You know the drill. The person on the other end of the email keeps asking for “one more little thing”. Or maybe you’re trying to woo a new client and decide to drop your price is a great way to get them in the door. It can even be a friend or family member who keeps asking for a “favor”.Guess what? All three of these scenarios require your time. Either a little or a lot. But in the end it’s time that you could be getting paid full price for. And here’s a little eye opener for ya, do you know who is most likely guilty of this work-for-free sin?Women. Yep. Us.And I have a theory about it, too. We’re conditioned to help. We want to help. Some would say they feel a NEED to help.Now guess which segment of the female population is more likely to take on a free job than the others?Freelancers are guilty of thinking their time has little to no value. Especially the ones of the mom variety. We spend so much time giving, it’s hard for us to take (compliments, help, money). So we don’t. We tend to smile and hope that our extra help will win us something greater in the end (a bigger jog, glorious referrals, a heartfelt "thank you").I used to think that because someone’s request would only take an hour (which it never did), it’s okay to sneak a little more work in when the client asks. Or maybe you think it’ll lead to more work. We might even believe the guy on the phone who tells us that every other designer has worked for bragging rights and portfolio building. But guess what? Your time is worth money! 

Time for a change, ladies. And I have a simple fix for you.

The second someone mentions a pro-bono job, ask yourself this question:Is there something else I could be doing instead of working for free?That something else could be personal, kid related, or (gasp) another PAYING job.And to wow you with a little more Latin, if there's not a quid pro quo, the answer is ALWAYS no. Always.*Now, go adjust your prices and snuggle up to a mirror and practice saying "no". Your bank account (and husband!) will thank you for it. :)Pro tip: working for next to nothing is the same as free, so don’t fall into that trap either. Value your time. And I have found that if I figure out an hourly wage that makes my heart AND my bank account smile, I’m happier. I recommend people try that route first when trying sort out their prices. Then you can dance with the numbers from there  (don’t forget to factor in expenses and taxes).

• no free work unless it's for a good cause near and dear to your heart, but be very selective of these donations of time.