I'm having some work done here at the house. The guy doing the work for me came as a recommendation from another contractor who'd done work here previously. He, the first contractor, had done a great job so I asked him for a recommendation.

My new guy showed up and surveyed the job. He wrote up a nice proposal delineating all his estimates for material costs and a labor charge. His proposal clearly stated he would charge me only his costs for materials.

This is a big job. It's taken several months' time to complete. Knowing this I figured we'd settle into some kind of "pay as you go" compensation scheme.

That's why I didn't object to his asking for partial payments to cover his costs of material. I also didn't bat an eye when he asked for a payment against his labor as we came into the holidays. He had always shown me his receipts and I felt like we was asking for a fair amount.

At the time of my first payment he showed me his receipts. It all added up. I wrote the check. I was away on a business trip at the second installment. My wife wrote the check, but didn't ask to see receipts. Yesterday he asked me for a check, no receipts were offered.

Now, I don't consider this man dishonest. In fact I'd be shocked if he were inflating material costs. The truth is, even if he has inflated material costs his work is worth the extra price. So it's really only a principal kind of thing. I want to see the receipts as agreed. That leaves me stuck because there is no way to tell him "I trust you but show me the receipts anyway." without really saying "I don't trust you."

Don't get me wrong. I'm OK with telling someone I don't trust them to their face. In this case I don't think that's warranted. Not only that but the job has a way to go. I want to keep everything on the right path relationship-wise until the job is done.

So I wrote the check for $100 more than his request yesterday. Now I have him back where I want him.

Forgive me if that sounds manipulative, but it's just a simple play on human nature from which we both benefit. His win is the extra $100 which will put him "in debt" to me ever so slightly. In exchange for this indebtedness I will expect, and in fact demand, to be shown receipts.

If he has been inflating material costs the damage is not enough for me to worry about. Whether he has or hasn't been inflating his costs is immaterial. We're now back on our original plan with no threat to a successful outcome of the project.