Do you know where to go to meet someone? At five o'clock in the afternoon, do you know where your future date is? If you don't know the answer to those questions, perhaps you are stuck in the rut of going to work and coming home with nothing much of a social life to look forward to. If you would like to meet more people and have more dates--try five.

Five good places to meet someone:

#One: The Internet

Hundreds of thousands of people have met great dates on the internet. Online dating sites and chat rooms are avenues to meet people who share your interests when you are too shy to go out and talk to people face to face. There are some cautions, however. Be careful not to reveal too much about yourself too quickly. Have an anonymous dating email address and use that until you feel you can trust the person you are connecting with. Use the same precautions you would use when meeting any stranger anywhere. It is VERY possible to meet someone wonderful online, but it is also possible to meet unsavory characters who tell lies.

#Two: Bookstores

One of the five best places to meet someone is a bookstore. Bookstores can be great places to meet people who share a similar intellectual curiosity. Shop in your regular sections, but pay attention to others who are also shopping there and start up a conversation about the books and authors you like to read. When you are talking to someone, if they ask you a question and you are interested in them, give more than a one word answer.

For example, if the person you meet asks if you come to that bookstore often, don't just answer with, "Yes." Give them an answer that is at least a full sentence, if not a paragraph. "Yes, I try to come here often after I come home from the office, walk my dog, and finish my homework for my astronomy class." With this type of answer, you have just given the person enough information to ask you more questions and continue the conversation. It shows you are interested enough to get to know them a little more.

#Three: Children's sporting events

If you have children, sporting events are probably a natural part of your life. These events are generally groups of people who share a common interest and can be a way to meet other single parents. You also won't have to worry about the other person being scared away by the fact that you have a child.

#Four: The hardware store

This is a good place to go if you are a woman. You will find lots of men there, and most of them will be happy to help you find the materials you are looking for. They also usually enjoy explaining tools and home repair ideas to you. Look to see if the people you ask questions of are single. If you can't tell right away, ask them early on if their wife ever comes with them to the hardware store.

#Five: The local grocery store

One of the best places to meet someone is your small neighborhood grocery store. Go there after work. The local store that is small in scale and caters to the neighborhood customers are places where singles like to shop. The big chains have too many people and are impersonal. Mom and Pop stores are friendlier and easier to start a conversation in.

Here are five bonus ideas:

1. If you are shy, practice smiling, making eye-contact, and saying hello to at least five new people a day.

2. Do five activities a month that will forward the possibility of your meeting someone to date. Go out to new places, and make a plan on your calendar that you follow.

3. Remember to do the following five things when you go out:

*scout the room to see if there is someone to meet; *move near them; *ask a question;

*start a conversation, and if they seem interested; *exchange contact information.

4. Have "dating" cards made up that have your anonymous email address that is safe to give out.

5. Once you have done all of the above, give yourself the goal that you are going to find and talk to five men/women a week. This goal will get you out of the house, make you think of the best places to go, and give you a mission to accomplish.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, you have places to go and people to meet. Start working on some of the above. Try five.