The Hidden Price Of Everyday Tasks

wbcgaruss

Hello everyone.

I came across this article on another support forum, and it occurred to me that I should share it here because many of us suffer from multiple treatment leftovers and other things leftover from our cancer treatment.

There are also folks on here dealing with heart problems and breathing problems of other sorts, diabetes, etc., and it all adds up to dealing with a chronic illness situation alone or combined.

This adds up to how we plan things when we can and what we can do when a surprise disrupts our carefully planned day.

I hope you enjoy this article and get some help out of it.

And feel free to comment please!

The Hidden Price Of Everyday Tasks

Are there days you can do one task with ease, but the next day the same task feels impossible?

If you live with chronic illness, you may have heard of the Spoon Theory — Christine Miserandino’s metaphor where each spoon represents limited daily energy. Every task costs a spoon, and once you’re out, you’re done. (If you’ve never read it, here’s the original essay: The Spoon Theory – by Christine Miserandino)

It’s a powerful visual, but it doesn’t always capture the full picture of fatigue, the culprit of our limited energy.

Fatigue isn’t just “feeling tired.” It can look like:

• Brain fog fatigue – when concentrating feels impossible.
• Post-exertional fatigue – the crash after doing too much.
• Pain-related fatigue – exhaustion that comes from constantly hurting.
• Flare-related fatigue – when symptoms spike and energy drains fast.

And those are just a few. The Sjögren’s Foundation actually outlines 13 different types of fatigue that many different chronic illnesses can relate to. It’s no wonder that we truly have limited energy.

Invisible Laura’s Price Tag Theory

Recently, my Inspire friend, @Overcoming _Through_Faith, shared about the opportunity costs of being a professional patient–the trade-offs we face when we spend time and energy on doctor’s visits, traveling, or recovery instead of the things we love.

That sparked this idea for me: what if we look at our energy like money?

The Price Tag Theory is my twist on the Spoon Theory, where energy works like money, and every task has a price tag. With chronic illness, those prices–and even the amount of “money” you start the day with–can change without warning, so you’re constantly budgeting and trying not to end up in energy debt.

That’s where my mind goes to economics–a subject I never enjoyed in school (the graphs always confused me). But, when I think about energy, it suddenly makes sense: chronic illness feels like living inside a hidden economy.

Some days, folding laundry costs almost nothing; other days, the same task feels impossibly expensive. That’s invisible inflation–the price of energy rising and falling without warning. And just like money, once I spend it on one thing, I have less for something else. If chores drain my budget, I may not have enough left for connection, joy, or even getting out of bed the next day.

Each morning, I wake up with a random allowance:

• On my better days, I might have $50-70.
• On my worst days (like during a flare), only $10-20.

Then, every task has a price tag (examples):

1. $1-4: taking meds, refilling water, sending a quick text, eating
2. $5-10: changing clothes, bathing, brushing my teeth, washing my face
3. $11-20: errands, socializing, going to the doctor, driving, taking a walk
4. >$20: attending a social event (e.g., a wedding, dinner party, meeting up for coffee), moderate-vigorous physical activity, long-distance traveling

Like money, energy has to be budgeted. I try to choose the “cheaper” options when I can. For example, I’ll plan grocery curbside pickups at the same time as pharmacy refills, so I don’t burn energy on two separate trips.

But even with careful planning, the cost isn’t always what I expect. And if I overspend? That’s when I go into energy debt. The next day, I almost always wake up with less allowance and higher price tags across the board.

That’s the hidden economy of chronic illness: fluctuating allowances, unpredictable inflation, and the constant risk of debt that bleeds into tomorrow.

Writing Prompt ✍️

👉 If you think of your energy like money, what’s one “cheap” task that sometimes turns into an unexpectedly expensive one for you?

Share your thoughts below.