Don't sell yourself short NGFM. My brother has a good friend. I met the guy and he is pretty short. Maybe as short as Mitch.
They were out at the club. He was hitting on some hot chick and he said "Hey, can I get you a drink?". She said, "Well, you're are kind of short." So, he says "Do you want me to stand on my wallet?"
The guy is a multi-millionaire. The point is that money and a nice car are a pretty wicked aphrodisiac no matter how you look.
Don't get me wrong. I understand the desire to find a good woman. You certainly don't want to get tangled up with the kind of chick that is looking for money only. But, they are out there by the bazillions. There is nothing wrong with playing the game with them. Like you said, they look to trade up a lot of the time. So, there ya go.
I still think you should chill out and learn to be a man on your own without a lady attached. Who knows? The woman you met may be the one. But, the stats say you are going to be on your own again. If that happens, don't go rushing into a "serious" relationship again. Just work on getting your shit together all on your own and making sure your pop is taken care of. Meanwhile, date. Have fun. Learn that you don't actually need a woman. It's amazing how much more relaxed life is when it's all on your own terms. Also, the money tends to stack up because we buy shit like Scott 1000 and not Diamonds and Cash extra sensitive, vibrating, pixie dust, cotton candy scented 7 ply toilet paper.