True enough our two main political parties are not unlike a married couple. They’re both in the same fight, they both have opinions that they cling to for better or worse, and they both will ultimately have to live with the consequences of both their choices at the end of the day, together as a unit. When money issues creep into a relationship they can sometimes suck the life out of it faster than a vampire on an unsuspecting and Hollywood-attractive victim. In fact, money problems or disagreements are one of the leading causes of divorce in America today. So in today’s tough economic times, how can a couple survive the vampire in the room? First, be honest with each other. Lying about how you spend money, when you spend money, etc. is no way to promote financial or any other type of happiness in your relationship. If you earn as a unit, spend as a unit, and own up to your expenditures. Now ladies, I’m the first to admit that I’ve flubbed the price of a pair of shoes more than once to my husband. Perhaps they cost $40.00, but I feel safer answering to a $25.00 expense. It’s something I’m working on myself. Unless you’re in financial straights as a result of addiction, gambling, or one of you making a sporadic and undisclosed transaction on something like a house or car then you should really get over that little $40.00 that one of you spent frivolously. That little purchase is probably not what put you behind on your bills or, God forbid, into bankruptcy. You should have a little fun with your money, but responsibly, and that goes for both of you. here's a suggestion - try online dating on a decent dating site.  Don’t make major purchases without first discussing them and coming to some semblance of agreement or acquiescence. Should your spouse be guilty of more frivolous spending than you, try a little forgiveness, within reason. We’re not all money-minded people and some are better with keeping the finances than others.

The decision of what to wear on a night of prowling is an important one. While beauty is on the inside, the outside is what other people see first. Especially once you get away from meeting singles on dating sites and get out into the real world.  I believe a good rule of thumb is to think like a hunter if you’re out in hopes of attracting a potential partner. You want to wear the right kind of camouflage for the environment in which you are hunting that is best suited to the prey. In other words, if you’re deer hunting don’t wear the silly duck cap. Consider the type of “prey” you want to attract. Ladies, sincerely, if you dress like a prostitute, you’re liable to attract a man who’s looking for a one night stand. If that’s all you’re after, then great, but I’ve heard too many girls dressed as though they just might at any moment swing around a pole saying “But I met this guy last weekend, and he was such a jerk. All he wanted was sex.” Well do ya think?! If it walks like a prostitute and talks like a prostitute, he probably assumes it’s a prostitute. Now I’m also not saying there’s anything wrong with dressing a little sexy, but there’s a limit. For instance, if you’re going out dancing please don’t wear a skirt that barely covers your unmentionables and then become upset when half the club sees your butt, or other body parts. Wear a low cut top, but not one that might promote a Janet Jackson-esque wardrobe malfunction. Consider all aspects of your evening when picking your outfit. Where are you going, what are you doing, what caliber of human being would you like to have a conversation with? These are all important questions when considering what to wear.

This is partially due to my screening process pre-first date. Having just come out of a hap-hazard relationship with a divorced alcoholic that I met on one of the many dating sites I belonged to (don't get me wrong - he was great for a while), I decided to implement a small questionnaire which I required men to answer prior to my agreeing to go on a date with them. I comprised a list of all the issues and non-negotiables from previous relationships and life experiences and asked away. I only had to use it once, on the man who is now my husband, and I like to think I only had to use it once because it worked. My list of questions was as follows:

• Have you ever been married?
• Are you now or have you ever been addicted to any substance or activity?
• Do you have a job, and how long have you been there?
• Do you have a car and live either on your own or with a roommate? If a roommate, are you related to this person?
• Do you have any children?

In ways I consider it a blessing that it worked the first time, because I can see

myself losing a lot of dating opportunities with this list, but these are the things I needed to know. I know some of it sounds a little snobby, but after previous experience I discovered that my non-negotiables included addiction, living at home with mom, previous spouses, involving children and joblessness. At 21 years old these were things I wasn’t willing or ready to deal with. Ergo I let loose with my list on the man who is now my husband, and he answered favorably, so I agreed to a date. In addition to providing valuable answers about someone’s life in short-form, I found that the list also eliminated some of the dating world’s more jarring surprises. For those who find they just can’t seem to date a good man/woman, I suggest trying the list out on someone. Sure, some of the questions are uncomfortably straight-forward and invasive, but that’s they way I am, so an inability to deal with that type of behavior in and of itself is a deal breaker for me.

I would like to preface this article by saying that I love my husband. He is considerate (most of the time), sweet (most of the time), and provides well for me (ALL of the time). But when we embark on any type of trip that takes more than 15 minutes to reach our destination I feel compelled to strangle him. As a driver he is offensive, impatient and vocal about his displeasure with the performance of nearly every other human being on the road. After about an hour of this I'm ready to test the durability of my frame against the famed tuck-and-roll maneuver of escaping a vehicle. Since I've already in my relationship learned that saying “Would you just shut up already?!” is not an acceptable form of marital communication, I spend most trips staring out the window at anything remotely interesting and keeping my mouth shut. Upon arrival in Tallahassee we haggle over the best ways to tackle four lane rush hour traffic and reach our destination, him no doubt tired from driving and fussing and me tired from listening. We enter the abode of my father and step-mother and I'm quickly reminded that while my husband has quirks and annoying habits or behaviors, he is still quite a catch. He works, he is not hopelessly addicted to anything, and he is generally a very considerate husband, as noted above. He does not beat me, expect wifely duties that are either above my abilities or outside of my comfort zone, nor berate me in front of others. I realized that while I spent that whole trip begging him quietly inside my head to be patient, I was forgetting to be patient with him. I was neglecting to remember that this is his way, it's who he is, and it's really not that big of a deal. The bible says that “Love is patient” for a reason. We must be careful to be patient with our partners' little annoyances and character flaws and learn to keep loving them, even if they can never seem to just shut up.