There seems to be a prevailing view on here that distils down to this: "Anyone who's prepared to pay more than I am is, by definition, an idiot." That seems pretty arrogant, to me.
As is the want of old men to reminisce of days gone by, the view through rose-tinted glasses when the young, willing pros charged less and delivered more. The beautiful Hungarians, Bulgarians, Polish, Czechs who charged £80 an hour and smiled, a time when you left contented, with a spring in your step and cash left for a night out.
It's quite possible when I arrived on the scene, and was willing to pay the prevailing rates, someone older and wiser than me presumed I was an idiot for paying more than he would. Maybe, in a couple of years, when the novelty has worn a little thin, you have been disappointed once too often and the prices head towards £250/300 per hour you will question the next evolution of punters.
I used to have £100 per week casual spending money. I could do half an hour one week and explore a more expensive option the next. My week was filled with weekend fantasies, between scouring AW and reading reviews here, there was a secondary value to punting.
Now I have more money and the world is my oyster, with the likes of Vivago and Marmalade an inspiration. Do I want to pay some pouting, sour faced cunt who thinks she's better than me; one who thinks I should feel privileged to breathe the same air as she does, whilst paying her a ridiculous rate and applying discretion to her services? Or, do I look at exotic places around the world, enjoy amazing adventures and pay some local whore a considerable wedge which is a fraction of what English pros demand?
If we could be honest with our friends and tell them we spend (or used to) £5-10k a year on having our cocks played with they would question our sanity, such is the nature of punting. Enjoy yourself, while it's good.
