Obviously this will vary but it's something I struggle finding a clear answer to. They say that a man provides, and it's the manly thing to do and all that, but to what extent?

Let me explain. For girls there is always a fallback. They can graduate college at 22, or more likely 23 or 24 nowadays, work for 4 or 5 years and decide they're sick of it (not to mention their biological clock is screaming), marry some beta bucks provider, have kids and have the rest of their lives paid for by some engineer making $100k+ while they sit at home and drive Timmy to soccer practice.

I've personally seen it, a couple I knew in high school stayed together all throughout college, then got married. The dude majored in engineering and she majored in art. Afterwards the guy got some amazing job offer from overseas, so they moved to France or some shit where he makes over 6 figures and the girl sits at home trying to get her blog off the ground at age 28. No kids. I will concede it makes a bit of sense she doesn't work since she's unlikely to get a job with her shit degree and can't speak the language, and the alternative is to leave her in the states, but still. This guy shouldn't even be married at his age, he should be living it up as a bachelor learning a foreign language and banging French sluts in his spare time, not coming home to hear her tell him all about how she's so excited because one of her posts got 10,000 clicks.

This guy is clearly pathetic in my eyes and has a strong case of oneitis so it's a bit of an extreme example but where's the line? How would you feel about paying for your woman's life (strictly LTRs)? This isn't something I'm worried about at all right now but when I hit my 40s or 50s I believe it will become more of an issue, especially if I'm still trying to bang 18-28 year old girls. Who from my point of view, will just want to use me for my money unless they have a fetish for older guys. If they're hot they can bang any alpha Chazz who's 25-35 so why not do that instead? Is being a sugar daddy for some 23 year old stripper pathetic when you're 55? In a way it's alpha if you have the money to spare, but in another it's just sad because she most likely isn't actually sexually attracted to you.

I'm quite sure I never want to get married but I also don't want to be 65 and spend my days alone. I think "cohabitation" is a good option, pretty much be married but without all the legal bullshit that comes with it. The challenge would be finding a woman who's cool with that.

But even at that point I'd feel taken advantage of if she didn't have a well paying job or savings of her own. I'd never do a joint account, I just see no reason to. What percentage of a woman's life expenses in an LTR would you be comfortable paying? 50%? 75%? Do you not give a shit if you pay 100% as long as she cooks and cleans and sucks and fucks 5 days a week?

Of course when kids are added into the equation that further complicates things. Say you are in an LTR with a 31 year old and get her pregnant at 45. How long after the birth is acceptable in your mind for her not to work? 5 years? 10? Until the kid is in high school? Never again?

I'd like to hear opinions on this.