Finally hit 10 years as a handyman, but the burnout is killing me

Been doing this handyman gig for a decade now, mostly fixing leaky faucets, hanging shelves with my trusty DeWalt drill, and patching up drywall in old houses. Out here in rural Ohio, the jobs come steady but the pay barely covers the gas for my van, especially with material costs through the roof. I remember starting out excited about the variety, but now it's the same BS day in day out, lugging 50-pound toolboxes up three flights of stairs. Saw a post on r/handyman about someone quitting after 15 years, and damn if it doesn't hit close to home. Guy in Handyman Nation group was ranting about how private equity is buying up the good gigs, leaving us independents scraping by. Tommy Mello talks about scaling up on his videos, but for solo guys like me, it's just survival mode. Starting to think about hanging it up before my back gives out completely.

man, same here after 8 years of this crap. the endless small jobs wear you down faster than a bad storm.

frustrated doesn't even cover it. last week i spent 6 hours on a simple cabinet install only for the homeowner to nitpick every screw. makes you wanna chuck the tools and walk.

big warning: don't ignore the signs, i pushed through back pain for years and now i'm sidelined with surgery. get out before it wrecks you permanently.

just slap a premium on those repeat offenders and watch how quick they back off. worked for me on a few stubborn ones.

haha, yeah, my milestone was when i finally told a client 'no' to free add-ons. felt like winning the lottery, even if it cost me the job.

screw the PE vultures, they're turning our trade into a corporate grind. we need to band together and push back before there's nothing left for the little guys.