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Ask Anna: Navigating straight curiosity while in a queer relationship

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

Dear Anna,

I'm seeking advice about my sexuality and relationship. I'm in a sapphic relationship and while I love my girlfriend deeply and envision a future with her, I can't shake this lingering curiosity about being with men — despite not actually wanting to act on it due to my commitment to my current relationship. As I've only been with ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Defining the relationship: More of a conversation than a specific milestone

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

You’ve swiped right, had the first dates and are now “together” with a person. Great! Or is it?

A client recently reached out to me and said, “I’ve been seeing this guy for about a month from Hinge. I’ve met his family already, mine know about him. We’ve met each other’s friends. When is it OK to define the relationship? Do I ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Erika Ettin: Dating red flags: Signs to watch out for in potential partners

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

I’ll admit that the term “red flag” is overused today. People are classifying anything from someone’s taste in music (Broadway for me) to their obsession with their dog as a dreaded red flag. While those things might not align with what you’re looking for in a potential partner, are they truly red flags?

As a dating coach, I've seen ...Read more

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Ask Anna: Is dating outdated?

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

Dear Anna,

Is there ever a point where dating doesn't feel futile? By dating, I'm referencing those initial few outings with someone new, not, like, as a stand-in for being in a committed relationship.

It seems like every couple I know of either dove headfirst into couplehood (monogamous or otherwise) practically from the moment they crossed ...Read more

TNS

Zoom intimacy and creative sexting: How COVID-19 has changed the way some people have sex

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

PHILADELPHIA -- When Juan's long-term relationship ended the same day Philadelphia announced its first COVID-19 case and started the citywide shutdown, he knew the isolation to come would be a challenge.

So Juan, 33, created profiles on a handful of dating apps, including Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and OkCupid.

"It was tough because it was the peak...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

The 'yours, mine and ours' school of budgeting

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

“You bought what? And it cost how much?”

Be honest: Have you ever been called out by your spouse for spending too much? Or maybe you’ve been the one to bristle at a fresh batch of shopping bags brought home by your better half?

Bankrate’s latest financial infidelity survey revealed that 30 percent of U.S. adults who are married or ...Read more

RJ Sangosti/THE DENVER POST/TNS

What happened to 'Menver'? Denver daters say finding love is getting harder

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

DENVER — Much to the chagrin of single Denverites, the city’s nationally-recognized nickname, “Menver” — an allusion to the number of available men, ready for relationships — hasn’t withstood the test of time.

One of the earliest mentions of the Menver phenomenon was a 2006 Westword column raving about the male surplus. That still...Read more

Vladimir Timofeev/Dreamstime/TNS

Why talking about money is crucial in a relationship

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

Money is one of the most common sources of conflict in a relationship. So it should come as no surprise that a recent Bankrate survey found that well over one-third (42 percent) of Americans in a relationship have kept a financial secret from their partner.

Keeping money-related secrets, or avoiding talking about money altogether, can lead to ...Read more

Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Her pregnant wife filed for divorce. The lawsuit changed who gets to be a parent in Pa.

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

PHILADELPHIA -- Nicole Junior and Chanel Glover were ready to be mothers, so the same month as their wedding, they began pursuing IVF.

The two decided early on that Glover would be the one to become pregnant. Junior didn’t care about having a genetic connection — either way, she figured, the baby would be theirs. Still, she was unexpectedly...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Ask Erika: Your dating questions answered

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

Question: Three dates and no kiss. How do I show I want to kiss without being cringy? He’s asked me on a fourth.

Answer: Say this: “I wonder what it would feel like if we kissed.” It will work like a charm. Happy smooching!

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Question: A guy I was going on a date with canceled twice. Once he forgot, once for work. Thoughts?

Answer: ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

6 ideas for saving money on Valentine's Day

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

Expressing undying love for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day doesn’t cost any money, but nearly everything else does. Some 53% of Americans planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2024, bringing the expected holiday spending total to $25.8 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2024 Valentine’s Day Spending Survey.

...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

How do I politely decline?

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

I got this question recently from a client:

“I had my date on Thursday night at the brewery I mentioned. It was fine… no fireworks or anything but not terrible. Just OK. I don’t want to see him again. He did send me a text after the date to make sure I got home OK and one in the morning asking whether I’d like to go out again. Do I have...Read more