What I hear when you ask, "Can I get that for Free?"

I used to be one of those people.

One of the ones who wanted EVERYTHING for free. To save a dime was well worth my time.

And maybe it is/was. Maybe it's okay to like things cheap and free. I mean that's what the world is these days, isn't it? No one can afford shit so they beg and borrow and plead until someone gives it to them for free.

I've done it.

You've done it.

BUT ... what I didn't realize is what that one question was really saying to the person I was asking. I hadn't thought about what went into that good or service. I just didn't want to pay for it.

Now that I provide goods and services, I see it from an entirely different perspective.

What I hear when someone asks me to give them something for free is ...

"What you have done isn't worth my paying you money for. I'm not really concerned with the fact that you just spent hours/days/months/years creating it. I just want it for free or I don't want it at all."

I know that's not ACTUALLY what they are saying. More than likely they are just hard up for money and can't afford it.

Or can they?

I've been poor. And I mean dirt poor. The kind of poor where no one has a job and the house gets taken away and all that fun stuff poor.

HOWEVER

I always found money for the things I REALLY wanted.

Pack of smokes? Time to take back bottles.

Margarita? I guess I can suffer with the cheap stuff.

Gas for the car so I can go to a friend's house? I'll just bounce my account for that.

Now I am NOT by any means saying that was the right thing to do or that those things were really worth putting my ass on the line for. What I AM trying to say is that those were things I was willing to put my ass on the line for because I really wanted them.

I try to make my goods and services affordable if not dirt cheap. Some stuff I even give away for free. But there has to a point where my time has to be worth something though, right?

I mean ...

I spent 2 years writing a book ... is $3 really too much?

A photo shoot takes at the minimum 5 to 10 hours. (1 hour travel and set up, 1 to 2 hours shooting, 3 to 6 hours editing depending on the size of the shoot, 1 hour downloading, uploading, burning discs, ordering prints, etc.) Most people want theirs done for under $50. I mean when you break it down, that's like $5 an hour for my work ... and then when you take out expenses for gas and product and shipping and all that fun stuff ... it's more like $3 an hour.

Creating a logo takes between 2 to 5 hours

Websites take 15 to 20 hours

All these things take time and effort and creativity and criticism and and and

And I love them all dearly ...

But all I'm worth is $0 -$3 for an hour of my time?

Of course, being the ridiculous person that I am, I chalk it up to my quality. My shit must really suck if that's all I'm worth! Clearly my writing is rubbish, my design lacks creativity, and my photography skills are greatly lacking.

So on top of hearing that my time isn't worth it, I'm also hearing, "BECAUSE YOU SUCK!"

I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad. I'm really just venting. It's been on my mind a lot lately ... especially since I started the photography biz.

I'm not sure how to not take it personally. How do I stop myself from hearing, "YOUR SHIT SUCKS AND I'M NOT WILLING TO PAY A DIME FOR IT!" every time someone wants something for free?

Do you sell goods or services? Do you get asked to mark down your prices and/or give things away? Does it alter your self confidence? Or am I just a bigger whack job than I thought?