Do you have a minute to look at my car?
These words are the bane of all car people, cutting in to precious time and concentration that could be available for our own projects. Coming from a family that never cared for working on their own cars, I ended up spending a lot of time working on other peoples’ cars.
Although it’s always rewarding to know that your skills are appreciated, a line needs to be drawn somewhere.
Barter
Most people have at least one in-demand skill. If they person asking for help with their car is good at cooking, set up an exchange where they man the grill at your next car meet. If they’re good at cleaning, they can help you reorganize your garage before pulling their car in. The possibilities are only limited by the people you surround yourself, and how well you know them.
Everybody gets one
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch? v=wMs8r3VsGgM
Sometimes you just feel like being nice and doing favors. To avoid being taken advantage of, lay down the rule of ’everybody gets one’. Not only does this minimize the amount of free help you end up doing, it forces your friends and family to consider what’s really worth asking for help on and what isn’t.
I’m missing some of those tools
Whatever tools you could possibly need for the job, now’s the time. From torque wrenches to vice grips to ring compressors to a new piece of welding gear, it’s likely to cost more to take it to a shop than to pay for your new tool. Try not to abuse this one, and you’ll end up with a nice collection of quality tools before too long.
Tickets to the Red Sox?
If you’ve been keeping your ears open, you’ll hear friends and family members bragging about new toys they recently purchased or won. Now is your chance to snatch whatever it may be. This may seem cutthroat, but you can always explain it away as being a ”continuation of last year’s Yankee Swap”.
No, thanks
You always have the option to say no. Sometimes I’m too busy to help out. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood. Other times, I just don’t want to help that particular person. If I say no it’s almost always because I’m trying to be less busy.
How do you turn down requests to help with others’ cars for free?
