You're being asked to do far more than a "friendly request". Full brake job? Daughters car work for 12-14 hrs? That's a bit much, especially when your friend has money, you're out of work, and he knows this.
I smell a rat.....
You have a valuable skill, so value it. Value your time as well. Wrench turning isn't for knuckle-heads. Tools in the hands of the later can wreck havoc. Furthermore, there's an entire class of male, white-collar types who are absolutely clueless when it comes to fixing anything. I know a few like this. There's also a set that think manual labor is beneath them.
When a neighbor asks me to work on his truck, I charge him by the hour and ask to be paid in cash. He knows I'll do an excellent job, point out things I see and have the tools to do it. So it's a win/win. However, I had to ensure I was going to win as well before I said "OK".
Value your skill, talent, knowledge and time as a tool user & problem solver. Putting air in a kids bike is one thing, however a complete brake job......
I'll end with a story...
I lost both of my parents due to cancer by the time I was 18. I lived with a fraternal aunt & uncle for awhile during Summers when away from college. I bought a clunker of a car, bags of parts and spent a lot of time working on it to make it reliable.
I got teased a lot by the uncle and his only son (older than I), for always working on this car, fixing this, building that. I was also in engineering school. In hindsight, I know see they were both insecure & jealous. They preferred to be indoors, in the A/C, watching stupid TV shows, while I was out in the garage, covered in insect repellant, sweating like crazy, turning my own wrench.
I was hungry, they weren't.
After I graduated, got my first job, I bought a SAAB. Oh the teasing just got worse. I was determined to take care of it (my first new car), and drive it for a very long time. And I did: 14yrs & 256,000mi. (Even drove it from Winnipeg to Vancouver and spent time in Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise and day hiking in the Canadian Rockies
)
The uncle is long since dead and his son now has his mother living with him, still taking care of him! Since she's now > 80, I would think this situation is backwards...
She often remarks how "lucky" I am to be able to fix so many things (plumbing, electrical, construction, car, cook, electronic equipment, roof my own house, etc.) While I am fortunate to do these things, luck had nothing to do with it: I was out sweating in their garage, at night, getting dirty and learning to turn my own wrench, still a teenager, and have been refining those skills ever since.
You may have a similar story in that you're fixing what needs to be in your own life, while others are watching TV. You've no doubt honed your skills over the years. Your friend certainly sees this and values your abilities. I suggest you value them at least as much as he does...and charge accordingly.
I smell a rat.....
You have a valuable skill, so value it. Value your time as well. Wrench turning isn't for knuckle-heads. Tools in the hands of the later can wreck havoc. Furthermore, there's an entire class of male, white-collar types who are absolutely clueless when it comes to fixing anything. I know a few like this. There's also a set that think manual labor is beneath them.
When a neighbor asks me to work on his truck, I charge him by the hour and ask to be paid in cash. He knows I'll do an excellent job, point out things I see and have the tools to do it. So it's a win/win. However, I had to ensure I was going to win as well before I said "OK".
Value your skill, talent, knowledge and time as a tool user & problem solver. Putting air in a kids bike is one thing, however a complete brake job......
I'll end with a story...
I lost both of my parents due to cancer by the time I was 18. I lived with a fraternal aunt & uncle for awhile during Summers when away from college. I bought a clunker of a car, bags of parts and spent a lot of time working on it to make it reliable.
I got teased a lot by the uncle and his only son (older than I), for always working on this car, fixing this, building that. I was also in engineering school. In hindsight, I know see they were both insecure & jealous. They preferred to be indoors, in the A/C, watching stupid TV shows, while I was out in the garage, covered in insect repellant, sweating like crazy, turning my own wrench.
I was hungry, they weren't.
After I graduated, got my first job, I bought a SAAB. Oh the teasing just got worse. I was determined to take care of it (my first new car), and drive it for a very long time. And I did: 14yrs & 256,000mi. (Even drove it from Winnipeg to Vancouver and spent time in Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise and day hiking in the Canadian Rockies
The uncle is long since dead and his son now has his mother living with him, still taking care of him! Since she's now > 80, I would think this situation is backwards...
She often remarks how "lucky" I am to be able to fix so many things (plumbing, electrical, construction, car, cook, electronic equipment, roof my own house, etc.) While I am fortunate to do these things, luck had nothing to do with it: I was out sweating in their garage, at night, getting dirty and learning to turn my own wrench, still a teenager, and have been refining those skills ever since.
You may have a similar story in that you're fixing what needs to be in your own life, while others are watching TV. You've no doubt honed your skills over the years. Your friend certainly sees this and values your abilities. I suggest you value them at least as much as he does...and charge accordingly.
