Save the Date: Dating Audit

By MATT MAIORANO and STEPHANIE NELMS

Updated 4:08 PM EST, Wed, Jan 7, 2009

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Don't wait until April 15th to file those taxes on your love life. Save yourself some time by adding up the numbers now.

Be sure not to overlook those deductions. Who knows, you might even be eligible for a few exemptions, especially when it comes to subtracting the excess baggage of past relationships. It's time to get over those woes that have been holding you back from moving on. Just make sure you don't cut any corners.

Get your return on love early. Come those steamy summer months, you'll be profiting from your assets and on your way to saving the date!

Matt:

On a positive note, dating can be recession proof. So before you go and file for relationship bankruptcy, consider a personal BAILOUT.

In the New Year, make it a priority to BUDGET more time to finding that special someone.

Think EXPANSION! Increase the size of your demographic by joining networking Web sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Linkedin.

If you are looking for more than a hook up, remember LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Make sure the places you've been going to are more in your age range or on your maturity level. I think it's time for you to graduate from the college scene and enter the working world. Go where there are more working professionals who are established in their careers and are looking for that next step in their lives.

It PAYS TO ADVERTISE. Get the word out to your friends and family that you are on the market. Trust me it's not an act of desperation. They care about you and would want nothing more than to see you happy. So put them to work and hopefully this new stimulus will get you out of your Great Depression.

Steph:

Just because your 401(k) love plan might be a little shaky doesn't mean you have to despair. It's great to determine your CAPITAL GAIN on your love life. However, let's not forget the importance of calculating your own FAIR MARKET VALUE in relationships. It's critical that you self-assess before you can declare victory.

Your DROUGHT SALE on romance just might be a direct result of withholding feelings from previous partners. Did you have too much emotional baggage in bank fees from backdating those ex's? Maybe that's why your pockets are looking a little thin these days. Perhaps you created an image that you could afford to cash in on love without giving it your all.

Hopefully you realize that the holding period on that special someone was necessary. Every investment needs personalized attention! Whatever the case do the math.

The good news is that by reviewing your own TOTAL LOVE EARNINGS for the year, you discover a valuable RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) in your relationship.

Now you're ready to take the steps to open that new bank account & start accepting love applications.

Matt & Steph:

Be sure to check back with us next Monday, because we'll give you some suggestions on how to create the "NEW DEAL" for meeting that special someone.