A young woman who proudly admits to dating sugar daddies in exchange for lavish gifts and holidays worth thousands of dollars says she would happily entertain suitors triple her age – but sees them not as “walking ATMs" but as “life guides."
Known as a sugar baby – someone who dates older men for gifts and/or money – tired of conventional dating, two years ago, care worker Anastasia Robertson 23, of Winton, England, started stepping out with sugar daddies she met through the website Seeking Arrangement.
Asking all dates to sign an agreement saying their relationship is purely platonic, her suitors have, so far, ranged in age from their 30s to their 50s, although she says she would see men in their 70s.
Thanks to their generosity, she has ticked off everything from paragliding to staying in exquisite hotels from her bucket list but, completely open about being a sugar baby, she says that despite earning a modest £16,000 (~$20,700) a year from her day job, she gets far more from her dates than just treats and money.
Always savvy financially, the singleton, who bought a four-bedroom house in 2016, said: “I find older men have more insight on life, I learn a lot from them, and they give me good advice. Some of the men I date I see more like teachers who can guide me through situations in life.
“All the men I meet are high-powered or have had really good careers, so I would definitely ask them to help career-wise later down the line too."
She added: “And I've had some amazing experiences and been able to tick things off my bucket list, thanks to them. I've been flown out to Spain on an all-inclusive holiday and I went on a yacht trip and paragliding.
“A sugar daddy once paid for me to spend the night at Hotel Gotham – which is a really posh hotel in Manchester that I've always wanted to stay at, and another paid for me to get a dragon tattoo on my back.
“I've had around £3,000 (~$3,900) worth of presents as well. I've got a beautiful necklace, a leather rucksack, leather shoes and a bracelet too."
A self-professed “thrill seeker," Anastasia also sees her dates with sugar daddies as adventures.
She said: “Sugar daddies aren't just walking, talking ATM machines – they're still people.
“For me, being a sugar baby is a hobby and going on dates breaks up my mundane weekly routine."
“It's just a fancy more exotic way of dating – and it's nice to go on dates with men that will take you to fancy restaurants in exchange for your time," she continued.
“The oldest man I've dated was in his 50s, but I'm more than happy to go on dates with men in their 70s, too.
“Even if they are old enough to be my granddad, it's purely platonic and it's a good experience with stimulating conversation. I find younger guys can be emotionally unavailable and financially unstable."
She added: “And even if I don't have a connection with a sugar daddy, at least I've had a new experience and met someone new."
She also feels the older men she dates have a lot to teach her.
“At the end of the day it's mutually beneficial," she said.
Anastasia continued: “The sugar daddy is usually earning more money than he knows what to do with and would rather play the field than demand commitment – and I feel the same."
With arrangements with eight men from professions including a doctor, an engineer and a CEO so far, Anastasia even met a previous boyfriend on Seeking Arrangement.
“My ex-boyfriend was in his 30s, so he was quite young to be a sugar daddy," she said. “We started chatting online and we just hit it off immediately."
“He told me he was working as a musician in Spain and offered to pay to fly me out there," she said.
Throwing caution to the wind, she agreed, and a romantic relationship soon blossomed.
“I know it sounds quite dangerous to fly to a foreign country to meet a stranger, but sometimes you just have to take the plunge," she said.
“I went out to Spain as a sugar baby and we had a pre-agreed arrangement in place," Anastasia explained.
“But I really started to fancy him, and he did me, so we decided to make our relationship official.
“I don't think there is anything wrong with a sugar baby sleeping with her sugar daddy, but personally, I don't want to demoralize myself like that and I'm not happy to do it."
“Because we made it official, we did sleep together, and I put a stop to all my other sugar daddy arrangements," she added.
Despite their financial arrangement ending when their romance began, Anastasia's sugar daddy-turned-boyfriend still treated her to the finer things in life.
“He bought me a beautiful necklace and paid for me to have a dragon tattooed on my back and we went out to restaurants every day," she said.
Anastasia recalled: “He just really enjoyed spoiling me."
Sadly, though, three months after they became intimate, their love fizzled out and they parted earlier this year.
“Looking back we weren't compatible, and we didn't know each other well enough," she said.
“When the holiday was over and we were back in the UK, he didn't want to tell anyone how we really met – and that was a bit of an issue for me, as I believe in honesty," she explained.
“I suppose it was more of a holiday romance – we both just got caught up in the moment."
Despite her love not lasting, Anastasia is still open to meeting someone through Seeking Arrangement if the right man comes along.
“Right now I still go on dates with men I've met on Tinder or through friends, too," she said.
“I always tell them I'm a sugar baby and none of them have liked me any less because of it.
“And if I met a sugar daddy who I have a genuine connection with I'd give it a go."
But not all sugar daddies are sweetness and light according to Anastasia, who has been warned to steer clear of “salt daddies."
She said: “A 'salt daddy' is obviously the opposite to a sugar daddy. Salt daddies promise you the world and what they're saying always sounds too good to be true.
“Sometimes they are fake people and sometimes they are just men that love to play the field and make promises to loads of girls at the same time."
She said: “They love getting girls' hopes up and then letting them down – the trouble is they can get away with it because on these websites there's just too much choice."
But Anastasia keeps her wits about her and is open with friends and families about her side-line as a sugar baby.
She said: “I'm really close to my mum and dad, so I told them."
“It's nothing to be ashamed of and my mum and dad fully support me, as long as I'm happy and keep to my morals," she concluded. “My parents trust me to make the right decision, and I don't think they're any more worried about me going out as a sugar baby than they are going out on dates with a conventional guy.
“I think it's important to live in the moment and mix life up a little bit. I like excitement in my life, and I don't like being stuck in a routine.
“I enjoy being a sugar baby for the experience. I have fun dates and get to meet new people. I don't think there's anything wrong with that."
