Recent? Try the month of January. Don't even get me started on the women(yes women) who want to haggle the price with me.

I gently remind them that we are not a flea market.

In a way, it's web sites such as this that's almost encouraged this sort of "LBYM-ness".....I put it in "quotes", because it's not an example of personal frugality so much as wanting a deal at someone else's expense.

Don't think it's just you, Charlie. Back when I had my practice, I hung out on the Self Employed Fools board and it was a pretty motley collection of self employment. Periodically a post such as your would start a run of, "You think that's bad, listen to this....."

Of course, you don't quite have the luxury of handling things the way some of the guys on that board came up with and I don't envy you there one bit. Here's my gripe of the week..

So yesterday I was teaching my regular 9 am class and a couple of new members came in. Did the meet and greet thing......so I was walking around during the first few minutes of warm-up chatting, running through safety tips etc..waiting to get down to business and a third casual attendee came in, set the bike up and proceeded to get her ipod out and put the earplugs in. I discreetly walked up to her and motioned to put the ipod away....and then noticed the two new gals had there's firmly plugged in (the reason, I guess, why the latecomer felt it was OK) Did the same discreet motion......to the response that they don't like my music and they'd get a better workout with their own. Too early in the game to point out the obvious.....to workout on their own on the gym floor. Left it go for the time being but halfway through class with the gal who had taken the ipod off giving 'em the stink eye (and likely weighing up whether to get hers out), my regulars alternately shaking their heads in amazement or chuckling at the thought of how I was going to handle it (i.e. being distracted from their workout and a music selection including but not limited to stuff by Syntax, Junkie XL, Rhianna, Flo-Rida, Depeche Mode etc. I turned the mic up and asked them if they could give me a heads-up on exactly which of the previous tracks weren't to their taste and what they'd suggest instead. In a very reasoable voice, mind. They took their earpieces out then but, really.....

I fancy that, in your position I'd purchase for myself a pair of shoes, cut the sole off and whip 'em out as the model you keep for folk who want 10% off (or whatever they try to beat you down to) I got that sort of idea from the SE board.