Are there any decent dating sites that don't charge a small fortune?

[ClementineKelandra]

I quite like the guardian one but it costs a fair but to join so thought I'd see what else is out there before I sign up.
Does anyone have any recommend?

My friend joined one called smooch in the summer and met someone very quickly, they have moved in together now. It was free, might be worth a look?

I'm not sure how good it actually is, but plenty of fish is the most popular free one.

At least you won't be asking for your money back...

OKC and POF (plenty of fish) are both free. Lots of chancers and wankers on POF. Lots of illiterate men who will send you messages saying 'hey babz u look sexi'....but there are some decent men on there. The trick is to keep your profile hidden and just contact the ones you like the look of. OKC apparently has lots of scams and people looking for multi-amorous (not even sure if that's the right term..) set ups. I tried it for a while but just found the men on there really dull. POF was actually better once I learned how to avoid the wankers.

But if you want to know more, check out the dating thread and ask for advice - lots of folks on there willing to share their accumulated knowledge and experience.

I wouldn't bother with POF. It's full of complete nutcases.

Gumtree personal ads are free, got loads of replies when I put an ad on, seemed to get a decent standard of bloke too. Met DH on there.

The free ones tend to attract the weirdos and cheaters. A person on the make is not going to pay, but a person genuinely looking for someone special will not object to shelling out a few quid.

They say you get what you pay for and in the online dating world that is very true!

Hmm very true bogey and I'm definately not in the mood for weirdos! I think I may just stick with the guardian and pay the money.

Seriously - go ask on the dating thread. Lots of folks on there have tried both the free and the dating sites and the general consensus is that that you don't fare any better on the paid ones than the free ones. It's just that with the free ones you do have to wade through a bit more dross. Guardian is good but very limited pool to choose from unless you're in a big city like London or Edinburgh.

Pepper, I'll do that. Thanks