If your time is valuable and you don’t want to spend it asking self-deprecating questions like why someone has left you or why no one has asked you out for months, try free online dating. If you do it right, the service can be prompt and rewarding.

The first time I tried free online dating was a day after a boyfriend had dumped me for someone he had met online. True, I was in college then, surround by tons of intelligent and funny young men, but how quickly could I land a date in school? My answer that day was “Not quickly enough.” The Internet, on the other hand, allowed me to announce my availability to thousands single (and looking!) men right away. If it had worked for my ex, then it should work for me too, right? After all, women were supposed to have better (or faster) success with online dating than men.

The results? Check out my article to find out.