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You’re looking for the type of friend who can share secrets, have some fun, and improve the quality of your life. You’re willing to do the same for someone else. Where do you find that person, and how do you get started?

Luckily, that’s the easiest part of all!

Many people now want the ease of a non-romantic, but intimate relationship. Matching them up is made easy by using a reliable online service, where people can get together and chat, get to know one another and move on from there. You don’t have to spend years building a friendship or looking for one when you can find what you need a few clicks away.

That’s the first part, but how do you know what you want in a FWB relationship?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you get started.

Do I want something that is short term, or do I want something with potential down the road? You may not need to answer this one to carry on, but if you go in with an idea of what you are looking for in this relationship, you may find it easier to find someone who matches up well with you.

What, exactly, am I looking for in an FWB relationship? Do I just want scorching sex after dinner? Do I want something a little more refined, like someone who shares my interests and goes on other activities with me? Knowing this will let you know whom to look for.

Am I flexible enough to compromise on my desires to make this work? We can’t win ‘em all. In an FWB relationship, we have to be ready to make some compromises to make it work. If we aren’t, this might be an avenue for us.

Ask yourself those questions and make sure you’re honest with your answers. If you are, you will likely find the person you want faster and the relationship will be more fulfilling. Good luck!

At some point, many people want to settle down and do the family thing. The trouble is, the “some point” differs vastly between people. Some people find a sweetheart in high school and that’s that. Some people pursue careers and other dreams before they are ready to settle down. Some want to seriously test the water before they commit to one person. Another group never really does want to settle down to a routine.

There is no “right” answer as to when someone should settle down, except to say that if you aren’t ready, it’s probably a bad idea to get involved in a long term relationship.

That’s where friends with benefits relationships are really the best of both worlds. On the one hand, you get the intimacy you need with a person you can trust. On the other hand, when it’s time to move on, there aren’t any hurt feelings, crushed egos, or legal messes to sort out.

Not ready for there yet?

Why is a friends with benefits relationship superior to marriage if you aren’t ready to make the commitment to a long-term monogamous relationship? One of the first things that comes to mind is that in the friends with benefits relationship, you can practice monogamy without the binding structures that offer no other options. Some people need that sort of transition from anything goes to “it’s only you from here on.”

The friends with benefits relationship also simplifies intimacy. As time goes by, you get to know another person’s likes and dislikes, his or her’s rhythms and attitudes. This makes it an easy relationship to maintain, or sever if needed.

Another practical function of the friends with benefits relationship is that it gives both people options should they decide it IS time to settle down. Do I want to be with him or her, or do I want someone else? This question is easier to answer with the time invested in the friendship.

Maybe the biggest benefit of all is that a friends with benefits relationship lets you enjoy the company of someone you like, and who also shares your view of intimacy. Why rush in when you have a friend who will walk along at your pace? When you think about it in those terms, a friends with benefits relationship is the perfect vehicle to get “there” when you’re ready, and not too early, or late.

You know the true face of a friend

This one is going to sound strange, but just hang with us for a few. One of the best reasons to have scorching sex with a friend is that you don’t have to worry about stability. Yep, we know the old saying about sex ruining perfectly good friendships, but times have changed. Anymore, men and women are equals in sex, and friends are no longer taboo in sex.

It seems counter-intuitive, but a good friend can easily stabilize your sex life, as well as you can stabilize hers or his. Here are a few good reasons why we can make that claim.

First, you know a friend’s stability. Many of us remember the Glenn Close character in Fatal Attraction. A guy has a one night fling, and the next thing we know, there’s a stalker and dead pets in the dinner pot. That may be an extreme example, but who needs the headaches of a potentially neurotic stalker when you can build a friendship and parlay that into a great sex life?

You also know a friend’s personality. That’s information that sends out signals on what is, or isn’t about to happen, and saves the time and effort of figuring out whether a dinner and drink will seal the deal, or whether or not you should move along because there will definitely be nothing to see here. Plus, a friend will just tell you if he or she is in the mood.

Finally, good friends like to see each other happy. Can you say that about your last girlfriend or boyfriend? We can’t in many occasions. A friend can share a good time for the hell of it, without ulterior motives.

When we look at it that way, friends make great sex partners. What are you waiting for? You could be working on the beginning of a beautiful friendship right now!