As most of your comments focus on the same subjects I'll address them with one reply. When I work I simply tally up the time it will take me to do things, add

As most of your comments focus on the same subjects I'll address them with one reply. When I work I simply tally up the time it will take me to do things, add a bit more time for delays, some small scope creep and a bit extra for time to polish things off and to finish early and charge a single fee, with half to be paid at the start of the project and half when the project is completed. Before I start any project I have it written in the contract everything that I am paid to do, and with this I stress deeply that this is the final list and that any additions are separate payments (although I don't charge for basic alterations, or won't charge on one change to keep clients happy). This system has worked perfectly for me, and I rarely experience scope creep or drastically late projects. If anything, I make it my business to make a project finish before time to add extra features for my client to make them feel that they're getting a better product for their initial investment in me. Ever since I started doing this I have not lost a single client, and have gained more than I can handle from word-of-mouth. Believe me, I've tried educating my clients, but when they've got kids that can build a basic page in Dreamweaver or a secretary that has written a basic HTML newsletter people will believe that building large-scale websites is easy.