Full frontal

I'll admit it: I'm a little reluctant to fork over $34.99 for the one-month membership package to Match.com. I've been on there off and on over the years and the only thing it's ever gotten me was more depressed about the lack of decent, eligible, and relationship-worthy men in the DC area. Oh, that and a guy who once told me I was "small enough to fit in my trunk."

Sure, sure, we've all heard the stories of people who have met on match and even gotten married. Heck, I know a lovely couple who met online and it almost, almost gives me hope. [And if you know of any, send 'em to me--sachamarried2010@gmail.com--I need inspiration!].

The other alternative is to post or respond to an ad on Craigslist--a crap shoot at best. You always run the risk of clicking on an ad marked with a photo that shows a shirtless guy next to his neon orange motorcycle or something far worse (go ahead, use your imagination).

This isn't to say that you might not find the same guy posing on Match.com--I've seen plenty of the shirtless/motorcycle/sportscar/mustached guys while flipping hopelessly through the Match.com profiles, but at least you don't have to worry about a random, full-frontal crotch shot.

All that being said, Craigslist is free, and that's a pretty big plus in my (frugal) book. We'll see--I'm not quite there yet but if things don't pick up by, say, September, you'll find me and my profile online.