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Looking for your $.02

1,254 1,510 April 19, 2012 at 08:16 AM
Looking for opinions:

If you have a specific skill or trade do you feel it's okay with charging immediate family members for your labor/time. For example, if you are a mechanic, would you charge your son or daughter, father or mother for your labor? Or do you feel like since they're your family (and let's of course say for arguments sake that everyone likes each other and has a good relationship of course Wink) you should give your help where you're able to and leave it up to the person on the receiving end to give if they should feel inclined?
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Supergirl9801
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Joined Jan 2006
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> bubble2 18,933 Posts
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Landers
04-19-2012 at 08:19 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:19 AM.
I wouldn't expect anything from a family member for helping them out like that. Though, I've had family members pay in me in beer before, which is OK with me, but I would never ask for anything from them.
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Joined Jan 2008
HER SPOILED HIGHNESS
> bubble2 9,504 Posts
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ALVSGIRLY
04-19-2012 at 08:22 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:22 AM.
No, I wouldn't charge my parents. They've spent a fortune on me. I wouldn't charge my sister either. We have a lot more money than her and her dh so that would feel wrong.
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Joined Jun 2007
IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS
> bubble2 5,105 Posts
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Moot-N-Me
04-19-2012 at 08:23 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:23 AM.
Quote from Supergirl9801 :
Looking for opinions:

..... you should give your help where you're able to and leave it up to the person on the receiving end to give if they should feel inclined?

^^^This
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Joined Oct 2009
$trange but true
> bubble2 5,881 Posts
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thikthird
04-19-2012 at 08:25 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:25 AM.
depends on the relation and the nature of work. my uncle is the typical "car guy" in my family. he's done small stuff for me with nothing but a thank you, much larger, time consuming, costlier things where i've offered pay but he refused

i ply my trade for free for my friends and family.
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Joined Jan 2006
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> bubble2 3,711 Posts
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FeedMeAlmonds
04-19-2012 at 08:27 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:27 AM.
Quote from Supergirl9801;49409262) :
you should give your help where you're able to and leave it up to the person on the receiving end to give if they should feel inclined?
Ideally this. If family members were always hitting up another member to fix cars or computers I can understand why one would start charging, And if they are fixing something for you for free, you should be part of the process.
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Joined Aug 2005
Baldilocks
> bubble2 41,172 Posts
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emelvee
04-19-2012 at 08:29 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:29 AM.
I charge my family for puns.




Getting tired of all the chargebacks. Down
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Joined Oct 2007
Get over it
> bubble2 5,807 Posts
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AngryPirate
04-19-2012 at 08:39 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:39 AM.
Quote from emelvee :
I charge my family for puns.




Getting tired of all the chargebacks. Down
You wouldn't get chargebacks if you sold them honeypuns....mmmmmmm.
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Joined May 2005
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SSharon
04-19-2012 at 08:47 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:47 AM.
I'm the family computer guy and I don't charge to help anyone. I do have one rule though and that is I won't deal with Windows. Macs and PC hardware upgrades yes, but I stay away from Windows software at home.
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Original Poster
Supergirl9801
04-19-2012 at 08:56 AM.
04-19-2012 at 08:56 AM.
Thanks for the input. Unfortunately I'm going through this with my father. He is a master mechanic and I believe has always treated his kids unfairly IMO. I am certainly not trying to be greedy or ungrateful and truly appreciate his talents and would certainly offer him something for his labor. I just told like being charged for his labor. It just rubs me the wrong way and I was wondering if I was off my rocker for feeling that way. I've never asked for him to put working on my car in front of any paying customers car, and I have always operated on his schedule, yet he still insists on charging me for his time. Granted it's not the full shop rate, but I still can't help but feel it's just wrong. My mom totally disagrees with me and says this is how he makes his living and he's doing it at a discount and I'm a grown woman with a steady regular income, blah blah blah. I get all that, and that's why I think it should be at my discretion to pay him. Maybe it is being selfish. But I have kids of my own and would never charge them for something I could help with...regardless how much time it involved. Agh!
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SSharon
04-19-2012 at 09:06 AM.
04-19-2012 at 09:06 AM.
Quote from Supergirl9801 :
Thanks for the input. Unfortunately I'm going through this with my father. He is a master mechanic and I believe has always treated his kids unfairly IMO. I am certainly not trying to be greedy or ungrateful and truly appreciate his talents and would certainly offer him something for his labor. I just told like being charged for his labor. It just rubs me the wrong way and I was wondering if I was off my rocker for feeling that way. I've never asked for him to put working on my car in front of any paying customers car, and I have always operated on his schedule, yet he still insists on charging me for his time. Granted it's not the full shop rate, but I still can't help but feel it's just wrong. My mom totally disagrees with me and says this is how he makes his living and he's doing it at a discount and I'm a grown woman with a steady regular income, blah blah blah. I get all that, and that's why I think it should be at my discretion to pay him. Maybe it is being selfish. But I have kids of my own and would never charge them for something I could help with...regardless how much time it involved. Agh!
I feel your pain. Personally, I don't care what the job is or whether that is how someone makes a living if it is family. I help out my family with tons of things and my family and my wife's family do plenty for me.

I don't even like charging friends when I help them with their computers. I've helped family friends of my in-laws before who insisted on paying me and I told them to donate the money instead. I can't image ever charging family for something.

(btw, I don't do anything related to computers for my full time job)

Edit: I should mention that I have one friend who charges family members for even the smallest favors, but that is how their entire family operates. They pay for checking on the pets, babysitting, etc. Seems totally weird to me being on the outside, but I guess it taught all the kids the value of money early on.
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Last edited by SSharon April 19, 2012 at 09:09 AM.
Joined Oct 2007
Get over it
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AngryPirate
04-19-2012 at 09:12 AM.
04-19-2012 at 09:12 AM.
So what "skill" do you contribute to the family, OP?
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Original Poster
Supergirl9801
04-19-2012 at 09:17 AM.
04-19-2012 at 09:17 AM.
It probably wouldn't be so bad if it had been consistent from the beginning, but it seems to depend more on his "mood" and how his business is doing...so I never know what to expect.
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Joined Jun 2004
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Pig
04-19-2012 at 09:26 AM.
04-19-2012 at 09:26 AM.
You just my $0.02 to pay your dad? If that's all he is asking, then pay him and be done with it instead of complaining!!!
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Joined Dec 2007
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chevvy
04-19-2012 at 09:28 AM.
04-19-2012 at 09:28 AM.
Quote from ALVSGIRLY :
No, I wouldn't charge my parents. They've spent a fortune on me. I wouldn't charge my sister either. We have a lot more money than her and her dh so that would feel wrong.
You forgot to name your marketable skill.
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