Bunch of neighborhood kids just knocked on my door and asked if I wanted them to rake their leaves. Sure thing kids! They're out there working now. They provided bags too.
How much should I pay them? Will probably take them about 30-45 minutes to do it; would have taken me about the same. I was thinking $40 total (split between 4 of them). Is that low? They're about 12 years old, FWIW.
Seems reasonable to me- way over min wage....
(although, if this was the gardening thread, I would suggest covering your old gardens and also grinding them into the grass AND composting as much as possible)
When they come to your door looking for payment, give them a surprised look and say .....You want paid??, they're my leaves from my trees. You guys should be paying me for the leaves I've spent all year growing and turning them into the beautiful color you see on my lawn.
Then hand them the $40.
Gave them $40 (they'd already been here 25 minutes when I first posted). They caught me at literally the best time as I just didn't see when I was going to get to this; earlier in the day there was a lawn service next door and I asked them how much to get my leaves. They told me $150.
When I asked the kids if $40 was enough, it sounded like that was the most they'd gotten from anyone so far. If I overpaid, fine, happy to see enterprising kids making their own money instead of being given it.
As a former underage leaf raker, I approve of this thread
It would be good business advice for those kids to negotiate payment plans before starting work - they may run into a real Scrooge later who will try to stiff them.
rustybugkiller said:When they come to your door looking for payment, give them a surprised look and say .....You want paid??, they're my leaves from my trees. You guys should be paying me for the leaves I've spent all year growing and turning them into the beautiful color you see on my lawn.
Then hand them the $40.
When I was about 12 I gave an old shiny happy person his $20 back after he pulled E36 M3 like that on me after I put in a hard day's work. He was standing there making fun of how much time I had spent hiding, etc instead of working. I deadeyed him and said, "Well, sir, since you seem to think my work isn't worth anything, you probably need this more than I do."
I berking hate old-guy power plays with little kids. Don't be a douche. Even in jest. Teach them that honest work is rewarded honestly.
I'm also in the camp of make them negotiate for payment. Don't try to screw them, but take 2 minutes to teach them some business skills. It will help them later. Learning to negotiate, and barter is such a valuable skill.
rustybugkiller said:When they come to your door looking for payment, give them a surprised look and say .....You want paid??, they're my leaves from my trees. You guys should be paying me for the leaves I've spent all year growing and turning them into the beautiful color you see on my lawn.
Then hand them the $40.
Also be sure to hand them the $40 before half the kids get mad and spread the leaves around mid-rant.
Tell them back in your day you had to walk 3 miles uphill through the snow just to get the opportunity to rake leaves, and rakes hadn't been invented yet so you had to use deer antlers tied to a long stick.
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