I’ve definitely toyed around with the idea of being a Sugar Baby, maybe more so than others.

My roommates and I freshman year of college were dirt poor. Our personal bank accounts were so low that one evening we treated ourselves to Chili’s, and one of us swiped her card and signed, but immediately canceled her card before the payment went through so that she wouldn’t have a negative account balance. It was a modern-day dine-and-dash.

Not too long after, we fantasied in our suite about magically coming into money, but because we don’t live in a fairy tale, we took matters into our own hands.

We made Sugar Baby accounts on websites like "Seeking Arrangement" and many others on a whim after checking bank accounts. A year later, I have my fair share of fake accounts floating in the sea of eligible young ladies looking for a buck.Who doesn’t want a handsome man to take them to galas and pay their student loans? It all sounded so good. We learned rather quickly, though, that for most people it is too good to be true.

If you’re seriously planning to become a Sugar Baby, do your research into the industry and clientele. Here are some things that will come up in your endeavors that ran me away from being a Sugar Baby– make sure you are comfortable with these before proceeding.

1. Old Men

They’re out there, and they want young women (and young men, too!). With a basic account on various Sugar Baby websites, there is no way to turn off older a gentleman’s ability to see and message you. You’re quite literally for sale to all the shoppers, but luckily you have the ability to vet who you communicate with.

You can choose not to respond to these users, and they’ll leave you alone most of the time. One, 67-year-old man propositioned me to make an adult film – but I promptly blocked him. Thank God for that feature!

2. Married Men

More than half of the men that contacted me on my fake profile were married. Many profiles outright say that they’re “attached” or in a long-term relationship already. Even when messaging, they make it evident that they’re married, saying something along the lines of “I’m looking for an adventure outside of my monotonous day-to-day life,” blah blah blah. There are few who try to hide the fact, too. Some are looking for a hookup while they’re in town a few days for business or something. This brings me to my next point…

3. Sex and (arguably) prostitution

The reason you hear about Sugar Babies who don’t have sex with their clients and just attend lunch dates or vacations is that they’re anomalies. Most clients will want you to have some sort of physical contact with them, whether that be full blown sex or one of the bases before that.

Some may even want pictures of you nude before even meeting with them. If these are things that make you uncomfortable, sugaring probably isn’t for you. This is where I drew the line, but someone I was close to continue on in her scheme. She made $800 in one day after starting a physical relationship with a client. It’s all up to you.

4. Fake Profiles

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a Sugar Daddy by his profile. Many websites will ask for their occupation and annual salary along with photographs. If things don’t line up, stay far away from them. These users are looking to con you for sex. It is that simple. If you still choose to sugar, try to find a verified Sugar Daddy from a reputable site, that way you know you’re getting out what you put in for.

If after these points you still choose to pursue being a Sugar Baby, please be safe when doing so. Use an alternate name, make sure the photos you use can’t be reverse-searched to your Facebook or other social media pages, never give your home address, and use a Kik or messaging app to communicate with them. No shame in a little hustle in this time characterized by a lack of funds.