'I picked him up, he couldn't afford the Uber': Why this single Aussie woman, 30, ONLY dates men who are 10 years younger than her

Single woman reveals what it's really like dating men 10 years younger than her
The 30-year-old Australian signed up to dating apps after her relationship ended
When she ran out of matches in her area, she opened up her age preferences
But rather than slide the scale up, she found herself meeting guys in early 20s

Published: 05:32 BST, 8 July 2021 | Updated: 05:33 BST, 8 July 2021

e-mail

A single woman has offered a glimpse into the highs and lows of dating men 10 years younger than her.

The 30-year-old Australian who signed up to dating apps after her relationship ended said when she ran out of potential matches to swipe in her area, she decided to open up her age preferences.

But rather than slide the scale up in the hope of finding men close to her age group, she found herself going on spontaneous dates with 'tall, dark and handsome' guys in their early 20s.

A single woman has offered an honest glimpse into the highs and lows of dating men 10 years younger than her (stock image)

On one of her dates, she met a 'gorgeous' 21-year-old tradie who invited her back to his place after a couple of hangouts.

'This is where I enter the boys' dormitory room of all our nightmares combined,' she told Mamamia.

She said the man lived with his brother where they use milk crates as furniture in the living room - but it was nothing compared to the filthy bathroom.

'My tour closed with the bedroom, where I saw three cockroaches... His mattress was soft and sagged in the middle,' she said.

'I didn't sleep a wink with his unrelenting snoring and by the time the sun rose, I had to have a stern word to myself about what choices I had made that lead me to this position.'

During a date with a 'cute' 21-year-old university student, she ended up picking him up at a bus stop because he didn't have enough money to catch a 15 minute Uber ride.

After they had sex at her home, she noticed he was vaping all night.

'Today's vape flavour was mung bean. This was puffed all night, the last thing he did before bed and the first thing he reached for (over me) in the morning,' she said.

During the night, he saw a photo of her dad holding her as a baby in her bedroom. Clearly confused, he 'asked while looking back and forth, "Do you have a baby?"'

Her other dates have included a 22-year-old man with braces and a 21-year-old gym manager who told her he wanted to change his age to 25 at work just so people can take him more seriously.

After going on a few dates with younger men, she realised it was a 'lot of work' while trying to maintain her adult responsibilities like having to cancel her 6am gym class or meeting at 8pm.

And while it can have its downsides, she said she's having a 'great time' creating 'beautiful experiences' with 'beautiful men'.

Top tips for mastering online dating

Australian dating coach Louanne Ward revealed her top tips for mastering online dating.

USE ALL THE PHOTO SPACES

According to Louanne, it's important to use every photo slot on your profile.

'Tinder was designed for people to make a visual based decision about who you want to swipe and connect with,' she said.

'So the more photos you use, the more likely you are to get results, irrespective of what it is you're looking for.'

DO NOT USE MULTIPLE GROUP SHOTS

This is one of the most frustrating yet common habits of online daters and something Louanne hopes to see less of moving forward.

'This makes it difficult to be identified,' Louanne said.

'This is just annoying and won't do you any favours.'

DISCLOSE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

Transparency is key in the online dating world.

'There is no shame in whatever it is you are looking for, but to avoid frustration, be transparent,' Louanne said.

'This will serve you by helping you connect with people who are looking for a similar sort of experience and outcome.'

DON'T STAY ON FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME

Staying online for months at a time isn't going to do you any favours.

'If the same people are seeing you over and over again, even though they're on there themselves for that same amount of time (or even if they're not), they will know someone who potentially knows you,' Louanne said.

'Therefore, it's better to keep fresh, be on for short periods of time and turn off discovery while you are dating.

'After taking a break, if you are reinstating your account, change your photos and spiel, use all of your word count and mix things up a little bit.'

BE CLEAR AND DON'T MISREPRESENT YOURSELF

This is perhaps the most simple tip of the lot.

'Don't use old photos and make sure your photos show both your face and body too,' Louanne said.

'Allow people the freedom of choice to swipe the real you.'