If you’ve ever met a cheapskate, you know they will pinch a penny so hard it squeals. And if they find someone with a useful talent, they’ll squeeze that person too. Suddenly, your paid side hustle turns into a full-time gig, with zero pay and endless tasks.
Got a friend who bakes? Guess who’s making the cupcakes for every birthday. Know someone handy with a camera? Boom, free family portraits. These folks lose all sense of boundaries when you’re good at something they don’t want to pay for. Just like one Redditor’s boyfriend who keeps ordering free portraits from her like he’s ordering takeout.
More info: Reddit
Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; give a man a girlfriend who draws portraits, and suddenly he’s got free gifts for every occasion
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One woman refuses to create a custom wedding portrait for her boyfriend’s buddy after he keeps volunteering her to work for free so he saves on gifts
Image credits: ziaullah621 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The woman is a talented artist who draws digital portraits for some extra cash, in addition to her full-time job
Image credits: drobotdean / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The woman’s boyfriend keeps telling people she will create custom portraits for them as gifts for different occasions, leaving her no choice but to do so
Image credits: Beneficial-Survey804
After too much free labor, the woman refuses to create a wedding portrait for her boyfriend’s buddy, so he tries to replace her talent with AI
The OP (original poster) is a digital portrait artist. It’s her passion, and occasionally, her side hustle. Her boyfriend, however, thinks that because she can draw, she should draw all the time. It started with one birthday. This guy suggested, in front of all their friends, that she do a portrait as a gift.
The OP went along with it—hey, it’s sweet, right? It was, until the dude turned it into some weird tradition. Like a calendar from hell, every time someone in their friend group had a birthday, guess who was suddenly on deadline? Not him. Definitely her.
He’d buy a small gift and call it a joint effort, like her custom, time-consuming artwork was just a cherry on top. It wasn’t; it was the gift. But this guy really crossed the line when his college buddy, who our OP had never met, was getting married. And what did the genius do? Promise a custom wedding portrait.
Oh, and when did he tell the OP? Days before the wedding. Not weeks, when he actually made the promise, but days. The OP finally had enough and lost it. She declared she was not a one-woman art sweatshop running on boyfriend guilt and fumes.
The dude’s response? “It builds your portfolio.” To which every artist in the world would collectively scream: “Exposure doesn’t pay rent, dude!” And when guilt didn’t work, he tried using AI to replace her. The outputs? Not usable, obviously. But the damage? Already done. The OP felt like she had been slapped in the face when her boyfriend tried to replace her talent with AI.
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
You know, creative labor gets brushed off all the time because it looks fun. People assume if you enjoy it, it can’t be “real” work. Try saying that to a musician on their third gig of the week or a designer pulling an all-nighter. Just because it doesn’t involve spreadsheets or steel-toed boots doesn’t mean it doesn’t require time, skill, and effort. But hey, if it comes with glitter or a paintbrush, people suddenly think it’s just a hobby.
And probably that’s what the OP’s boyfriend was thinking as he kept asking her to work for free. I wonder how he would react if the roles were reversed. Probably wouldn’t appreciate being taken advantage of, huh? Because when someone keeps asking for favors without giving enough in return, or worse, volunteers you for things you didn’t agree to, congrats, you’re being used.
One telltale sign of being taken advantage of? You’re constantly giving your time, skills, or energy and getting nada in return. They don’t offer to help, don’t appreciate the effort, and definitely don’t ask if you’re cool with it. It’s not about keeping score, but if you’re the only one doing the heavy lifting in a “team effort,” you might be dating (or befriending) a freeloader with a diploma in entitlement.
Entitlement is like a magical delusion where someone believes they deserve your time, talent, or resources, just because they exist. It often comes from being spoiled as a kid, having boundaries constantly crossed without pushback, or just plain ego. These folks don’t ask, they expect, because they believe they deserve more or better than others.
And when you say no? They use guilt trips, tantrums, or the classic “you’re being selfish” defense. Truth is, setting boundaries doesn’t make you the bad guy—it just makes them uncomfortable that their free ride is coming to an end.
What do you think of this story? Was the poster right to draw the line, or do you think she should have handled things differently? Drop your thoughts and comments below!
Netizens side with the woman, saying she is not a jerk for cutting her boyfriend off from free gifts, since he is taking advantage of her
