Internet personality SheraSeven has turned dating advice into a financial playbook. 

She’s known for her blunt advice on men, money, and relationships by warning women about “dusties” (men who don’t bring enough to the table) with the casual confidence of someone explaining why she doesn’t like green peppers on her pizza.

I find her humorous and a little absurd, but she is most definitely committed to the intensity of her online persona. 

I admire that quality in a person.

However, what I find so great about her platform is that she’s given women an opportunity to explore why money has always been part of romantic relationships.

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In 1972, 1 in 6 wives out-earned their husbands. Today, it’s nearly half.

For a long time, marriage was about more than love and companionship. It was an economic arrangement. Men were expected to provide, women were expected to depend on them, and financial security often came down to who you married.

Fast-forward to today, and women have very different ideas about what that arrangement should look like. Some embrace the traditional wife, or “tradwife,” lifestyle, like Ballerina Farm creator Hannah Neeleman, who shares life on her Utah farm with her husband and eight children.

Others may subscribe to SheraSeven’s philosophy that men should provide. But there’s a difference between enjoying being taken care of and being unable to take care of yourself financially.

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You can want nice dinners, thoughtful gifts, and a partner who makes your life easier. You can also want a savings account with just your name on it. These things aren’t mutually exclusive. 

Right now, we’re seeing more women in pop culture make financial independence part of mainstream conversations. Tate McRae’s “Housewife” plays with the fantasy of being her own sugar daddy, while Rihanna and Beyoncé have built business empires of their own. Jessica Simpson has fought to regain ownership of the brand she built, and Issa Rae and Megan Thee Stallion have turned their talents into careers that extend well beyond their original platforms. 

These women remind me that there’s power in having something of your own.

Now, you don’t have to agree with every dating rule SheraSeven offers to recognize the value of questioning what women have been taught to expect from relationships. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be spoiled, but there’s something to be said for making sure you have options, too. 

So, sprinkle sprinkle. Find someone who treats you well and set aside some money that’s yours and yours alone. The goal isn’t to prove you don’t need anybody, it's to make sure you never have to.