Love Hurts...Your Wallet
If you haven't found love yet, fear not-there are plenty of options for finding that special valentine. But it will cost you. JupiterResearch predicted that Americans would spend $516 million on online dating services in 2005. That's quite a bit, considering that only 16 percent of single Americans are looking for romance, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Here's a sampling of services that can help you ignite-and extinguish-the flame.
by Alice C. Chen
 |  |  |
| 9.74 million | 82,889 | 35,037 |
| Single, separated, divorced, or widowed adults in Illinois in 2005* | Weddings in Illinois in 2003** | Divorces and annulments in Illinois in 2003** |
Sources: *U.S. Census Bureau **Illinois Department of Public Health (most recent year available)
Meet Your Matchmaker
So you're looking for a date. Do you...
| $129 ... first-year membership | $85 ... ten weeks of coed floor hockey $115 ... ten weeks of coed basketball | $20 ... an evening of board games, trivia |
>> One year with jdate.com* 
>> One year with eHarmony.com
>> One year with match.com*
>> One year with IndianDating.com
*Package available in six-month increments
 | ||
| $69 ... first night $59 ... follow-up event $40 ... follow-up event if you reach elite status (where 70% or more of participants request a follow-up date with you) | ||
| $1,500 | $2,400 | $150,000 |
| ... one-year membership and at least 12 dates | ... one year and a minimum of eight introductions with local matchmaker Elsa Malinsky | ... one year with a personal matchmaker to accompany you out on the town and screen potential matches |
When Love Dies
$1,000 … ten hours of surveillance from All State Investigations to catch a cheating partner (www.94truth.com) $125 … an hour of service with Lynn Torre, certified financial planner and divorce practitioner (630-858-8290) $350 … one hour with collaborative divorce lawyer and mediator Brigitte Bell (312-360-1124)
This article appears in the February 2007 issue of Chicago Magazine.
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