New docs (of all types) find out very quickly that as soon as they receive their license, family and friends come out of the woodworks. They instantly assume you are a multi-millionare (and will continue to think this no matter what you say or do). Your 3rd cousin on your father's side that you haven't heard from in 20 years, since you both were on the tetter-totter, will call wanting some colored contacts send to him. A girl you went to 1st grade with will call and ask you to give her some drops for her kid's pink eye. And you will be an ass if you refuse to give a kid you went to high school with a extension of his already 3 year overdue contact lens prescription.
It's unfortunate, but if you have your own practice, you have to draw the line some place. If you have an idiotic family like mine, it will cause some friction. I give my immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sister) free care. In-laws are tricky. Could go either way. I don't like my sister-in-law so I charge her full price and she is very cheap so she refuses to come to me. I call that a 'win-win'
Good friends (one or two) might get free stuff but other than that, it's full price. Hey, you have a business to run. I do offer anyone that asks, a discount, that I will be happy to provide equal to whatever percentage of my electric bill or rent they are willing to pay that month. SO far in 15 years, I've never had one taker. Damn!
You will lose some friends over the little 'd0 I get a discount' dance we all play.
All the more reason I'm getting run out of business by Mart-Wall and 1-800-Gime-a-CL. Their prices are cheaper than I buy them for from the damn company.
Oh well, at least there are all these old people with cataracts and jacked up corneas to photograph.