Women ask me all the time whether or not they should pay for dates. It’s a big source of confusion because most women make their own money and want to be treated as equals. We’re not children.

So who pays?

The man pays for the first date.

While I was single, I made the mistake of paying for first dates. I had my own money and thought it was only fair to kick in. I never saw any of those guys again. Why? Because I confused them. When a woman offers to pay for a first date, a guy may take it as code for, “This has been very nice, but let’s be friends.”

So let the guy pay the first time. Letting him pay gives you a window into his character, too:

-Does he steer you toward the cheapest items on the menu?

-Does he expect sex as a thank-you for the meal? (Yes? Then give him a hearty handshake and tell him goodnight.)

-Is he overly extravagant? Does he spend too much money in a desperate attempt to impress you?

If you decide you like the guy enough to see him again, wait until he finishes paying. Then look him squarely in the eye. Smile sincerely and say, “I had a great time. Thank you for dinner. What do you say I get it next time?”

Men complain that certain women expect them to always foot the bill, and you’ve just shown this guy you’re not one of them.

You’ve also established that you like him, but you’ve left the ball in his court. He’ll either call you, or he won’t (because you definitely will not call him). If he makes the right move and calls you, suggest a place or an activity within your budget.

Then pick up the check. He can get it the next time!

Terry MacDonald is the happily married author of “How to Attract and Marry the Man of Your Dreams.” Sign up for free dating tips at marrysmart.com marrysmart.com For Dating Advice (Almost) Daily, go to happygirlmusing.blogspot.com happygirlmusing.blogspot.com

Do you find yourself confused by women’s behavior? Unsure of who she really is?

Just who is the real woman?

“The real woman is a sensitive, overly emotional being.”
“You’re wrong. She’s a bitchy, complaining, mean thing!”
“No, you’re both wrong! She’s a sweet, caring individual.”

So many different opinions! Why are women’s behavior so mysterious? Will we ever figure them out?

What is the REALITY behind women’s behavior? Who IS the real woman?

Be prepared, for what follows might upset the way you picture women. But this revelation is NECESSARY to bring you future success.

Women are NONE of these! A lot of the time, anyway.

And here’s the reason…

Women have a plan for their network of relationships. In their mind, the world revolves around them. So they assign different relationships to different kinds of people.

What this means is that women also have a plan for how each guy she meets will fit into her life.

This means YOU!

And whenever a guy doesn’t seem to want to fit the mold SHE THINKS she wants him to, she’ll use DRAMATIC TACTICS in an attempt to manipulate his behavior to fit her mold.

These little women’s tactics are often mistaken for the REAL woman!

And if you’re not aware of them, like many, many men, it becomes impossible to distinguish the REAL woman from her DRAMA. Women’s behavior can create an illusion.

I assure you, this mistake is common — too common among most men.

It is only by being aware of women’s behavior… that these dramatic tactics are cheap tricks used by the woman, but they are NOT the real woman.

Here, we’re going to explore them. There are three main tactics women use…

1) Sob Stories
2) Temper Tantrums
3) Flirty Displays

Women will attempt to use any one of these behaviors to get you to do or behave the way THEY want you to! … to get you to mold to the image and role they want you to play in their life.

But not fitting the mold she wants you to form to — by not altering to women’s behavior — is the big secret to creating attraction.

How To Handle Women’s Sob Stories

Women use Sob Stories to play on your PITY. She uses Sob Stories and complaining to encourage you to feel SORRY for her.

The message she communicates is, “Oh poor me!”

And how do you respond? “Oh, you poor thing! Let me help you.”

This is trouble! Let’s take a closer look…

How does complaining look? What kind of behavior does she display?

They don’t necessarily contain tears — perhaps in the most severe cases. But they generally come in the form of a woman complaining about a problem in her life, or some other emotional hailstorm she’s experiencing.

For a lot of guys, they have a tendency to want to respond in a helpful way. They start to listen to a woman’s problems, and offer advice or solutions.

But this is doing exactly what she wants you to do. You may think you’re helping her, but really, she is MANIPULATING you!

Here’s a simple clue…

If she’s complaining about a problem that effects you in some way — like a flat tire — find a solution by doing something about it. But if she’s feeding you a Sob Story about ANYTHING that has NOTHING to do with you…

… DON’T listen to it!

The key handling a woman’s Sob Stories is to never play her therapist!

How To Handle Women’s Temper Tantrums

Women use Temper Tantrums to target your GUILT. She uses emotional explosions to encourage you to REGRET something you did.

The message she sends is, “You better do what I want, or you’ll be sorry!”

And how to do you react? “Oh no! She’s angry at me. I may lose her. Better apologize immediately!”

Whoops! Now we’re heading down an eerie path.

How do you identify Temper Tantrums?

These are generally easy to see. I think most of us have seen them. They’re any angry or pouty outburst by a woman. And generally, any form of emotional stirred disapproval directed AT YOU.

A lot of guys buckle to a woman’s Temper Tantrums. They think they have displeased a woman and now have make things right.

But nothing could be farther from the truth!

She wants you to be in her DEBT… or her perceived debt. That way, you feel like you owe her something. Again, you’re being controlled by her manipulation.

The solution? If a woman gets angry at you, LET HER!

Treat the situation the same as you would a fly buzzing around your head… mildly annoying, but nothing to lose your cool over.

The key to handling women’s Temper Tantrums is in dealing with women’s disapproval.

How To Handle Women’s Flirty Displays

Women’s Flirty Displays are directed at your PRIDE. She uses flattery and attention to make you feel masculine or ATTRACTIVE… you’re the chick magnet.

Not really, though… but she doesn’t want you to know that.

The message she communicates is, “Oooooh… you’re soooo SEXY!”

And you respond how? “Yeah… that’s me. I’m hot! She likes me.”

Big mistake!

How do you know when a woman is simply putting on a Flirty Display?

This can be anything from a woman giving you unusually forward attention to touching to overt or obviously revealing behavior, like bending over to give you a nice view of her assets.

Most guys tend to lose it here.

They think a woman is actually into them. And if they haven’t had a date in a long time — or haven’t had a woman into them — they get sucked in.

Now, the woman has the guy around her little finger. He would probably do just about any FAVOR for her at even the hint of a request.

And chances are, she already has had something lined up for him before she put on the Flirty Display.

How to get around it? Back off when women come on strong. Recognize immediately that it’s fueled by an agenda.

The key to handling women’s Flirty Displays is don’t be part of her agenda.

Face The Reality And Set Yourself Free

To become successful in dealing with women, you must FACE the reality that women WILL attempt to manipulate you. And you must LEARN how to deal with it.

Don’t let this anger you. Don’t get angry at women for being who they are.

Instead, accept it. It’s fun to be put to the test.

I know it can be tough to look back into your past and realize that a woman was ‘deceiving’ you. Noticing that women have used these dramatic tactics on you in the past is tough…

… and perhaps to great effect!

But the truth is, you LET yourself be deceived. I definitely used to let myself be deceived! And now, I look back with a smirk, knowing I’ve learnt from those experiences.

Now, I’m invincible to their dramatic tactics. And so are you, when you learn to identify them… and deal with them on the fly.

And you want to know a secret?

… the man who is COMPLETELY unaffected by all of woman’s dramatic tactics is the man most sought after by women. By not buckling to women’s expectations of you actually creates attraction.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Keep in mind that there is a GOOD reason why women use these tactics.

mens-dating-magazine.com mens-dating-magazine.com for more articles on succeeding with women and dating.

Some people seem to make friends extremely easily. Everywhere you see them people are always saying Hi! and stopping to talk. They always have things going on with friends each weekend. For some reason, making friends seems to come so easily to them.

Other people have a much more difficult time. They have a small number of friends and are sometimes lonely. It’s not that they are bad people, they just aren’t as good at meeting people and making connections with them. Why is that? What can these people do to make friends easier? How can they get people to like them more easily and more naturally?

One of the most important things you can do to improve here is also one of the simplest: Develop and show a keen interest in other people.

This is really so simple, yet such a powerful idea. You will be surprised at what an impact this can have.

To do this, the main thing is to simply ask people questions and listen to their answers. You can’t be fake here, you have to really be interested. But it’s a very important skill in developing friendship. Asking people about themselves, letting them talk and really listening to them is very fundamental and a very important step in getting them to like you and developing true friendship.

Now, you might be saying that this idea is too basic and simple to be helpful. You might be saying, “Of course I know that — everyone does!” But yet, it’s surprising how many people don’t actually put this idea to practice.

So here’s the challenge: Each day for 30 days, ask one person a question about themselves. Ask it honestly and really listen to the answer. Try to understand how they feel. Here are some examples:

* “So tell me about where you grew up and went to school.”

* “How are things going at work? Do you feel good about how things are going?”

* “How are things with your girlfriend?” (Or boyfriend, husband, wife or significant other.)

* “How have you been feeling lately?”

Notice that a couple of these questions ask directly about feelings. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable for people to ask about feelings, but it’s important to learn to do this. Asking people about how they feel builds connections. I’ve heard it said that “emotions are like superglue — they bind people together”. This is really true.

After 30 days of doing this consistently, it’s a good bet that you will have really increased the strength of your relationships. You will have developed your ability to listen as well as your ability to get people to open up and talk to you. You will probably have made some new friends as well.

More importantly, you will have developed habits and skills that could last the rest of your life. Doing this for 30 days will develop it into a habit that will help turn you into one of those people that everyone likes to be around. It will make a big difference with learning about how to get people to like you.

Kevin Bedell is an internationally recognized speaker, author and editor. He is founder of the “30 Days to Success” website ( 30days.itious.com 30days.itious.com). For more ideas on how to improve your relationships and friendships, become a regular reader of the 30days to success website: 30days.itious.com 30days.itious.com

It’s fun to think about the cheesy Las Vegas weddings of the past. From Elvis chapels to themed nuptials, Las Vegas was the place to go when you wanted to get married fast!

You can still get Elvis to marry you, but today, all types of people are getting married in Las Vegas. Weddings are generally less expensive than in other parts of the country, there’s a lot for the wedding couple and their guests to do before and after the wedding, and it’s just a whole lot of fun!

Here are just some of the reasons why you should consider getting hitched in the entertainment capital of the world.

• You can make the most of your last days as a single person — take in the sights and have a great night out on the strip. During the day, have a relaxing message at a spa.

• You can indulge your impulsive nature — you only need a valid ID, your social security number and $55 to get married in Vegas. Forget the wedding planner, in-laws, and wedding singer.

• You can choose from a wide variety of wedding packages — whether you’re having a small, intimate affair or a party of 300, Las Vegas has the place and style for you.

• You can marry and honeymoon in the same city — even if you get married at a small chapel, you can stay at one of the luxurious hotel on your wedding night.

When you get tired of the 24/7 excitement, you can always take a day trip to Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, or the Valley of Fire. After all, you’ll need to relax too!

And probably the best reason for getting married in Las Vegas…EVERYTHING you do will stay in Vegas!

Joan Yankowitz reveals the savings secrets most wedding planners don’t want you to know about in her “Ultimate Wedding Planning Handbook. Find out how to save thousand of dollars on your wedding at wedding-saving-secrets.com wedding-saving-secrets.com