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While those of you who gave away all your possessions in preparation for the end of the world might be disappointed (on so many levels really), I’m happy to announce that we’ve made it to 2013. I know, I know…this news is over a week old but still, I’m glad we made  it. I don’t know about you, but 2012 was tough year for me. I went from a 2011 that included me having a TV show, a new book, and a long term girlfriend, to a 2012 with no TV show, no new books, and no girlfriend. Being single for the first time in five years has certainly been an interesting experience; I’ve learned a lot, had some amazing times, been disappointed, and done some disappointing (sorry for the whiskey dick!). Still, dating has been fun.

So I’m excited for a 2013, a new year for all of us. For those of you looking forward to dating in 2013, there’s a cool new online dating service called HowAboutWe. What’s cool about HowAboutWe is that they are taking online dating offline. People begin a date idea with “How about we…” then describe what they’d like to do on that date (i.e. “How about we… have dinner at this cool rooftop restaurant I know.”). Since the date itself is a starting point,a simple and intuitive way to meet new people  is being provided — offline. It’s the first experience-driven dating site in the world.

Sounds cool right? You can join right here. I’ve even recently joined myself. I haven’t gone on any dates from it yet, but it’s only a matter of time until someone takes me up on “How about we..sneak into the zoo and steal a squirrel-monkey”. To give you some ideas of possible dates YOU can post on HowAboutWe here’s a list of cool, cheap dates that I basically just copied from the Dating Section of my most recent book Broke-Ass Stuart’s Guide to Living Cheaply:

Ice Cream or a Milkshake: Cheap, delicious and downright cute….again, as long as nobody is lactose intolerant. I’ll just leave it at that.

A Picnic: Hit up the store and get some sandwich fixins or some nibbles so that you have something to soak up that cheap wine you’re bringing. Bring some weed too if that’s your thing, but don’t be surprised if the conversation goes quite. Pot just kinda does that.

Go for a Walk or Hike: No matter where you live, there’s gotta be somewhere that’s at least kinda scenic. Even if you live in Fresno.

Take a Tour of A Brewery or Winery: You might end up paying an entrance fee, but at least the establishment is supplying the booze and giving you a little education behind it.

Go on a Scavenger Hunt: I don’t personally have the motivation to organize something like this, but I’ve heard others do and actually have a lot of fun doing it. Good for you if you’re one of them.

Bowling: Nothing says “sexy time” better than hanging out with fat rednecks rolling heavy balls down an alley.

Art Openings: Free wine and cheese, and being able to feel classier than you really are.

Watch a Meteor Shower: These things happen multiple times a year. Find out when one is happening and drive out to some place where you can see the stars. You’ll get to discover how many falling stars you have to wish upon in order for you to get laid.

Rent a Movie from the Library: They’re free, plus you’ll finally have an excuse to see an old classic like Casablanca.

Role Play: Decide on ridiculous characters and then go do something normal while acting like them, like a hipster or Jersey Shore cast member. This is your George Costanza moment: the weirder you act the more attractive you might seem.

Take a Tour of Your Favorite Neighborhood: Walking is free! Looking at things is free! Making up facts and stories to impress your date is free!

Teach Each Other a Hobby or Dish: You’ve both got to be good at something, right?

Play Board Games: See how sore of a loser the other person is early so you have time to bail.

Listening Party: Share your favorite albums with each other and talk about why you like them. Judge each other silently.

Disposable Camera Day: Remember when you took pictures and had to actually wait to see what they looked like? It was actually pretty fun and you can get disposable cameras from the $1 store now. Walk around taking pictures then get them developed to see which of you was the asshole who had their finger on the lens the entire time.

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Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Broke-Ass Stuart - Editor In Cheap

Stuart Schuffman, aka Broke-Ass Stuart, is a travel writer, poet, TV host, activist, and general shit-stirrer. His website BrokeAssStuart.com is one of the most influential arts & culture sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and his freelance writing has been featured in Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, The Bold Italic, Geek.com and too many other outlets to remember. His weekly column, Broke-Ass City, appears every other Thursday in the San Francisco Examiner. Stuart’s writing has been translated into four languages. In 2011 Stuart created and hosted the travel show Young, Broke, and Beautiful on IFC and in 2015 he ran for Mayor of San Francisco and got nearly 20k votes.

He's been called "an Underground legend": SF Chronicle, "an SF cult hero":SF Bay Guardian, and "the chief of cheap": Time Out New York.