I was told a long time ago by one of my mentors that "A man / woman that works for free knows his / her worth!" Granted I wasn't going to pay for time like the author of this thread I had just been asked by my mentor how much would I need to be paid an hour to fly for him. In the end it was $30 and hour and had a lot more fun and gained a lot more experience (via the pucker factor) than you can paying to play!
Listen to Hawker he's been around the block a few times and aviation jobs will always be around but your dignity and respect of your peers is something you can't buy back!
FL450