What Is a Sugar Daddy? Here's Everything to Know About Their Unique 'Arrangements.'

What is a sugar daddy?

According to Urban Dictionary, the go-to website for all things slang, a sugar daddy is “a boyfriend who comes with financial benefits. Sugar benefactors can help to cover tuition, bills, and frequently enjoy bestowing gifts upon their partners.” (Other folks seek women to help cover their finances, known as a sugar mama.) The person in a consensual relationship with a sugar daddy or sugar mama is commonly referred to as a sugar baby. (Like any relationship, a sugar baby and sugar daddy's arrangement has to be consensual.)

You may be wondering what sugar daddies gain from these types of arrangements. Every case is different, but for the sugar daddy, it tends to be about companionship and/or sex. While sex isn't a compulsory component of a sugar daddy/sugar baby arrangement, more often than not, it plays a role. Sometimes there's also a mentor/mentee dynamic, wherein a daddy feels gratification for helping to guide their sugar baby through life. (There are other reasons, too, which the sugar daddies interviews below will explain in more detail.)

What are the types of sugar daddies?

Yes, there are categories of sugar daddies! The Urban Dictionary definition categorizes sugar daddies in three distinct groups based on how much money the daddy has and is willing to spend. On the lowest end, there’s the Splenda Daddy. “He promises to shower a partner with cash and gifts, but often is limited by his income,” the definition says. Next is classic Sugar Daddy, “who has a budgeted amount of sugar funds that he allocates to his sugar partner on a weekly or monthly basis.” Then, there's the cream of the crop, the crème de la crème: the Honey Daddy. “His income has no bounds, and he can easily support multiple sugar partners.”

But getting a sugar daddy isn’t an easy feat. I attempted a few years back when freelance writing wasn’t bringing in the big bucks. (Spoiler: It’s still not.) I signed up for SeekingArrangement, one of the, if not the most popular sites to meet sugar daddies, and wow, nearly every single daddy on the site was a scam. They’d ask for sensitive bank account information "to put you on their payroll," or they sometimes directly asked me for money, saying that after I gave them money, they could eventually give me more money back. (Uh...)

The Pros and Cons of Sugar Dating

Here’s a bit more on the pros and cons of dating a sugar daddy.

Pros

They are independent, strong and supremely confident. Sugar daddies aren’t naughty or clingy.

They know what they want and need – your companionship is an added bonus. So you don’t need to handle many things in the relationship.

He has tons of life experience in life and love. You can learn a lot from him.

He knows what’s important to him. So, he doesn’t hide or postpone his ambitions.

Sugar babies can get financial support from SD. Then, you don’t need to worry about the rent, loan, or other costs.

Sugar daddies are normally more emotionally mature than younger men.

Cons

Some sugar daddies look for a short-term fling, while others want a long-term relationship. It’s important to know the difference between a sugar relationship and a regular relationship.

You may endure some prejudice and judgment from others if the relationship is public.

Some sugar daddies may have special sex hobby. You need to set your boundaries and what you can’t accept before the arrangement.

The age gap may cause some conflicts and problems. You may feel tired and unhappy if you realize you want different things in love.