Author Topic: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?  (Read 4457 times)

Bearblastbeats

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Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« on: April 29, 2016, 12:18:03 PM »
Good Evening,

My brother continuously hits me up to work weekends with him for what I consider not very much money. He's pretty cheap.

I all ready work my 8-5 job as a Project Engineer making $55k annually. I live pretty comfortably and am never hurting for money. I always have the funds to pay all my bills and get some fun in between (sometimes too much fun depending on who you ask). Regardless, my bills are paid to date and on time.

My brother lives a hour and 30 minutes from me and owns a flooring installation business. I've worked for him full time as a flooring installer and I still manage to get side jobs from him during the year when I have time off my my desk job. Especially holidays since I get paid time off/holiday pay, and he still pays me to help since we are the kind of people who work on holidays.


Anyway, he offers me to come clean commercial carpet (another side of his business) on most Saturdays and sometimes Sundays depending on the size of the job. The work is easy and I've been doing it a lot since he started that part 4-5 years back.

He offers me $200 to work a projected 8am-4pm (8 hour day).

I counter offer I want $350 and I'll buy my own lunch. I tell him I have to drive a hour and a half each way leaving my house at 6am and not getting home until about 6pm.

I mention that when I project manage jobs for my company I get my usually salary rate + $0.575/mile + meals.

He fires back "$200 and lunch, non negotiable." and that "my generation will be the end of our way of life in America."

Would any of you still consider working in a laborious trade for less than what you make at your regular job? If the commute wasn't as long I would probably do it in a heart beat.. am I get too lazy in my old age or what?
« Last Edit: April 29, 2016, 12:21:18 PM by Bearblastbeats »

forummm

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2016, 12:28:08 PM »
It doesn't matter what we'd do--it's what you'd do. Just because he's your brother doesn't mean you need to keep giving him your time all the time. If you want to, do it. If you don't, don't. If your price is $350, then stick with it. If that doesn't work for him, he should find someone else who will take $200. If he can't find someone he likes for that wage, then he should raise it. That's capitalism. Your time has value.

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2016, 12:55:09 PM »
I wouldn't do it.

If I average $50/hr gross at my day job it would take at least $25/hr cash after expenses to consider a side job.

AZDude

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2016, 01:03:08 PM »
$25/hour is decent money for some easy work. Is your free time worth $25/hr at this point in your life?


prognastat

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2016, 01:07:42 PM »
When counting the commute time and the work time at $200 it comes to just over $18 an hour.

In my own job I have access to near limitless OT so I would refuse to take anything less than my OT rate for extra work, even more so if it is physical work unlike my day job. If I didn't have access to OT I would at least expect to be around my regular hourly wage for it to be worth it.

At $18 an hour compared to the about $26 an hour you seem to get from your day job I would say it doesn't make my standards. I would be looking for about $275 for something that will cost me about 11 hours of time in your situation before I would consider it worth my time.

Now if the side job income is post tax then it would be closer, but still fall a little short.

pbkmaine

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2016, 01:41:15 PM »
Do you WANT to do this? Do you NEED to do this? If the answer to these two questions is "no", then tell him no.

BlueHouse

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2016, 01:41:43 PM »
Any other benefits to this side work?  Do you get to hang out with your brother and have a good time?  Are you working side by side with him?  Or is he off doing his own thing?  If you're all alone and just working with no social interaction, I wouldn't do it.  Unless you're also buying into a share of his business with your sweat equity. 

I think the easiest way to figure out the answer to this question is to ask yourself if you would do this work at this rate for a complete stranger. 

Warlord1986

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2016, 01:45:32 PM »

He fires back "$200 and lunch, non negotiable." and that "my generation will be the end of our way of life in America."


Honestly, I'd turn it down just because he responded so arrogantly. If he's so convinced your generation is going to screw up the country, let him do his own work.

HipGnosis

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #8 on: April 29, 2016, 02:18:58 PM »
I wouldn't do it.
I can't stand my brother.

Actually I wouldn't do it because it is using your whole weekend, even working just saturday is a very long day.

Oh, tell him that he is the same generation that you are.  So there.

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #9 on: April 29, 2016, 02:26:16 PM »
Forget just the commute time.

What about gas, maintenance, vehicle depreciation.

Now you are suddenly at $15/hr. I wouldn't give up precious time off on the weekends unless I NEEDED the $$

Bearblastbeats

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2016, 02:41:31 PM »
I told him if he planned to 1099 me again this year that my asking price is settled at $275. He told me to f*** off.

I replied that it will be a nice day tomorrow at the beach.

Deuces in the air.

elaine amj

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2016, 02:45:19 PM »
Sounds like he thinks he's doing you a favor by offering you the job.

Think about it - do you want the work? He's told you how much he is willing to pay - which is fair on the part of any boss. Is this acceptable to you? Do you prefer to have your weekends to yourself? The commute shouldn't play into it - as a boss I don't care much what your commute is - that's your business, not mine. Would you do this job for this money if it was anyone else? if that is the case, then this is a favor to you (and a win-win all around).

If not, send an email back to your brother telling him you really appreciate his thinking of you and the opportunity - but you have thought it over and at this point, you'd prefer to have your weekends free for your own needs (or whatever you want to say) and that you hope he finds someone who will work out for him. If you want to be nice, you can add an offer to come help him out whenever he is in a bind.

*edit: just read his response - doesn't sound like there is any point for you to do him any favors!

prognastat

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2016, 02:47:13 PM »
I told him if he planned to 1099 me again this year that my asking price is settled at $275. He told me to f*** off.

I replied that it will be a nice day tomorrow at the beach.

Deuces in the air.

Sounds like you made the right decision.

Warlord1986

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #13 on: April 29, 2016, 02:53:42 PM »
I told him if he planned to 1099 me again this year that my asking price is settled at $275. He told me to f*** off.

I replied that it will be a nice day tomorrow at the beach.

Deuces in the air.

Sounds like you made the right decision.

I agree. The brother is a turd blossom and BBB should enjoy the surf and sand.

prognastat

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2016, 02:58:37 PM »
For me I'd feel pissed if a sibling wanted me to take much less than my OT rate to help them out. Since he would essentially be asking me to earn half of what I would otherwise to help him out at that rate. And if it is more about helping him than it is helping me he can hire someone willing to work those 11 hours minimum wage and we both win. Don't act like you are doing me a favour though when really its the other way around and in this case that is what it sounds like.

mtn

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #15 on: April 29, 2016, 03:02:47 PM »
Ehh... $200 for 8 hours isn't bad at all. Assuming it is all under the table as well?

Frankly, the commute time isn't his responsibility. The job pays what it pays. If it is worth it to you, do it. If it isn't, don't. Don't make it more difficult than it is.

BlueHouse

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Re: Cost to commute to help your brother's business...?
« Reply #16 on: April 29, 2016, 03:28:38 PM »

If not, send an email back to your brother telling him you really appreciate his thinking of you and the opportunity - but you have thought it over and at this point, you'd prefer to have your weekends free for your own needs (or whatever you want to say) and that you hope he finds someone who will work out for him. If you want to be nice, you can add an offer to come help him out whenever he is in a bind.

I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment to remain civil and brotherly.  I can tell you from experience as a small business owner, that other people feel as if you are rich or can afford to bend rules and overpay family members, and from my experience as a sibling, that family members expect others to pitch in and help their businesses become successes.  So you both may have some unrealistic expectations.  (yes, your brother should 1099 you if he doesn't want to risk losing his business, so please do not even ask this of him). 

I completely understand your not wanting to do the work for the price offered.  Please just decline it as politely as you would a stranger.  Clearly there are other feelings at work here that you both would be more civil to someone unrelated than you are to each other.  Do your part and try to fix this because family is so so important.