Hellobee Boards

Depends how much he was asking/how big the job is. If it was a relatively small amount of money ($10-15) I would just give him the money in good faith and hope he actually did the job. If he did the job and came back again I would maybe offer more money/to help him out more.

I guess offering diapers could have worked too!

I typically don't have cash. That just breaks my heart.

I also wonder where his kids were at the time?

I live in a city and this happens all the time - we'll usually have multiple people knock when it snows. Our area that needs shoveling is so small, and FI usually does it though, so we don't accept the offer.

The guys that go around asking to shovel sidewalks will also offer to shovel out your car - I've never taken anyone up on it but that sounds like it might be worth it!

I would have probably just given him diapers...I have all sizes anyway.

How could it be a scam if he's offering to work?! Our neighbor will do ours for me if DH is out of town, but if we didn't have that setup and I had cash, I'd be more than happy to pay someone who was offering, especially if they needed it!

It would probably depend on how much he was asking for and whether or not I had the money to give. We're pretty strapped for cash ourselves, but not in a "can't afford basic necessities way," so if he was asking for a reasonable amount and shoveled the snow before I paid him, I would do it. Or if I had diapers I'd give him some. That's sad.

Living where we get snow often, this is a regular occurrence. People come asking to plow or shovel drives for cash. It's an "easy" way to earn some extra cash quickly.

ETA: I wouldn't consider it a "scam" if he didn't buy diapers with the money. He worked and provided a service, saving you or your husband the trouble and time doing it after working all day.

I probably would have let him if I'd had cash and he hadn't been too sketchy looking. I guess you can never know if he had just wanted the money for drugs or something but at that point, if someone is willing to do work, I won't question their motive and just hope that the $ is going to a good cause. I also might have just offered to give him some diapers, provided he needed the same size I have on hand.

In this neighborhood I'd be a little wary and offer him some diapers, only because we have had some issues with strangers scamming for drug money.

This happens every time it snows here so I wouldn't say it is a scam either. He is going to shovel for you, right? It is not my concern what he uses the money for. We always said yes before we bought a snow plow.

Totally! It wouldn't happen, though because my husband loves to shovel. He's weird. He's out there at like 4am making sure the driveway and sidewalks outside our house are clean as a whistle.

If I had cash in the house, id totally let someone shovel!

@Bao: Did he have his own shovel?

We had a guy come by our house once asking if he could shovel our sidewalk...at 11pm!!!

If i were alone in the house (or just LO), i probably wouldn't. Especially if he doesn't say how much he wants. I don't want him going, "C'mon, that's it? You can spare some more cash..." making me feel uncomfortable.

I don't think it's a scam if a service is rendered. Worst case scenario, the kids are fake and just meant to pressure you to accept, but you'd have still gotten out of shoveling. If the price was reasonable, I'd have said yes.

@Bao: if you don't have the cash, don't feel bad about saying no.

The guy's situation is sad...super sad even. But at the end of the day, if you are in a similar boat financially speaking, you have to keep your own $$. I know from other posts that you are on a strict budget.

Don't feel bad about it.

The only thing that seems slightly fishy about this situation is that he gave you the whole diapers story in the first place. Even if the story is 100% true, it makes it SEEM sketchy that he explained about the diapers instead of just knocking and offering to shovel the snow for $, you know?

Anyway, I totally understand your hesitation.