words that you can use on your posting. Even though you might see this as a violation of free speech it is important to find a Christian dating site that monitors what people are putting up for others to view. Some sites might say that they are Christian so that they can attract people like you to them, but the sites that are really Christian dating sites are probably taking some precautions to make sure that the people using them are not abusing them in any way. If you want to make sure that they are following the same principles that you think are important, you should just browse through some of the listings for people. If you see a lot of things that aren’t very Christian, this means that the site probably doesn’t monitor what people are putting up on their profiles. This means that the site probably doesn’t have the Christian values that it claims to have.

Another thing that you can do is to make sure that you are going with a site that has a very high rating of privacy. You want to be sure that you are going to be posting some information about yourself on a site where you won’t have to worry about people getting too much information. Make sure that the site uses things like screen names and other protection issues so that you aren’t going to get your privacy levels breeched.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

There are so many people that are willing and eager to sit back and say that religion does not matter to then, and they fall in love with who they fall in love with, regardless of who believes in what.  While that may be true, when a Christian is sharing their life with a Non-Christian, there are some issues that might come up that the individual would have never thought would be a concern.  For the most part, this is simply because the individuals are unable to connect on a specific and needed level.  The Christian faith is not just about God, but it is also about the ways in which you perceive life and the moral standards that you are raised to incorporate into your beliefs.

When people differ on the matters of core values, then it can be very difficult to imagine a life with that person in the future.  In most cases, these details will seem small and unimportant in the beginning, and later on the problems become clearer.  This is when the couple will notice that they may have been spending all this time with someone that they cannot actually imagine a life with anymore.  Not all cases end in this fashion, this is a worst case scenario, but it is a possibility and does need to be considered by Christians that are dating someone or interested in dating someone who is not of their faith and is not interested in converting.

When a couple decides to get serious about their relationship in many instances they will begin to think about having children.  In the Christian faith, the babies are to get baptized.  However, there are many other faiths that do not practice this, and if the other partner does not want to have the child baptized there can be a major problem in the relationship and within the family.  You also need to consider that there are different marriage ceremonies and wedding ceremonies that take place, and if a couple is deciding to get married within a Christian church, they will need to promise to uphold the religion and raise their children in the same fashion.  This can be a problem for some couples and not for others, but again, it needs to be considered.  Christians will likely want to have a Church wedding, and this can be uncomfortable not only for the other partner in the relationship, but their family as well, if they begin to wonder whether or not the other partner was selfish in getting their child to agree to a wedding in a Church as opposed to their religion’s option.  Not only can it be difficult on the couple in question, but it can also be difficult for the families involved.

There are still a disheartening number of families that do not approve when their child dates someone of a different faith or religion, and they can make this entire situation much more difficult on the individual than it needs to be.  While religion is not all there is to life, it can be very important to many people and not all people understand just how important it can be and often is.  As a result, they may get involved in relationships that are over their heads and not productive to their overall well being.  In order to make sure that individuals do not hurt themselves unnecessarily, it is important to consider these things prior to making any long term commitments with individuals that are not in the position to share the same faith, and subsequently the same type of life and morals.

Tags: Issues in Dating a Non-Christian

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

So you have finally decided on a Christian dating site that meets your needs. Congratulations, this is the first step towards meeting interesting people who share your values and your morals and your beliefs. Now you are ready to post your profile on the Christian dating site to hopefully begin meeting new people. There are a few things that you should keep in mind when you are posting your profile on a Christian dating site.

The first thing that you need is a catchy headline and a good photo of yourself. There are many ways to get these things, and they are things that you should think about because when a person is looking through the profiles this is what they are going to see first, and it is how they are going to judge whether or not they decide to look at the rest of your profile. The first think you need is a good headline. This should be a short statement that either says something about you, or says something that you believe strongly in. Avoid things that are cliché, because chances are good that lots of people are going to have these things in their headlines. Try to find something unique that really fits your style or your life, or that fits your faith. Try to have something that you think no one else will have, something that can tell someone a little bit about you right from the start.

The picture comes next. Remember that people are going to want to see a photo of you, so make it a good one. Try to get a shot that only has you in it, and a shot that is somewhat close up, because you don’t want people to skip you over because the picture is too small or taken from too great a distance. Try to get a picture that is flattering of you, and make sure it is one that you like. No one likes to go to a dating site and see a picture with a caption that says something about not liking the photo!

Next, you will have to have a short paragraph that talks about you and who you are. This is something that you should think about it. First of all, it is important to present yourself in a good light. Try to highlight first the things that you like about yourself, without sounding like you are bragging. Also, remember that you should keep in short and sweet, and avoid rambling on about things that don’t make any sense.

The next thing that you are going to need to do is to fill out the information on the rest of the profile. This is usually information regarding your interests, what kinds of books and movies that you like, and other things that are important. There are several ways that you can go about this. You can either list things, or you can write a small paragraph about them. Either way, you have to be sure that you are providing information that is important to you and that is going to make you look interesting to other people.

No matter what kind of information you put in your profile, you have to be sure that you are presenting yourself in a way that make sense to other people and that is also true to your moral believes and the way that you really feel. You shouldn’t present yourself in a way that isn’t true, or a way that doesn’t hold true with your moral beliefs and feelings. This is the most important thing about providing information on a Christian dating site – that you hold tight to your morals and beliefs.

Tags: Christian Dating Site

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

The dating scene is nothing to scoff at today – there are many things about it that are tough for anyone. Sometimes it feels like you have to be a rocket scientist in order to figure out whom you should give a chance to and who you should walk away from. There are many things that affect how the dating scene happens to work out for us – what age we are, how much money we make, or where we hang out can have a lot to do with who we meet and therefore who we date. However, one of the things that can make a big impact on the dating scene is whether or not the parties that are dating have the same basic set of Christian morals. Having, or not having, these beliefs is something that can drastically impact the kind of dates we have, and whether or not they are going to end up being successful.

Christian morals have ended up affecting the dating scene in recent times in a much different way than in the past. In the past, people got married younger and didn’t date as much as they do now – or they tended more and more to date people with the same religious feelings as themselves, which made them more compatible. In the past, there were less places to find people to date – schools were the best place to meet people, and a lot of the time you would end up getting married to someone you went to school with. However, now, with the Internet and with more chances to travel and meet more people, the dating scene has exploded for a lot of us. It is not likely you will end up staying with the same group of people for many years and end up marrying them.

So, because of these reasons, it is important that when two people date each other, their morals and beliefs come into play. Christian morals have a deep impact on the dating scene because if you are a Christian, you are not going to be distracted by some of the other reasons for which people choose their dates – such as the way that another person’s body looks or how likely they are to go “all the way” with you. Yes, as Christians, people are attracted to others, but when you add a set of strong morals and beliefs into the mix, Christians are likely to choose dates based upon what kind of beliefs the other person has. Often in the dating world, couples will not even talk about their person beliefs or morals until they have been dating for a long time. However, in the Christian dating scene, these conversations are started right from the get go. People will strong Christian morals and beliefs will tend to want to date others that feel the same way as they do, and usually this will be a big part of how they decide who they actually want to end up dating and who they’d rather simply not go out with.

By putting their morals first, this can lean many young Christians to date people who feel the same way that they do, and this means that their relationships are going to have a greater chance of going father than relationships couples have if they don’t share beliefs, or don’t bother to talk about their beliefs before they get involved. Sharing beliefs, and dating people with the same general beliefs, are both big parts of the Christian dating scene.  It is usually the most important thing when a person chooses whether or not to date another person, and this carries forth into their lives and ends up becoming the corner stones upon which their relationships are actually built.

Tags: Christian Morals on Dating

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

There are many things that are hard about being parents. Take your teens dating for one. This is perhaps the scariest part of any parent’s life, when their child begins to want to date others. It can be a confusing and frustrating time for you, because you are never really sure what is going on, and you worry that your teenager hasn’t made the right choices, or won’t make the right choices. It can be frightening, and it can be frustrating as well, because you know that you should let go of them to help them grow, but you still want to hold on to them to protect them.

Luckily, there are some tips that you can follow that will help you through this time. First of all, remember that everyone goes through a period of time when they want to begin dating. This is a perfectly natural process, and the fact that your teenager is interesting in Christian dating means that they want to follow in your footsteps and date other people who share their own beliefs and morals. This is a good thing, and it is something that is going to bode well in their lives. They are learning that when they are dating, they should be dating people who believe the same way that they do and who are not going to force them to do things that are against their morals and beliefs.

Another thing that you should remember is that even if you can see that the dating your teenager is doing is innocent and simple, it doesn’t appear that way to them. If they ask someone on a date and are turned down, you might be able to see where this is just a small incident in their lives. If they are in a relationship and are broken up with, you might be able to assume that there will be more to come and they shouldn’t worry too much about this one. However, you should know that these are all very serious and real situations for your teenagers, and that it seems like the biggest thing in their world. If you know this you can better help them through rough times.

Perhaps the most important tip for parents of Christian dating teens is to know them. You should know who they are dating and where they are going, and what kind of people they are dating. You should know the parents of the teenager that yours is going out with, and you should have talked to the parents before the date. It is very important that you remember this.

You should also know that the best way to protect your children might not be by setting up strict rules and guidelines. The best way to keep your teenager out of trouble is to raise them in a way where they have confidence and belief in themselves and in their beliefs. If you can raise your children with a strong set of morals and values, you can help teach them to make good decisions.  You aren’t always going to be able to prevent them from getting into situations where there is a chance to get in trouble or to do something that is outside of what they believe in. However, you can protect them by helping them to know that they are the only ones who can make their own decisions and follow their own beliefs. This is the best way to protect your children, because it is the only way that insures that they are going to make good decisions and stay out of trouble. It is truly the best way to protect them and to keep them on the right path.

Tags: Teen Christian Dating

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

As with dating, the Bible is something that you can use to guide you in your questions about sex. However, there is no chapter in the Bible that is titled “sex when dating”, and there is no list of what is right and wrong when it comes to hand holding, kissing, and the like. There are lines that are crossed, and each person has their own idea of what these lines are – the bible doesn’t spell them out for us.

However, you can find a lot of information in the Bible if you know what you are looking for, and you can use this information to make decisions about sex. Because of the many different interpretations of the bible, and the many different ways of looking at what it says, the most important thing to focus on when it comes to sex in the bible is what it says about how you treat other people.

The Bible tells us that you should always respect other people, and likewise you should be with people who respect you. You can interpret this several ways, but when it comes to sex, the most important thing that the Bible is telling us is that you need to be with people who are respecting you. If you feel that sex is wrong and that it is something that should wait until you are married, then you should not be with people who are pressuring you otherwise. This is simply something that should be between you and your feelings, and going about it just because someone pressures you is not good. In this regard, the Bible is telling us that we need to be with people who are going to respect us. That means if you believe that sex is something for marriage, you should stay with people who believe the same thing, or people who love you enough to respect that belief and wait for you as well.

Another thing that the Bible teaches us when it comes to sex is to respect our own bodies. People are supposed to take into account that everyone has a beautiful body that is all their own. Some feel that by having sex before you are ready, this is a violation of your body. If you are dating, a person should respect your body and shouldn’t do anything to you or to it that you feel is in any way disrespectful. This is a very important thing for you.

There are other things in the Bible as well that can help you guide your decisions when it comes to having sex. Another important thing is that you should be making decisions all of the time that are along the same lines as your personal beliefs. Remember that when you are deciding whether or not to have sex, there are many things to take into consideration, and this decision should be made with your faith in mind, and with what you personally feel is right and wrong in your mind as well.

You should never compromise your beliefs or your body for someone else and what they feel. This is the most important thing that the bible can tell us about sex and dating. You should be thinking about what is important to you, and you should be realizing that your body is something that you have and that you must respect. Never let anyone convince you to do something that goes against your morals and beliefs, whether or not they claim to love you. You need to make decisions for yourself, based upon what is right and wrong, and you need to stick to these decisions as you go through your life.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

There are a number of different people in the world that feel like it is perfectly practical to date a person until it becomes clear that the relationship is no longer fun.  In many of these cases, the individuals involved will likely understand and have understood for quite some time that when it came to the big picture, they were not really all that compatible in the long run.  Still, you may wait it out just because it is easier than coping with being alone.  However, this is not always in our best interest.  People that say that they can date for fun, and many have never understood.  You am not really too sure of the point in this.  Sure, they are a fun person to be with.  But then can one not just be friends with that person, not date them?  Does it not seem far more likely that two people, if they really like each other despite the inability to co-exist in the long run when it comes to a relationship, would be able to stay friends assuming they never crossed the relationship line as opposed to two people that did cross that line and got involved in a relationship?  Well, whether you know it or not at the start, there will almost always come a point where it is time to break up.  The relationship just is not going anywhere, whether you knew it would not, or simply hoped that it would, the answer is pretty clear and you know what we have to do.

First of all, if the other person tries to tell you that the relationship could be more than it already is, and you know that it cannot, do not back down.  Do not tell them something to the effect of all right, you will see, because this simply offers people false hope.  When you do inevitably try to break up with them again, they will likely be even more upset than before.  This is for the second reason – one person, at least, is likely emotionally involved in the relationship and is holding out hope that it will change and everything will get better.  Perhaps they will sit there and illustrate to you in great detail how things will change and how things have to change.  But if you are able to sit back and know that their actions are in no way aligned with their words, you know pretty much that you have to end things, simply because what they say and what they do are too different, and no one deserves that kind of treatment, whether they think the relationship will last or not.

Be honest.  The biggest problem that many people will notice is that in many cases, there are too many people that are not willing to accept the fact that, sometimes, people just are not compatible.  Whether they want to be or not, or try to be and aren’t, the fact of the matter is that they are not compatible.  But rather than focus on this, too many people sit back and think, “Oh, if only we had done some things differently”.  The truth is that sometimes, there is nothing anyone could have ever done to change the reality that these individuals are left with in the wake of their relationship.  By telling the person anything other than the complete and honest truth, you are giving them the idea that maybe something could have gone differently that would have helped the two of you, when this is usually not the case.  So just be honest and understand that even in the worst case, it is still better than lying.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

There are a number of different formats that dating can take on, and in some instances these forms are newer and less conventional than others.  One of the newer formats that have begun to make an appearance on the Christian dating scene is that of Wireless Dating.  While many people may think that they know what this is, there are many people that either have never heard the term before or who are mistaken when they set their definition of the phrase.  In this instance, Wireless Dating is set to mean any type of dates that individuals are able to have, with each other, but without actually meeting and using a wireless device in order to communicate for the date.

It is very similar to online dating, but with yet another technological advance worked in, in order to separate itself from the simple concept of online dating that many people have investigated and been a part of at some point in time.  Wireless dating is able to add another level of convenience to the entire experience that helps to make it even more enjoyable and easy to fit in, no matter what kind of busy and hectic day the individual may otherwise have planned.  There are a number of people that already appreciate how easy it is to find a person that is interested in and passionate about the Christian faith, and on the internet there are so many people that are willing and eager to talk to other people that are passionate and involved within this religion and the ideas and moral framework patterns that help to make up a Christian’s life.  Wireless dating takes this convenience factor and, at the very least, doubles it since now individuals are very easily enabled to make sure that they can contact the individual with whom they are trying to speak in the most convenience form yet – without actually connecting to the internet and while being in virtually any area.

Wireless dating is also helpful because of the other similarities that it is able to expand upon when it comes to online dating.  At almost anytime of day or night, it is possible to find an individual that seems interesting and neat.  For example, when a Christian person is looking for a Christian person, not only can they do a search on whatever Internet messenger program they are using, but also it is also pretty easy for the individual to be able to use a Christian dating service.  Some of these Christian dating services are free of charge, but others as for a price in order to completely utilize all of the features of the website that is being used in order to find dates for the single Christians that are interested.  Again, they are aided by the fact that they are helped when it comes to the convenience that is offered in order to perform this task in the easiest and simplest way possible.

Wireless dating allows these individuals, who are interested in each other, to meet in any place, at any time, as long as they have a functional wireless device on them and able to be used.  While some people would go on to say that this type of dating approach may seem awkward or strange, the truth is that many people will begin to come around and see the benefit to this type of activity after the public has been given enough time to deal with the issue and the ways in which this will change the lives of individuals.  Right now, this approach is ‘the new kid’.  But it won’t be for long and many more people will be able to appreciate its convenience and efficiency.

Tags: Wireless Dating

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Perhaps the biggest thing about the Christian dating scene is that people who don’t follow it don’t’ really understand what it is about. When many people in the secular world hear about Christian dating, they assume things are happening like pre-arranged marriages – that you have to marry the first person you go on a Christian date with. They also assume that Christian dating isn’t any fun, because following the bible doesn’t allow you to have fun with the person you are dating. Another big assumption that people make is that Christian dating isn’t really dating – it is simply a way of weeding out the bad people so that you can marry the right people.

These things are all untrue, when it comes to Christian dating. First of all, Christian dating doesn’t require that you marry the first person that you meet. Just like in the secular world, Christians believe that you should meet lots of people and come to lots of conclusions before you settle down and get married. They also believe that dating more than one person is something that is healthy. As far as not having any fun goes, this is also untrue. Christian dating is just like secular dating, expect for the fact that both of the people who are going on Christian dates are holding to the same basic set of morals and beliefs. Christian dating is a fun way to meet new people who feel as you do and who believe the things that you believe. There is nothing fun about it! And, in truth, Christian dating is just like secular dating. It isn’t a way to weed out the other people, it is a way to learn about yourself and figure out who you are before you settle down and get married.

The basic principals behind Christian dating are simply that these are people who hold strongly to a certain set of beliefs who are learning to trust other people and learning how to go on dates and how to get along with different groups of people. It is simply dating, with Christian values. The point of Christian dating is just the same as the point of secular dating is – to be with other people your own age, to meet a variety of other people, and to, in the end, choose a spouse that you would like to spend your life with. The only difference between Christian dating and secular dating is that Christian dating holds true to the basic beliefs in Christianity, and makes sure that these beliefs are at the center of both of the people’s lives as they continue to date one another.

In the end, Christian dating is simply a way of finding people who feel the same way about you and who have the same moral and convictions that you do. It is how you make friends, how you meet people you want to spend more time with, and how you figure out who you are and what your place is in this world. While many people do this without a thought to their own beliefs and convictions, Christian dating simply put these morals and convictions at the center of the life, and the center of the date. What it means in the end is that you know you are dating others who feel the same way that you do, and you know that you are going to be surrounded by people who aren’t going to ask you to do things you aren’t comfortable with, and who are basically holding to the same set of beliefs that you are.

Tags: Teen Christian Dating

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...