Is it an open relationship? Eg: do you still hobby and does she know about it? Again, I’m kind of interested in where people’s experience fits in on the sliding commitment scale. TIA.
Even though you asked LickingGravity, I thought I'd answer to give you my two cents:
I have had roughly a dozen official arrangements over the last 15 years that lasted a long enough time for me to comment. I have also had about dozen false starts where arrangements start but fizzle out in days or weeks. All the false starts came from women I met on arrangement websites. The successful ones were women I met elsewhere, some even in this industry (retired SP, etc).
All but four followed the same trend: Amazing, no commitment, no strings attached, no drama for a few months. Eventually, something pops up on either side that makes you realized both parties need to grow a set and discuss things they are comfortable with and not. The best part is that because money exchanges hands, I find it way easier to discuss rules on engagement and I suspect its easier for her as well. This extends the arrangement and allows people to bond. Twice I backed away from the relationship because I felt I was getting attached and I was getting jealous (like, I'm 18 again and that deep angry feeling in your gut jealousy). The other times, I noticed they were getting bent out of shape but doing the best to hide it but it always came out in funny ways. All these ended amicably.
Two others ended just like any bad breakup would end in civilian life. Lots of cursing, nasty emails and texts and the requisite "F U, I don't need you, look at me now" drunk communications that resulted me in blocking them.
One ended because she found a really great dude and she couldn't hide her excitement about this age appropriate guy. I have to admit, the dude is an awesome guy. Open minded, smart, good career, and is kind to her. Few years later, they're a steady item and I'm friends with them although her and I are taking our secret to the death. I suspect he knows, but no one talks about it and I do my absolutely best to never ever be too familiar with her or talk about past experiences.
One is still going (albeit, no arrangement for the last two years) and is my live in SO with white picket fence and minivan plans on the horizon. She pulled the trigger and said "This has to stop, we either date for real or I'm going to have to disappear and try and forget I met you".
My advice to the community is this:
- If you're looking at an arrangement because you think its a better deal than seeing pros, seriously, just stick to seeing pros.
- If you like your life the way it is with your wife/gf/etc, then stay away from an arrangement because feelings are going to develop.
- Pick a woman that matches your lifestyle in terms of drinking habits, drugs, schedule. I could not keep up with the 22 year old bartender who went to after hours bars every chance she could.
- It's really fun, and I have to tell you, you're going to want to spoil her with new experiences and gifts. There's allowance budget, and entertainment budget. I'm normally prudent and relatively cheap actually on civilian dates, but something about this type of arrangement made me want to splurge and show her new experiences. I can't understand why, it just happened.
- Be honest with her about your financial budget. All my arrangements, with the exception of two of them, have been incredibly frugal and paid attention to what 'we' spent together. She knows you're not Jeff Bezos rich, and someone decent will take care of you too. Pick a woman who is financially sound so if you break up with her, you know she'll be okay. I'd really drill into this because nothing sucks more than wanting out of something but staying in it for months at a time because you don't want to be a dick and screw up her mortgage/rent payments/tuition schedule, etc. Almost all my relationships, after a while, they conversation of "what should I do with my money" has come up and its your chance to help set her up for the future.
- You get what you put into it. If you treat her like an employee, she'll treat you like a manager. If you're a shitty manager, well, you're going to have a bad time.
- Its a real relationship with boundaries and rules around money and time. Expect to be there for each other because life happens: people die, people lose their job, people have health problems and the allowance doesn't excuse either of you from some normal human duties to each other.