Every family has one, or has a family friend that is a geek. That alpha-nerd who can figure out probably any technical issue that they are having. Well, as you may have guessed, I’m my family’s geek. Not that this is a bad thing, but when I have a business doing the exact same thing they ask me to do as a favor, I feel I’m having money taken from me.

For example, my parents bought my older sister a computer for her birthday/Christmas gift and asked me to run it through it’s initial paces. Ok, not a problem I said, I like my older sister anyhow so I didn’t feel like I was being taken advantage of.

Here comes a friend asking me to setup a computer for his mother-in-law, and the ‘rents wanting me to trouble-shoot a laser printer for their work.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I hate to be clichè, but what’s in it for me? I know my friend will compensate me, he’s just that kind of guy, he’s also in my wedding, so this may actually be payback… But doing a job for someone’s company, that clearly falls into ‘I’d better get paid’ territory.

I’ve had the printer for maybe two months, and they haven’t asked about it thankfully, but then they have had other things to focus on in that time period. Plus they’ve understood that I’ve been dealing with personal situations (the funeral, major house repair).

But I’m still waiting on a solution to my invoices I sent them six months ago…