Ask the Price

Ask the Price

lively street market at dusk

Be sure to ask the price! Image: Street Market, Mongkok, Hong Kong by Bernard Spragg.

Ask the Price

Everything costs. Everything benefits. The question is whether the benefit is worth the cost. You can language this any way you like. If it brings you good, you probably had to invest something in it: time, money, energy, worry, caring.

Do you ever ask the price? Do you ever evaluate whether it was worth it? You can do this for anything–a relationship, a job, a piece of clothing, a new project.

I think you should ask the price. By this I mean two things:

  1. We should make a habit of asking ourselves first of all what the price is, or was. That will help us figure out what the price may be in the future of that same thing or something like it.
  2. And then we should get comfortable talking about the price with other people.

Why Ask the Price?

Let me talk with you about each of these two things separately:

  1. Ask  yourself the price: I think you should get honest with yourself that everything has a cost. Especially if you are financially drained, energetically drained, or chronically overworked or stressed for time. Why ask the price? It is essential information that will help you stop being drained. Because if you feel drained, you are drained.
  2. Ask others the price: It will really help you estimate the costs and benefits of something–a relationship, a job, a piece of clothing, a new project–if you can honestly discuss what you will have to invest to have what you want with the person(s) involved. Does this sound hard to do?

How to Do It If It’s Hard for You

Here is how to make it easier:

  1. Get comfortable asking yourself the price:
    • remember to ask the question!
    • research costs (research can be online, in books, asking friends or networks for information–asking a librarian is always a good idea, they go to school to learn how to find out things for people!)
    • think through benefits
  2. Ask the other person if you can talk with them; set aside time together.
  3. Bring your research.
  4. Detach from the outcome: if you want it too much, you’ll try to persuade yourself it’s worth it.
  5. Ask and explore together what it will cost, what you will have to invest.
  6. Take time to reflect.
  7. If it seems appropriate, negotiate. (It isn’t, always–but it is more often than we realize in our culture.)

Tell us how it goes!

3 Comments
  • Pingback:Who's a Money Magician? - RAISING CLARITY
    Posted at 11:13h, 30 August Reply

    […] her comment to last week’s post, our reader Danielle again revealed herself to be a Magician. She does this all the time. (My blog […]

  • Danielle Capillo
    Posted at 01:07h, 24 August Reply

    I do this all the time. I love that you can talk about and describe things so well. I think about and do many things but you have an ability to break them down and talk about them.
    So yes I ask the price and I find myself impatient with my partner when he doesn’t ask the price. This practice comes automatically to me now. I will use so much energy answering what does it cost but it feels worth it to me. It helps me to prioritize my life.
    It’s hard for me to do with other people. I take for granted my ability to do this and have little patience with other people not making this assessment or who feel uncomfortable talking about it. With most people I just stop but with my partner I get really frustrated that he can’t be on the same page as me and that we can’t do it together. I forwarded this post to him because I think you explained it so well.

    • Beth
      Posted at 14:28h, 24 August Reply

      Danielle, you are so darling. Your affirmation is very sweet to read. And I think that I have really learned how to break these kinds of life-habits down into blog posts because I see myself wanting to give my RAISING CLARITY away for free in the blog. Each week, I try to think what will be helpful to share of my latest self-realizations the next week, and I start mapping out the blog post. I have realizations sometimes about things that like you I have done for years! The realization that comes is: not everybody knows this! But it’s useful and everybody might potentially benefit. I think you have the heart of a blogger, Danielle…

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