What Is a Sugar Daddy? Sugar Dating Basics for Newbies
Sugar daddies aren’t as mysterious or unattainable as pop culture wants you to believe. Still, there are tricks to successfully entering the sugar bowl and snagging wealthy SDs. Today, we’ll share the basics every new sugar daddy and baby should know.
What Is a Sugar Daddy?
A sugar daddy is a wealthy man willing to financially support a young girl (or guy) in exchange for companionship, intimacy, or sexual favors. The term usually applies to mature, successful men in their 40s, 50s, or 60s who prefer the full control sugar dating allows them instead of the drama of traditional dating.
How Does a Sugar Daddy Work?
A sugar daddy dating relationship usually works one of two ways, depending on the type of payment you negotiate:
- Allowance is usually a monthly payment in exchange for a specific number of dates and other interactions. Most long-term sugar arrangements use allowances, and they are often exclusive, meaning a sugar baby dates only one sugar daddy.
- Pay-per-meet is typical for short-term arrangements and early days. Sugar daddies compensate SBs after every date. SDs can meet several SBs before settling into a routine with one of them.
It’s important to negotiate the terms of your sugar arrangement before the first meeting to avoid awkwardness and stay safe.
What Does a Sugar Daddy Do?
Each sugar daddy setup is unique, depending on the SD’s income and needs. Typically, sugar daddies:
- Meet with SBs for booty calls
- Take them out on dates
- Have SBs accompany them to events
- Bring SBs on vacations and business trips
- Offer unique experiences and gifts
- Swap explicit photos and videos
- Enjoy companionship and conversations
You can discuss the nature of your sugar arrangement, your sexual preferences, and your limitations before starting a compensated relationship.
Sugar Daddy Types
Sugar relationships aren’t all the same, and neither are sugar daddies. Let’s go over a couple of different types to help you make sense and avoid poor decisions.
What Is a Platonic Sugar Daddy?
As the name suggests, a platonic sugar daddy is a man willing to support a sugar baby without partaking in sexual activities. It’s up to the SD and SB to decide what their platonic relationship entails. For example, some partners can hold hands, hug, and kiss. Others won’t allow any romantic physical contact.
Note that cyber relationships aren’t always platonic. Explicit video calls would make your sugar arrangement sexual, even if you never meet in person.
What Is a Salt Daddy/Splenda Daddy?
Salt daddy is a man who doesn’t want to pay for sugar dating. Unlike guys interested in traditional relationships, salt daddies use sugar dating platforms and pretend to be SDs. They con sugar babies into dates and sex with no intention to pay for their experiences. Salt daddies are one step away from scammers who try to get sugar babies to spend money instead of making them.
Splenda Daddy vs. Sugar Daddy
Unlike a salt daddy who is the Grinch of the sugar bowl, a Splenda daddy is relatively harmless. He’s ready to pay for some sugar, but he’s not as wealthy as a regular sugar daddy. As a result, sugar babies don’t get as many gifts, enough money, or luxury experiences as they might expect.
There’s no income threshold for graduating from Splenda to sugar daddies. One SB’s Splenda daddy can be another SB’s sugar daddy—it all depends on the SB’s expectations and what they value in the arrangement.
What Do Sugar Daddies Look for?
When looking for a new sugar baby, each wealthy man has a perfect picture in mind, which usually includes the following:
- Beautiful looks. Unsurprisingly, sugar daddies focus on looks first. There’s no accounting for taste, so you can’t appeal to every SD, but you can highlight your best features in your online profiles and on IRL dates.
- Excellent conversation skills. Some may be happy with a nice appearance alone, but most sugar daddies expect you to hold a conversation and keep them entertained. A good sense of humor, along with a degree, will keep them on their toes.
- Good manners and a wardrobe to match. If you want to join an SD at a gala, you’ll need to look and behave accordingly. You can expect a sugar daddy to fund your wardrobe, but only after you impress him.
If you check all three boxes, your chances of finding a sugar daddy are through the roof.
What Do Sugar Daddies Expect?
You’ll have to talk to the sugar daddy to learn about his unique needs. Still, most SDs expect at least one of the following from a sugar relationship:
- Satisfying casual sex. Although platonic sugar arrangements are possible, it’s only around 5%, and most SDs will still want intimacy for their money. Expect to explore mutual sexual fantasies and fetishes.
- Drama-free companionship. Wealthy men do not want to waste time and energy on jealous, ranting girlfriends. They appreciate smart conversations and beautiful arm candy without the negatives.
- Sharing their experiences. Many mature men hit a point when they want to pass down their knowledge and expertise. They can become mentors for sugar babies, helping them succeed.
Understanding SD’s specific needs is a valuable skill that will have sugar daddies returning to your embrace, but it takes practice and patience.
Is Having a Sugar Daddy Illegal?
Having a sugar daddy is legal. Being a sugar daddy is also legal.
Unlike sex work, sugar arrangements involve a non-sexual compensated component. If there’s no direct exchange of sexual favors for cash, you should be safe from any legal repercussions. However, you can also focus on the experience of sugar dating to eliminate the monetary component and mitigate the risks.
Final Thoughts
Finding sugar daddies isn’t an impossible feat. You’ll need to work on a sugar baby persona, be proactive in your search, and learn to recognize the red flags. Even if you hit a few roadblocks on the way, patience and persistence will land you a generous sugar daddy sooner or later.
