You get called out on here or some other hate thread?I made a comment a while back, stating that I don't train folks for free, and that I guess I'm an ass for stating so. Apparently, it pissed at least a few folks off.
It COSTS me money to train someone. Costs me money just to take a friend to the range to plink around. Costs me money to take myself to range and just train MYSELF, all by my lonesome.
As a professional Instructor with an LLC, I maintain over $3 million in professional liability insurance, which I pay a yearly fee for. Goes everywhere I go.
I train on a piece of private property that isn't open to the public. I pay to use that.
My paper/cardboard/steel/moving targets, 1x2's, spray paint, batteries, timers, and target frames are all paid for by me. They get shot up/wore out/used up, they have to be replaced. Fuel to get to the range and back, and whatever ammo I shoot while demonstrating.
By far, the biggest expense to me is the time that I expend. Now that I'm "retired", I have 4 jobs. I'm at my full-time job 5 days a week. I try and take care of what I need to do for my other 3 jobs on the 2 days that I am "off".
My go-to plan for my 2 days off per week is to spend as much of that time as possible with my family. If I'm going to do anything for anyone for free on those 2 days, it will be my family, not a stranger I met on the internet. Folks that want me to take time away from my family will have to pay for that time. To do otherwise would mean that I value time spent with strangers as much as the time I spend with my family. Not even close.
I never ask anyone to do anything with compensation. To do otherwise means that I do not value their time, which is an insult.
Semper Fi!