I was scrolling social media the other day and saw a post shared about ‘perceived value.’ The connection that shared this has her own crafty side business going.

The example was about a deck. Asking for a quote of a deck build, getting a price back and then asking if the builder would take 40% less to do the job. How much did the customer think the job was worth? If that much less, the builder would teach the customer how to do the job. The customer would have to provide the tools and be available to do the work on the days the builder works to teach the customer. Moral of the story is, that the customer now realizes that buying or renting the tools needed and taking time off work does not necessarily mean savings for the work to be done.

Certainly, getting quotes is a good idea so a ball park price range can be determined if someone really doesn’t know what to expect (important for big projects of course).

What I don’t think the example points out is the years of training, experience and schooling that the builder brings to the job. The expertise. Which can be said for many other products or projects out for ‘hire.’ Investing in yourself, your tools and materials, and trial and error with those materials. We know that it takes 10,000 hours to be a ‘pro’ at something. Asking someone to take less money seems like an insult when you think how much of this person’s life has been dedicated to their craft.

Growing up, my dad, a carpenter, would say to me if he was asked to do the job for less, ‘ I wonder how they would feel, if they were asked to work for less. I don’t think that would go over well.’

I have come to appreciate that people are billing for their service according to the market average and what is fair for that service. I also recently learned more about the power of using the term ‘circulation’ when it comes to money. That if you think of money like an ‘energy,’ then you want to associate the giving and receiving of money with good feelings and good energy. Why would I begrudge someone earning a nice living? That is what I think of now when I am buying things. The person running a restaurant has overheard expenses and staff to pay.. the same goes for the shopkeeper, the electrician, the tile-setter, the museum.

Pay graciously, and know that when you pay for a product or hire someone for a service, that the circulation of funds is positively affecting the other person. It will be circulated one way or another, and passed on to the next recipient.

Give happily, for what you give out, you get back.

*My aunt is also very instrumental in teaching this. If we are out for lunch with her, she has said, ‘oh my credit card was really wanting to buy this lunch today, I haven’t used this card enough.’ (Read Ken Honda’s Happy Money.)

Sending Love,

Devon