Because I work from home in sweatpants, my husband's family assumed I was basically a housewife with a side gig. During a holiday dinner, they corporate-lectured me about "contributing more to the family legacy" and suggested I take over the bookkeeping for my father-in-lawโs struggling construction firm for free. My husband nodded along, saying, "It'll give you something real to do." I leaned back, smiled, and said, "The federal government currently pays my consultancy firm $250 an hour to audit state infrastructure spending. If I look at your books for free, itโs a massive conflict of interest. Plus, based on what you just described, you can't afford my retainer." Nobody passed the gravy after that.