I was seeing a very fine young Latina SB back in 2018.  We dated on and off for a while and then the pandemic happened.  Back then we were doing a ppm of 200-250.  Well she resurfaced earlier this year and we started up again.  But she said she needed 400 and I agreed.  I had lost all my regulars late last year so I agreed pretty quickly.  And though we had some good dates, I wasn't really happy about the increase.  So I stopped calling her.  After 3 months she texted me asking if I'd forgotten about her.  So I told her, no, I could never forget about you.  It's just that I'm a bit low on $ right now and I was embarrassed to say so.  I'd love to see you again if we could do 250 like we used to.  She agreed!  And yesterday we had our reunion date, which was so freakin hot!  4 Os for her and a big finish for me.  My point is, everything is negotiable, and with the right approach, you can even sometimes lower your expenses with an established SB who knows you and likes you. I plan on repeating with her, at least until she decides to raise her rates again!

You avoided the elephant in the room - the "she's not worth $400" issue - and successfully made the issue about YOUR budget without making her feel like she's over-valued her value.  

 
I can only guess, but I suspect her thought process went something like this:  

 
1. I need more cash
2. I do like him enough to have sex for cash
3. He's definitely better than far too many of the asshats I have been meeting
4. Better to keep getting less cash each meet, adding up to more cash over the long run, plus nice dates with dinner, travel, and other perks, then spend several weeks getting nothing while looking for a guy with a bigger wallet.  

 
Now, given that she's not good with finances, planning, or achieving strategic goals (in other words, an SB), I doubt HER thought process followed the specific sequence above... but she got there nonetheless.  

 
If you had taken the direct path by just saying "$400 is too high, I will only pay $250." She probably would have felt insulted and would insta-bail on you, calling you a cheap jerk.  

 
Life is good

 
The Cat

Rare that girls will take a budget cut and not just look for someone else.  But she seems to feel safe and like you.  Definitely someone worth keeping in rotation I take it.  So you did a lot of things right here.

1. Communication on budget
2. Made her feel safe  
3. Not talking about her being a prostitute
4. Told her you still like her