Honestly, I think you’re right about the big picture. You compromised your value early and then tried to correct it later, and that’s always going to create friction.
But I also think there were a couple moments where you set yourself up for that outcome. The shopping piece is one of them. If it’s not clearly defined upfront-budget, expectations, what “shopping” actually means, then trying to get him to pick up a $50 purchase in real time puts both of you in an awkward spot. From your perspective, it’s part of the experience. From his, it probably felt like a test he didn’t agree to.
Same with switching to hourly right before the trip. Not wrong to want, but timing matters. That’s a pre-booking conversation, not something you renegotiate once things are already in motion.
Where I completely agree with you is once someone starts reframing clear financial boundaries as “hurtful” or tries to turn it into a relationship conversation, it’s usually because clarity doesn’t benefit them. That’s the point where you either lock things down or walk.
And the airport situation? Even if there’s a slim chance it was just a glitch, you handled it exactly right. The second something feels off about your ability to leave, you remove yourself from the situation. No debate.
I think the clean takeaway is define everything upfront: time, money, extras, everything! so there’s no room for interpretation. Because once you’re negotiating in real time, you’ve already lost control of the structure.