the difference between leasing and buying a car.  The former is economically more sensible, but for some irrational emotional reason many prefer the latter.

Actually, i feel the difference is that with a provider you get to spend some time with a lovely lady and you know how the evening is going to end. No strings attached.

with a girlfriend you get to spend some time with alot of strings and you hope the evening is going to end in bed with a lovely lady.

I could get alot deeper into the subject, but i think you get my drift.

-- Modified on 11/29/2003 1:00:49 PM

-- Modified on 11/29/2003 4:26:46 PM

I get better sex christmas gifts shoes and I can turn off the phone when I want mano-e-mano time.
In other words I dont have to put your toilet seat down. Wash your dishes or watch your favorite team on sunday when I want to down some with the boys at the bar.

(heh)

xo
mo

you share things you can't with a provider

You're still trying to fill a hole in the pavement with money.

When you lease you are left with nothing at the end of the lease.
When you buy you're not always happy with what you have purchased.

 Either way it certainly isn't cheap and there are  maintenance costs both "preventive" and unexpected.

  Cm.

When you buy a car, you can ride in it until it is worn out.  If it fails to function properly, you can get rid of it an buy another.

When you lease a car, the problems are usually covered by the leasing company and a new one can be arranged if problems arise.

I vote for owning a car and renting one on weekends when I need the boost of that new car feeling.  My own car doesn't have to know I rented one, it has nothing to do with us.

Many people consider leasing only from the viewpoint of the tax aspects, but leasing makes a lot of sense for many people.  It generally gets you into a car (an asset that ALWAYS depreciates) with much less up-front expense, at lower monthly cost, and with a better return on the actual investment since you're only paying for what you use, and most of us trade in a car before we fully realize any economic advantage of ownership.  If you're one of those people who keep a car until it falls apart, or put seriously high milage on the thing in a year, then buying is a good deal - otherwise, leasing is a very viable alternative, regardless of the tax angle.

Admittedly, I'm a car person and never keep a car longer than 3 years or so, nor can I really comprehend those that do.  But I've leased every car I've driven for the past 15 years or so, and it's made my life both easier and, in total, less expensive.

First off, let me say that I completely disagree with nb's reasoning.  I could spend a lot more seeing providers than I EVER would with a girlfriend.  Now, admittedly, I am not a high roller, so my past girlfriends haven't had a financial incentive to date me...there was not any potential for weekend trips to Barbados.  For the six figure types on here, maybe it IS more economically sensible to shortchange yourself emotionally and just pay to get laid and go home alone and leave the toilet seat up all the time.  However, for most of the world, and a good eprcentage of the guys on TER, it is not remotely financially sensible to see providers with any regularity, and it is just an occasional "treat".

Unfortunately, the whole part about guys preferring a girlfriend (it didn't say wife) to providers for some "irrational emotional reason", even if it was intended tongue in cheek, ends up being yet another slam on here towards civilian women and relationships simply by comparing the two, which really only have one aspect of similarity, and are otherwise completely unrelated.

It is sad to me that so many people, men and women, seemingly do not know how to have a relationship based on mutual respect and the desire to love and truly understand another person and feel that frequent healthy sexual expression of this love would be the norm.

It is appropriately symbolic to me when someone named Deeply Superficial would be the only one on here (so far) to mention that there are benefits to loving someone ("having a girlfrend") that go beyond having sex.  I appreciate providers (and especially the good ladies on TER) as much as any man, having seen them in one form or another on and off for the past 13 years.  However, I would never compare what I share in the brief time I see a provider, no matter how great the experience, to having a relationship with someone.  All you need to do is choose the right people to have relationships with, people.

obviously you've never had a girlfriend if that is what you think.

"choose the right people to have relationships with" . . . easier said than done.  Especially since they choose you, not the other way around.  At least with providers the choice is yours.

A provider is more like renting on a short term basis where as a girlfriend is more like a lease since there are maintenance responsibilities which come with that type of relationship.

Marriage is more like buying since you get stuck with it until it runs it useful life. Hence, all the preventive maintenance & upkeep, periodic breakdowns, overhauls, etc. As they say, YMMV!

My ATF is like "Avis Rent-A-Car"; and since she is #2, she tries harder!

If you consider all the costs of going to a club, meeting a woman, buying a few drinks, etc. then going out on a date, cleaning up the car, gas, dinner, movie or whatever ... for how many times ... until hopefully, maybe, you at least get a little kiss goodnight?? Hanging around, learning to like her friends, going out again and again ... until one day it's over and you're left with hurt and heartache.

I'll take the GFE for now. It's much less expensive.

And not that it's anyone's business, but no, I've never had a girlfriend.

Jimbo