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?