When I was nine, my mom handed me $160 in cash and said, “You’re in charge of groceries this week.”
Not just the shopping. The planning, too. I had to make a list that covered breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks for the whole family. There were a few healthy parameters (so, no PB&J every night), but otherwise it was on me.
I’ll admit that my first thought wasn’t about balanced meals or smart budgeting. It was: “I’m definitely getting Lucky Charms.”
Walking into the store with that wad of bills in my hand felt like I had the keys to the kingdom. I marched up and down the aisles with a mix of responsibility and thrill. Cereal? Check. Bread and peanut butter? Check. Pasta and sauce? Check. Apples to prove I was responsible. And yes, Lucky Charms sitting proudly in the cart.
The real kicker? If I came close to the $160 target, my mom let me toss in a pack of peanut M&Ms at the checkout. Talk about motivation.
Looking back, it wasn’t a lightbulb “I learned the mysteries of money at nine” moment. It was clumsy. Sometimes I went over, sometimes I came in under. But I started to see how the little choices stacked up and how the totals didn’t magically work themselves out.
And now, with my oldest turning nine this fall, I’m actually excited to pass this same ritual on to him. (He’s already pumped about grocery shopping. That feels like a small parent win in itself.)
The Lesson for Pricing
Most business owners treat pricing the way nine-year-old me treated groceries: equal parts guesswork, wish list, and “hope it works out.”
- They set a number that feels right.
- Or copy what they see competitors charging.
- Or slash the price just to be “affordable.”
But here’s the truth: pricing isn’t about guessing. Just like grocery shopping with cash in hand, it’s about making choices with real constraints and learning from the totals as you go.
From Guessing to Data-Driven Pricing
Here’s how to shift from pricing like a kid with Lucky Charms in the cart to pricing like a pro:
- Plan first. Know what you want your business to provide for you, i.e., income, sustainability, and freedom.
- Do the math. Factor in every cost including tools, time, taxes, delivery, etc.
- Test and adjust. Early on, you won’t get it perfect. That’s okay. Every round gives you more insight.
- Align with value. Make sure your price doesn’t just cover costs, but reflects the outcome your client actually cares about.
Play, But Don’t Guess
If you’re still winging it on pricing, here’s your small experiment:
Pick one service and run the numbers. What does it actually cost you to deliver? What income does it support? Then set a price that reflects both.
You don’t have to land perfectly on the “budget” the first time. But you should be learning with every attempt.
Back then, hitting the target meant a pack of peanut M&Ms at the checkout. Today, it means knowing your pricing can support the life and business you’re building.
Either way, the lesson’s the same: stop guessing, start planning, and let each run through the checkout line make you better.
