In these tough economic times, few ideas are more appealing than a rich man sweeping in and taking care of all financial woes. It’s like a Cinderella fantasy, with a Visa Black Card.

But I didn’t realize how easy it was to order up said Sugar Daddy — online!

No, we’re not in Jane Austen’s world anymore. Gold digging ladies and gentlemen no longer have to run in the rich circles hoping to snag a wealthy spouse. These days guys like Willoughby and gals like Lucy only have to visit SeekingArrangement.com.

I came across the site after reading a guest blog entry on Alpha Customer, U.S. News & World Report’s personal finance blog. Stephan Smith, a sugar baby, wrote a dull, stilted entry about why he was all about being compensated for his companionship. But while Stephan’s blog entry was a snore, I was intrigued by the idea of two people so openly exchanging money and sex. It’s not prostitution, but it’s skirting kind of close to the line.

I nosed around SeekingArrangement.com and found it was pretty open about its mission. There are pictures of young hot women hanging all over silver foxes. There are men holding wads of money and gaily wrapped gifts.

And in case you didn’t get the idea, they tell you exactly who makes the best sugar daddies, sugar mommies and sugar babies:

Sugar daddy or mommy: Rich and successful. Single or married, you have no time for games. You are looking to mentor or spoil someone special – perhaps a “personal secretary”? secret lover? student? or a mistress for an extra-marital affair?

Sugar baby: Attractive, ambitious & young. Sugar Babes are college students, aspiring actresses or someone just starting out. You seek a generous Benefactor to pamper, mentor and take care of you – perhaps to help you financially?

I’m dying to hear from people who have been in one of these “arrangements,” as they’re called. How do you not confuse the relationship with love? What are the rules? How do you end the relationship? Do the sugar daddies ever feel empty because they’re only wanted for their money? Do sugar babies feel a little like prostitutes?

I know how this could be a tempting offer, especially for a guy or gal carrying around a ton of credit card debt, buried under student loans or struggling to survive after a layoff. Especially now. Sugar daddies are no longer about luxuries. These are tough economic times and surely some of us are considering trading on assets we never thought would be on the market.

So, what would it take you to apply for sugar baby status? And, for all you potential sugar daddies and sugar mommies, what would make you seek out a “mutually beneficial relationship,” as SeekingArrangement.com calls it?

As for me, I don’t think I could do it. I’m so used to the idea of providing for myself that it’s hard to imagine giving up that freedom to a man, even if that man was my husband, never mind a guy who had no real attachment to me.

But then, I’m not facing an unpaid mortgage, maxed out credit cards or an addiction to Prada.