A woman who is searching for Mr Right revealed how she has made £3,000 ($3,675) in six months in cash gifts and lavish presents from sugar daddies.
Usually preferring to date younger guys, after the breakdown of her relationship with a younger man, Keeley Bailey, 24, who works for sports brand Adidas, became curious about how it would feel to date older men.
Rather than restricting herself to mainstream dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, Keeley, of Manchester, also joined a sugar baby site, where beautiful women are matched with affluent men, who spoil them with shopping sprees, extravagant holidays and cash.
Hitting back at critics, who liken sugaring to escorting, she said:
“People always assume you must be doing something to get the gifts and money, but I am absolutely not."
“I have only met one man off the site in person – who's only about 10 years older than me – the rest have just decided to give me gifts anyway."
“I never ask for money and wouldn't accept it if it felt like there was a catch, as that way, you could end up feeling pressured."
"To anyone being critical, I'd say to learn more about being a sugar baby before judging, as it's not what everybody assumes."
After hearing about SeekingArrangement, a matchmaking website that partners attractive singles to wealthy benefactors, through a friend, Keeley signed up earlier this year – receiving messages from potential suitors within the hour.
She explained:
“I started speaking to a few of them, and some fizzled out – but with others, there was a spark."
“I exchanged numbers with two, who were both around 10 years older than me. That isn't actually as old as I thought men on the site would be, but I don't discriminate, so I wouldn't have a set cut-off date with how old I'd go."
She added:
“For me, it is all about connection. There are some really attractive men on the site, but if there isn't that spark and conversation doesn't flow, then I'm not interested."
Since joining, Keeley has found two sugar daddies – one who she speaks to on the phone every day and the other who she has been out with.
She added:
“We went on a shopping spree and for coffee, then out for dinner before he dropped me home. It was all very casual."
As well as her two main sugar daddies, Keeley also receives anonymous gifts from other interested suitors from the site.
She continued:
“I mostly get cash gifts via PayPal. I'll get them first thing in the morning, with messages like, 'Have a good day, beautiful'."
“I'll also get them if I've been chatting to someone and mention I've had a bad day, to cheer me up, or that I am going out with the girls at the weekend, so I can get some drinks on them."
"If they don't want to send cash, I have an Amazon wishlist, so they can get me something from there instead."
"People always assume you must be doing something to get the gifts and money, but I am absolutely not."
~ Keeley Bailey
As well as money, Keeley has received lavish gifts like a Gucci scarf, designer sneakers and top-of-the-range hair straighteners.
Admitting that she is “constantly" breaking her phones, she has also been gifted new mobiles and a Macbook laptop.
All in, she estimates she has made around £3,000 ($3,675) in just six months and has spoken to sugar daddies aged from 25 to 55.
Always falling for younger men in the past, her experience has opened her eyes to the benefits of older suitors.
She explained:
“The appealing thing about older men is that they are more established and mature and know themselves better. I want a man who can look after me, but that I can look after, too. It's a two-way street."
“Like any dating site, SeekingArrangement will have men who just want to hook up, but I ignore them. I don't want to speak to somebody who isn't going to be respectful."
While Keeley, who loves being on the sugar daddies' site wants people to see that she is at most enjoying innocent dates with the men she is in touch with, she has warned people wanting to join that online safety is paramount.
She said:
“In the long run, I would like to find somebody to settle down with, and there's no reason I couldn't find them on SeekingArrangement."
“To anyone else out there wanting to give it a go, I'd say go for it but stay safe."
She concluded:
“You should be vigilant, and not give away personal details you aren't comfortable with as, sadly, some people out there do have a hidden agenda."
“I have developed a sense for when the vibe isn't right. I'm probably actually a little over-dismissive, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
For information, visit www.seeking.com
@thekalenallen/Threads
U.S. Mint
