Welcome to The Friends Theory, where we overthink sitcom moments to make sense of real life (and occasionally call BS on our own bargain-bin behavior).

This week, we're talking about self-worth. Not just in the obvious ways, but in how we treat our time, our energy, our voice

3-minute read. No haggling required.

The One Where We’re Not Standing Firm at $10

Insights from “The One with the Ring” (Season 6 Episode 23)

Picture it:
Chandler finds the engagement ring. A 1920s diamond with sapphires. He’s emotional. It’s perfect. He asks the jeweler to hold it out and pretend to propose.

Enter Phoebe… his chosen haggling expert.

The jeweler is understandably horrified. Chandler panics.

The jeweler agrees.
Phoebe?

It’s classic Phoebe: full confidence, terrible negotiation.
And in this moment? You and I? We’re all of them.

We’re the jeweler, who knows exactly what something’s worth.
We’re Chandler, hoping someone else will just sort it out for us.
And we’re Phoebe, wildly undercutting the value—not because it isn’t there, but because lowballing is oddly comfortable.

Ever Been Here?

I'll bet my own $8,900 that we've all devalued ourselves to that $10 mark.
Not just in the obvious ways—salary negotiations, freelance rates, asking for raises. But in the quiet, everyday ways we barely register.

The ones we dress up as “being flexible” or “putting others first.”
But really? It’s us saying our time, energy, or needs belong on the clearance rack.

For my nerdy readers (okay, for me): that episode aired in May 2000.
Today, $8,900 is worth about $16,614. That $10? Roughly $18.67.

And I know—with full certainty—that we are all worth more than that.

The Bargain Bin Life

Here’s where I’ve been standing firm at $10 lately:

Exercise.

Not the punishing kind. Not the "because I should" kind.
The kind that’s for me: for clarity, for sleep, for creativity, for sanity.

And lately?
I haven’t made time for it.

That time’s been handed over. To work, to parenting, to everything that feels louder or more urgent in the moment.

Not as some grand sacrifice. Just…because.
A quiet default to everything else, instead of what I actually need.

And here’s what happened:

☑️ My sleep plummeted.
☑️ My mind started sabotaging itself at night.
☑️ My creativity? Still there—but I’m not tuned in.
☑️ I’m doing great…but I’m not at full capacity.

Not because I don’t care.
Because I stopped choosing what I care about.

And I’m done with that.

Try This On - Your $10 Reality Check

So here’s the question I want you to ask yourself:

Where am I doing this?

Where are you standing firm at $10 when you’re worth so much more?

It might be obvious—like undercharging or staying quiet in a meeting.

Or it might be subtle:

• Saying yes to something you don’t want to do, just to avoid discomfort

• Swallowing your needs because they feel inconvenient

• Pushing your joy, rest, or voice to “later”

• Doomscrolling into burnout and wondering why you feel numb

That’s not just life. That’s you accidentally running a clearance sale on yourself.

Let’s stop doing that.

Final Thought- You’re Not the $10 Offer

Turns out, Phoebe’s not the only one throwing out wildly lowball offers.

We do it too…. just in subtler ways.

We trade joy for productivity. Creativity for errands. That thing that makes us feel like ourselves… for whatever feels more “urgent.”

But urgent doesn’t mean important. And bargain-bin living is a choice we don’t have to keep making.

So this week?
Choose like it matters.
Value it like it’s priceless.
Treat yourself like the expensive ring that you are.

Until next time,
Lucy xx

P.S. If you're ready to raise your price but not sure how, start here👇

Thanks for reading The Friends Theory. I appreciate you so much ❤️