Everyone wants to find that special someone, but the chances of bumping into them while doing the weekly shop are slim. The days of eyes meeting across a crowded room and romance ensuing are perhaps also a thing of the past. These days, finding your perfect partner is big business and anyone entering into the fray should be prepared to pay.

Dating services and websites are gaining popularity because no one seems to have enough time to do anything, let alone find the partner of their dreams. While most will draw you in with offers of a free trial, once those are over the monthly fees for joining just one or two sites can come to hundreds of pounds a year.

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Speed dating and specialist singles events are also a lucrative business, sometimes charging a great deal of money for the use of their organizational services. Just paying the entrance fee or the membership charge is only the beginning. Although some can be relatively cheap at around £20 for an event in a local pub, others involve a costly dinner or cocktail party

Just turning up to an event or registering on a dating website is not enough in these competitive times. Being a member will not automatically have Mr or Mrs Right rushing to pay for your details. First impressions most definitely count and the cost of making a good one is not insignificant.

Having professional photographs taken is becoming increasingly common and a one-off session with a professional photographer can cost up to £200. Using a professional stylist prior to a photo shoot or date is also a growing trend and at anything up to around £500 for a one-on-one session this is not cheap either.

Once you have secured that all-important date with a potential life partner, you will find that the costs of a new outfit, a haircut, splashing out on a gift for your date and perhaps investing in new perfume or aftershave all mount up.

There are ways to offset the costs of finding true love by making the right choices about how to pay and also exploring cashback sites. It is well worth taking the time to compare credit card deals that offer low rates or zero-rate balance transfers to spread the cost and make your money go as far as possible. Store cards that give reward points in exchange for goods or services can also make a real difference.

Of course, once you have found Mr or Mrs Right, it makes sense to hang on to them. After all, having to go through that trouble and expense all over again would be enough to put anyone off romance for life.

Sam is a professional writer specializing in personal finance who regularly writes about how important it is to compare credit card deals.