My grandfather was a master tradesman and gave me some of the best advice I'll take to the grave... never reveal your full hand of what you can fix or do. I miss him a lot.
I've given estimates that are knowingly like half of what a contractor would charge and they still balk. Just stop trying, they probably don't even see us as human.
Family is by discretion, as are good good friends... but they usually don't ask.

no they all know I'm incompetent

I'll fix their shit for free, but only if it annoys me personally.
if they want something done in particular then they can hire a jobbie.

I usually just do it because I always talk myself into thinking I should be more helpful, then get pissed a quarter of the way into the job (part of my process, it happens every time) and remain that way until I finish to the actual best of my ability, and just hope they think I'm unstable and don't ask again.

>>2966402
no, they ask me politely if i can help and if i think the job is in my competence i do so
I don't charge them because they are my family and/or friends
i know, it's a wild concept for an American to fathom

>>2966402
for small handyman type things I will help and show them how to do it themselves next time, but I'm not going to commit to a multi day project for someone else or be the only one working.
If Ishow up for a few hours to help with a larger project there better be pizza and beer

>>2966402
Just don't complete a project on purpose so you can point to it and say "after I get that done". So there's been a cracked window in my garage for a couple years.

Someone asked me once why I don't do cabinet in woodworking as a professional. I told them I wasn't prepared to put up with that kind of stupidity in what essentially is my Escape Hobby

I'll help them through a simple job if I feel like they can actually take it to heart and do it themselves next time. I'll do anything my old man asks of me though, he's too old to b climbing ladders and fucking with electrical shit though.

>>2966402
I tell them I don’t have time, and then they offer to pay me.

I Replaced a bunch of lightbulbs for my aunt the other day and didn't even do it right and she still insisted she pay me. I said she didn't have to. I asked for $50. Despite what i keep seeing ive never had an issue with people paying me for work or trying tobtalk me down in price. I charge $75 an hour for side work for reference.

My mom is a mail carrier and asks me to change the oil in her jeep every 3-5k miles with full synthetic. She goes ahead and buys the oil and filter so I just skip the 5k change and tell her every other change that I'll buy the stuff to do it

>>2967004
Why don't you just tell her that 8k miles is ok?