My neighbor is in her 70s. I’m in my late 20s and live in the apartment upstairs from her, so when it snows I like to help clean off her car/shovel out her parking spot. Today she tried to pay me after I helped her. I don’t want to accept the money, but want her to still feel comfortable asking for help/not feel like she’s taking advantage of me. How should I go about this? Maybe ask her for something small so she feels like she’s helping me too? It’s never any trouble helping her with the snow removal, it never takes more than half an hour
If they always insist on paying, yeah, that’s what I usually do. Typically phrase it something like, "No thanks, I don’t really need the money, but I do like [biscuits | cookies | whatever her cooking specialty may be]. Helps if you know they like to cook, though.