I recently joined a dating site. I usually join, last an hour or a week and delete my proifile, but I've decided to give it an actual chance this time and that means putting some thought and time into it.

I've been mulling over the choices they give you on the dating profile.  For instance, I've decided even though I have a child of my own, mine is grown and I can't have more children so I don't want to be with someone who either wants children still or has young children as I am enjoying my independence.  Also, I've realized, even though my ex husband smoked, it is now a deal breaker for me.  Something I am struggling a bit with is the age thing...for instance I'm 41 but I don't look 41.  I was thinking 5 years down and 5 years up was acceptable but someo of my friends saidf I am limiting myself too much with that?

If you are/were on the market what kind of things would be absolute 'deal breakers' for you?  What would you put as an age range?  What kind of things (other than physical) would atrract you to check out someone's profile?

9 years ago, as a young single man, I briefly dated 2 women with kids. Very briefly, in the space of just a few months. I was 25, and no way mature enough to be a surrogate father figure. I actually explained it to one of them and how I wasn't ready rather than prolong the relationship, and in hindsight felt it was an incredible mature move on my part.

At the same time, I dated another girl. She was attractive, witty, intelligent. The deal breaker - nothing, and everything. She didn't want to do anything. Didn't want to do a thing, experience life, see the world. Go out. Nothing. She had no ambition but to live inside her little bubble. A boring individual. Now, I don't expect someone to have ambitions of being CEO or climbing mountains, but give a shit about something. That's the deal breaker.

I'm currently not on a dating site but I've gone a few rounds with them over the years and it's just a thing i'm on and off with. Kids is a deal breaker for me. I'm kind of living the parental life all over again since my kid had a baby and is living with me, I don't need anything else potentially added to that mix. Also putting your kids in the dating profile is weird as fuck.

Ultra religious and i'm out. I just don't find people who are ultra religious to be that fun to be around. I always feel like I have to mind everything i'm saying in hopes to not offend them. It's exhausting if I have to edit everything I say. I have to that at work every day, I don't want to come home and do it to.

As far as age range goes...well I'm creeping on up to 40 but I'm told quite often I look like i'm 25...what can I say, I learned to moisturize and exfoliate my face at an early age to keep my glow and it's paid off. Anyways, I cast a wide net for age range because you are just limiting yourself to much if your just going 5 years older or 5 years younger. I was on a dating site about a year ago give or take and I remember setting my age brackets to be 21-45. I know 21 is dipping a bit low for somebody my age but whateves, younger ladies just seem to have more life and generally are carrying less baggage...and less kids. Just funner to be around in my experience.

Must live geographically close. If it's some long distance bull shit, fuck that. Not even worth the trouble. More than an hour drive and i'm out on that. At least that way you can meet somewhere in the middle and maybe it's only half an hour but I don't want to be wasting a bunch of my time off driving an hour there and an hour back.

I don't want to roll with anybody who can't occasionally split the bill. I've got no problem paying for dinners and what not but a concert, come on you gotta kick in some on that. It's different if I were a high powered CEO or some shit but I'm not, i'm a just a regular dude making well under 100k a year, I'm not rolling in the green. Don't give me your feminist ideals bull shit and then expect me to pay for literally everything. Run into that a lot in California. Lots of fair weather feminists but when the bill rolls around it's totally cool to be in the 1950's again.

Huge deal breaker is just not giving a fuck what you look like. Some profile pics of people are hilariously bad that you almost wonder if it's a joke because there is no way they can possibly think that the pic they chose is a good profile pic. Now obviously at home when it's just lounge out time then yeah some pajamas all day are fine but if we go out, I need a lady who knows how to dress. I love a lady who wears a dress and knows which jeans make her ass look amazing. I'm not saying it needs to be expensive clothes or designer apparel but just make an effort to look good. I hold myself to that same standard so I want someone who is of equal thought.

If a girl can't hold a conversation and can't stop texting on her phone on date #1, it's already over. I could maybe forgive a conversation flow issue just do the awkwardness but texting non stop on a date is just rude as hell and has happened to me a couple of times. The last time it happened to me, we went bowling and she was just texting away the entire night and acting very stand offish. It should be noted she asked me out, not the other way around. About thirty minutes into the date I just walked out and went to the theater across the street and watched Batman vs. Superman.