Sex work during a cost of living crisis

Photo by Colin Watts on Unsplash

We’ve all felt the pinch over the past two years. Bills increasing, wages stagnating and businesses making redundancies left, right and centre mean people are tightening the purse strings and spending less on luxuries.

Booking time with an escort certainly falls under the luxury category, and like so many other independent businesses many of us sex workers have noticed a dramatic drop in income in recent months.

Income from escorting is feast or famine at the best of times. Like other self-employed individuals, sex workers aren’t guaranteed a regular salary, and it’s not uncommon for a lucrative month to be followed by a dry spell. This is easier to manage when living is more affordable and with the certainty that money will come flowing back soon. In the current climate, it’s impossible to predict when things will pick up leaving everyone stressed and anxious.

I’ve personally received less enquiries from new clients who aren’t willing to gamble their limited budget on someone they haven’t met before. Trusted regulars are booking less frequently and for shorter sessions. Others have stopped booking altogether.

Women with “ordinary” jobs are finding their wages are not stretching far enough so are joining the industry for the first time in an attempt to make some extra cash. I can’t blame them, the opportunity to make quick money with no prior experience or qualifications is rare in other industries. However, with the market becoming over saturated with workers and fewer clients to go around it means everyone ends up earning less overall.

I have noticed some escorts responding to the cost of living crisis by increasing their rates, after all, everything else has increased in price so why shouldn’t sex services too?

Others are lowering their rates and putting on special offers in an attempt to attract clients who can no longer justify large expenses.

Knowing many escorts are struggling, a certain predatory type of man will take advantage, haggling already low rates and demanding services the worker isn’t comfortable with but can’t say no to due to needing money.

Like many other industries, things are grim right now.

I’m forever grateful to my faithful regulars who see me regardless and to the past me for putting money into savings wherever I could. I know not everyone has this advantage.

Experts say things will stabilise soon, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. The cost of living crisis is affecting everyone globally and sex workers are no different.

The Secret Escort x