Tips to Find Love, and Not Just on Dating Apps

Maybe you want to meet that special someone and find love this year. Perhaps you don't want to do it online. That's okay. While online dating is all the rage, you can still find love the old-fashioned way. After all, look at the older generation. My parents met IRL, as they say, well before online anything was a thing. So, don't give up hope if you want to meet someone outside of the online world. Here are some ways to meet someone and find love in 2024, and only one is online dating.

The experts at Tawkify.com make some good points about why online dating doesn't work for everyone. "The abundance of potential matches on dating apps can be overwhelming, leading to poor decisions focused on getting dates instead of creating individual connections," they note. "The feeling that you could potentially find someone better can dilute the quality of interactions and make it challenging to form genuine bonds."

So, what does work? Of course, online dating can work for a lot of people, but if you want to meet someone outside of the web, gravitate to groups and communities where you'll find people with similar interests.

Tawkify.com notes that a few good places to meet potential romantic partners are dog parks, art classes, hiking clubs, travel groups, photography groups, community workshops, open mic nights, beer tasting events and spiritual groups. On the latter, church is a very traditional and tried-and-true way to meet someone. You already know the other person has the same religious beliefs, which is important to many in the dating pool. I also think meeting people in local sports groups is a great way to make friends and perhaps meet a significant other, since you're meeting with the same people weekly and playing sports together.

Broadsheet.com notes that speed-dating is still a thing. Or, at least it's getting popular again, and not just in the U.S. but around the world. In the article, they interview Em Daniels, who began hosting speed-dating nights in Sydney, Australia, in 2010, under the name Dear Pluto and "has noticed a dramatic uptick in interest in their events recently." Daniels adds, "When I started, all you had to pay was a gold coin donation, and I just thought, 'Let’s see who shows up.' Then about 70 people came, and soon everyone was messaging me about the speed dating."

Finally, you can still revert to online dating. Cnet.com notes that the best online dating apps for 2024 are eHarmony, Bumble, Hinge, OKCupid, Happn, Tinder, Match, Plenty of Fish, Coffee Meets Bagel, Raya and Her. 

Being in a relationship isn't always easy. First, there's that honeymoon phase where the other person can do no wrong. You might even think some of their quirks, like how they make a funny sound when they sip coffee, are cute at first. Then, a few months later, you might think those same quirks are super annoying. But, if there's love, then, in a perfect world, that relationship should always be able to work. Sometimes, though, it doesn't work. Sometimes couples decide to part ways. So, what are the most common reasons people end a relationship?

Before we reasons why people end their relationship, let's get into some stats. According to Forbes.com, both marriage and divorce rates have gone down over time. Forbes.com states that in 2000, roughly 944,000 divorces and annulments happened, and the crude divorce rate was 4.00 per population during that year. But, by 2021, that crude divorce rate had fallen to 2.5 per 1,000 population. Also, in 2021, only 689,308 people divorced, so much less than the 944,000 in 2000. So, the fact that the divorce rate is going down is a good thing. But, it's partly because people aren't getting married as much. The marriage rate, according to the Forbes.com article, declined from 8.2 per population in 2000 to 6.00 per population in 2021. So, when do couples divorce? They say "the average length of a marriage prior to divorce is eight years."

What's interesting is that even from just year-to-year, marriage rates seem to be going down. According to Worldpopulationreview.com, "between 2018 and 2019, the number of marriages dropped significantly, by about 5.5 percent." If you're curious, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, "Alaska and Utah had among the highest marriage rates, at 23.5 and 22.3, respectively." Also, "Puerto Rico had among the lowest marriage and divorce rates" and "Massachusetts had a marriage rate of 11.8, also among the nation's lowest." Now, let's get into the most common reasons people end a relationship, not just marriages.

According to Heysigmund.com, "Studies have shown that the love and passion that comes with the initial boost of marriage wears off after two years, which is why the best relationships are the ones that have genuine friendship at their core." It makes sense. You can't just be physically attracted to your partner. You have to actually like them as a person, too, and enjoy their company. You have to be friends, too.

This is a big one. Bestlifeonline.com notes that, "...if one partner has a blatant disrespect for the other's life choices, neither partner will ever feel comfortable talking about their day, let alone their feelings or beliefs." That's really true. You have to respect the other person and let them know that you care and respect them, or else the relationship could hit some really rocky roads.

Trust is a huge thing in a relationship. The more serious a relationship gets, the more trust is important, too. That's why it can make or break a relationship in those later years. "One of the foundational feelings necessary in a good relationship is a feeling of security," Verywellmind.com says. "If you lack emotional support or find your partner unreliable, you might lose trust."

We've all been there. Everything was so great at first, that you went from a first date to, "Here's my mom and dad." Maybe you rushed into a relationship as a rebound, or maybe it was filling a void in your life. Either way, going into a relationship too fast is often a reason people break it off.

I've seen this happen before. Sometimes, it's life that causes friction in the relationship, not the relationship at all. If someone is going through a really hard time or dealing with a shocking loss, sometimes, they can decide to just step away from everything, including their relationship. It can be anything from a big move to a death. "A big and unexpected life event, like the death of a parent or a sudden job layoff, can shake a relationship to its core," states Bestlifeonline.com. They add, "And, oftentimes, these life-changing moments will result in other major changes that many relationships struggle to survive."

You totally have to be able to communicate with your partner. They can't read your mind. The people who don't communicate well are often those who find themselves having trouble in relationships. "Numerous studies have identified communication (or a lack thereof) as one of the top reasons for couples seek therapy, as well as one of the top reasons for break-ups and divorces," Delraybeachpsychiatrist.com says.

Even if you're been in a relationship for a long time, a simple "thank you so much" means a lot. Always make sure to let your partner know how much you appreciate the little, and big, things. It goes a long way. Not being grateful could even lead to a breakup.

Arguing about money is really common in relationships. It's also a big reason why some couples can't make it work. Maybe your partner loves to spend money on luxuries, and you're a penny-pinching type. That's an issue. "Differences over money is one of the top reasons for marital dissolution. But a couple also doesn’t need to be married to have money challenges," Delraybeachpsychiatrist.com says.