What’s fair to charge for doing chores?

[SBMF 2015]

Neighbors are gone for two weeks and asked my 12 yr old son to do their chores.
They have nine alpacas. All in the same pen, but have to get grain in ten separate pans and fill water buckets and wash out the automatic water every day. They get fed twice a day.
My son has no expenses. Dad, Mom and Grandpa are donating the gas to get there. It’s worth something, but I feel like this is a great opportunity to teach my son about being fair to both sides of an agreement. It takes him probably 20 minutes twice a day to do chores.
$10/day? $20/day to much?
The neighbors didn’t give any indication of what they thought it was worth. Just that they were happy to pay him.

 

[Warren Allison]

Neighbors are gone for two weeks and asked my 12 yr old son to do their chores.
They have nine alpacas. All in the same pen, but have to get grain in ten separate pans and fill water buckets and wash out the automatic water every day. They get fed twice a day.
My son has no expenses. Dad, Mom and Grandpa are donating the gas to get there. It's worth something, but I feel like this is a great opportunity to teach my son about being fair to both sides of an agreement. It takes him probably 20 minutes twice a day to do chores.
$10/day? $20/day to much?
The neighbors didn't give any indication of what they thought it was worth. Just that they were happy to pay him.

Let the neighbors offer a price. Might be that they offer more than the $20 a day.

 

[Ky hills]

I’m in agreement with @Warren Allison if y’all are on good terms with the neighbors then hopefully they will be fair and maybe a little more so. If they end up being chinchy then lesson learned and don’t have to deal with them the next time.
10 feed pans for 9 critters reminds me of my goats. I had to have atleast 5 pans for 4 goats. Every time I put feed in a pan they’d all run to it all the way down the line, then they’d push each other away and they’d work their back to the other pans as each one finally claimed a pan and successfully defended it.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Yeah that’s how I do a lot of cattle work/fixing stuff work ect.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised over the years with “What ever you think it’s worth “
We’re on pretty good terms with the neighbors. They’re not from the country but with a little patience on my part we always come to an agreement. Our well supplies water to their house and property. We have a gentleman’s agreement on what they should pay yearly, but I usually just end up having him haul some rock for me with his little dump truck and he doesn’t charge me.

 

[Brute 23]

How many miles per day is he driving?

Just because he has a sweet deal with family doesn't mean he needs to pass that on to his customer. As long as he is being fair there should be no issue with recovering money for the drive from them. Use it for repairs or for him to buy his next piece of equipment or what ever.

As some one who started working for others really young, don't get known for being cheap. Be fair on your pricing where its a win win for both sides and do an excellent job. That will sort out the people worth working for and the ones who are not.

These people are paying for being reliable and trustworthy, not experience, imo.

Congrats to your family. It speaks volumes when people come to your kids for things like this.

 

[SBMF 2015]

How many miles per day is he driving?

Just because he has a sweet deal with family doesn't mean he needs to pass that on to his customer. As long as he is being fair there should be no issue with recovering money for the drive from them. Use it for repairs or for him to buy his next piece of equipment or what ever.

As some one who started working for others really young, don't get known for being cheap. Be fair on your pricing where its a win win for both sides and do an excellent job. That will sort out the people worth working for and the ones who are not.

These people are paying for being reliable and trustworthy, not experience, imo.

Congrats to your family. It speaks volumes when people come to your kids for things like this.

The farm is 4 miles from my house. The neighbor’s driveway is 150yds from the farm driveway. Not far at all. Someone is at the farm twice a day at least. Not a big deal to get him to the neighbors.

 

[Brute 23]

The farm is 4 miles from my house. The neighbor’s driveway is 150yds from the farm driveway. Not far at all. Someone is at the farm twice a day at least. Not a big deal to get him to the neighbors.

Hopefully they do around $20 a day. That's seems fair to me. I don't think $25 would be out of line either if they forced me to give them a number.

I would be tempted to see what they offer since a deal was not made a head of time.

 

[Travlr]

Neighbors are gone for two weeks and asked my 12 yr old son to do their chores.
They have nine alpacas. All in the same pen, but have to get grain in ten separate pans and fill water buckets and wash out the automatic water every day. They get fed twice a day.
My son has no expenses. Dad, Mom and Grandpa are donating the gas to get there. It's worth something, but I feel like this is a great opportunity to teach my son about being fair to both sides of an agreement. It takes him probably 20 minutes twice a day to do chores.
$10/day? $20/day to much?
The neighbors didn't give any indication of what they thought it was worth. Just that they were happy to pay him.

I agree with the rest. I never like to put a price on what something is worth to someone else. Price it too much and they get insulted... price too little and they might think they can take advantage of the kid again. Of course the kid should be encouraged to know what he is worth.

Then again... it's nice to have relationships where people will reciprocate when you need a hand.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Around here my neighbors and I do things like that for each other for a simple thank you and a favor down the road.

Because last week I looked after the neighbors horses and sheep, and the month before that they checked water at my place while I was gone for 4 days, and before that I helped round up a loose cows, and before that they plowed my driveway.... you get the idea.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Hopefully they do around $20 a day. That's seems fair to me. I don't think $25 would be out of line either if they forced me to give them a number.

I would be tempted to see what they offer since a deal was not made a head of time.

However it shakes out it will be a good lesson learned.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Around here my neighbors and I do things like that for each other for a simple thank you and a favor down the road.

Because last week I looked after the neighbors horses and sheep, and the month before that they checked water at my place while I was gone for 4 days, and before that I helped round up a loose cows, and before that they plowed my driveway.... you get the idea.

Yes I agree. But the neighbor called me a month ahead of time and asked if he could get my son not me to do chores for two weeks and then said they would pay him .

Helping neighbors out with a half hour project or livestock out isn’t even a second thought. That’s just what you do.

 

[coachg]

I have a lawn care service, mow around 20 yards besides my own . I am asked by most of my home owners to do different services . Trim hedges , spray roundup, pull up some old shrubs , dig up a flower bed etc . I also get asked for some non yard jobs . Hauled an old hot water tank off this week. If it’s just labor I charge $20 , if it involves my truck or tractor I charge accordingly. You may say I’m too cheap , but I enjoy helping people, enjoy working outside and need the exercise . I think $20 is plenty and if the folks are good folks they’ll pay more !

 

[TCRanch]

Kid that works for us part time gets $12 an hour but we also pay his taxes and our CPA to do his taxes. And he gets a lot of "freebies". We always round-up, we let him borrow one of the Rangers, trailers, etc. He & his buddies have fishing privileges. I make him food, bring him water, sometimes buy him new jeans, he's scored a lot of Mr TC's hunting & fishing gear, boots, coats, gloves . . . It's a give and take. And I applaud your neighbors for wanting to hire him instead of you doing the work because that's what neighbors do.

 

[Lucky]

I'd take this a good learning opportunity for him. Have him offer to do it free of charge and then see if they offer to pay him. We're supposed to help our neighbors out and when someone offers to help out you should offer to pay them what you feel is fair. I've had the locals kids snatch the money out of my hand and had them not want to take it. The kid that has helped me the most I learned to just put the money is his truck. Might be a week later when I get the chance but it's the only way I can pay him.

 

[Autm88-SWVA]

Neighbors are gone for two weeks and asked my 12 yr old son to do their chores.
They have nine alpacas. All in the same pen, but have to get grain in ten separate pans and fill water buckets and wash out the automatic water every day. They get fed twice a day.
My son has no expenses. Dad, Mom and Grandpa are donating the gas to get there. It's worth something, but I feel like this is a great opportunity to teach my son about being fair to both sides of an agreement. It takes him probably 20 minutes twice a day to do chores.
$10/day? $20/day to much?
The neighbors didn't give any indication of what they thought it was worth. Just that they were happy to pay him.

Hi, I'm pretty new to cows, but have 18yrs experience raising alpacas. Had over 75 back in the day....only 7 left. Sounds like they attended one of those newbie training seminars feeding that much grain. Been there, done that. lol IMO, they shouldn't blink paying $300 for two weeks. That amounts to $20 a day, and an extra $20 for gas.....I've paid more for less work.