Stupid mistakes I've learned from (but not made myself)

Since I'm not giving this blog address out to people I know personally, I figure this might be a safe topic. Maybe.

A friend of mine decided to go back to school after her divorce. Her parents were gracious enough to allow her to room with them again and all seemed to be well. One of her agreements was to hold a job during the summer when classes weren't in session.

Option 1: Work for an office for $11-$14/hour over the summer
Option 2: Continue to work as a student-employee for $7/hour over the summer.

Guess what she chose? Yep, Option 2. Instead of working for almost twice the money, she kept her student job. Why? "I promised one of the ladies that I would stay and help out over the summer."

I understand commitments, but I also know that there is no way I would keep that promise. I would say, "I'm sorry, but my financial situation has changed and I am forced to take a position that pays more over the summer. However, since you have been so flexible with my schedule, let's talk about the possibility of me helping out again when classes start."