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The $28 square of plywood that taught me to charge for travel time
First gig was a logo for a coffee shop about 40 min away. Quoted them flat $150, no travel cost. They loved the work. Then they wanted a 'quick in person meeting' to go over small tweaks. Did that 3 times. Between gas and time I basically made minimum wage. My buddy said next time just add a flat $25 travel fee to any job over 15 miles, or bake it into the price. Did that on my next client and it felt way less awkward than I thought. Anyone else forget to include drive time in their first quote?
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paige_craig18d ago
That "quick in person meeting" bit hit me hard because it's the same trap we all fall into, where the small stuff feels too small to charge for until it piles up. It reminds me of how people rarely think about the hidden costs in anything, like how a "free" return shipping or a "cheap" subscription always finds a way to cost you time or money somewhere else. Once you start charging for travel, it's not just about the gas, it's about sending a signal that your time is worth something, and honestly everyone respects that more than the awkwardness of pretending it doesn't exist.
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