My thoughts on the whole thread so far, as a newly dating person (female, 42):
1. Ha! I just realized I described myself as female, which has been a contentious issue in the thread. Oh well. I was going to speak to this anyway. I veer from any guy who uses the words "lady" or "ladies" anywhere, or "my girl" when referring to girlfriend/female partner. Reactive as I am to these, I clearly have no problem with "female", as I've used it twice already here. Eek!
2. I read an article today about online dating that said women who refer to themselves as "girls" are rated by guys as more attractive, but that guys who refer to women as "girls" are rated as less attractive. And so on. I was fascinated.
3. Online dating and Mustachianism - Tricky. POF and Craigslist are free, but host a lot of folks looking for casual sex, but some people (including one of my closest friends) do find love through these. OKC is also free, but (at least in Vancouver, BC) hosts a good number of people looking for poly, threesomes, etc. Match.com is said to be better for people looking for a more conventional relationship, but it costs money even to check a message. I'm loath to spend $38 for one month, or more for a multi-month package, especially since the two usernames Match has shared with me so far are both located far, far away. For the folks here encouraging online dating, what are your thoughts, please? At this point, I'm feeling I might be best off wearing a shirt that proclaims, "I'm single! Ask me out!"
4. I am definitely into Mustachianism, and yet... Of the two guys I have been closest with (one friend, one BF) over the last few years, one regularly offered me food out of the garbage and the other won't spend so much as $2 on a tea out because he can drink it cheaper at home. (These are merely tip-of-the-iceberg examples. I could give others much worse.) I dream of a Mustachian partner, but as a result of these experiences I currently feel quite allergic to guys who emit an overly frugal vibe. I would be wary of such, not because I want an overly spendy partner, but because I don't ever want a boyfriend to offer me food from a garbage can again. (Unless I'm in an extreme circumstance such as war, in which case I'm confident I would view this as lovely, generous, thoughtful, and self-sacrificing, and thus feel very grateful.)
5. At the same time, I have no need or expectation for a fellow to spend a bunch of money on me, a person he doesn't know one iota. Why should he invest in me? I propose dates that cost neither of us any money, and allow us to get to know each other. If things work out, I will be delighted if he treats me to something lovely now and then, and I will enjoy doing likewise.