MiserMatch.com

My friend recently started dating a woman he met over the internet. No, it wasn't something trite like eharmony or match.com. He instead opted for a free dating service, because that's where all the cheap singles are. Their slogan hooked him in: "Love is priceless so why pay for it?" In other words, "The only thing better than hooking up is hooking up for free."

It's a smart move since you can be assured that the women that use this service are not only cheap themselves, but they're also looking for cheap mates. That is a low bar and utterly attractive to this non-pole-vaulter. A woman found on this site expects no fancy dinners, no cab or carriage rides. She wouldn't even expect to be swiped in on the subway. She'll know to crawl underneath the turnstiles instead. And no broadway shows or even off-broadway shows, just sock puppets over a cardboard box-turned-stage. She won't even shake her head in disapproval when after the show, you put the socks back on her feet.

The only risk you may have to deal with in using a free dating service is the ugly factor. Your spendthrift date may also be looks-thrift. Let's face it, beauty isn't exactly natural. More often than not it's paid for. Hygiene products like skin moisturizers, teeth whitenizers, assorted Zit-Offs, dandruff shampoo-carpet cleaner-all-in-one are all pricey. Hair cuts cost money and so do tweezers, razors, clippers, and other weed-wacking instruments. Gym memberships and healthy foods have a price too. So you may find yourself enjoying a Happy Meal over a milk crate with a pepporoni faced manatee with full beard, brillow pad hair, and a couple spare tires. It's never a good sign when your date asks you to roll them home.

But let's hope both of you are so cheap you've both refused to buy glasses your eyes desparately need. Or that you're trying to save on electricity by having a lightbulb-less apartment. A moonlit dinner is very romantic afterall...but mostly because you can barely make out the schlub sitting across from you. Love is blind for a reason.