Pay what you can: How our pricing works
Every price on this site comes in five bands, and you choose which one you pay. No forms, no proof, no awkward conversation. This post explains why I work this way, what each band is for, and how to pick the one that fits — including the bits people tend to get wrong.
Why not just have one price?
A single price decides who gets to come. Set it where it covers my costs and plenty of people are shut out — often the people who'd benefit most. Set it low enough for everyone and I can't keep the lights on, which helps nobody for very long. Many of the practices I share are grounded in helping people live a good life, and this, in my experience cannot be the preserve of the wealthy if we are to live in a healthy, harmonious society. What is the point of living well if everyone around you is miserable?
Most businesses solve this with discounts you have to ask for, or concessions you have to prove. Both put the weight on the person with the least. Having grown up on the receiving end of this I understand the work this asks of people often when life is already feeling overwhelming and people may want to come to find a better way of living life. I'd rather the system did that work. After all, it is because of good actions of the past that someone would even find themselves considering or questioning to want to change how they live and work, and those who have trod the path know that effort will be involved - money should not be the barrier.
So the price is a range, and the people who can pay more do, so the people who can't can get started. That's it. It's not charity and it's not a marketing trick. It's closer to how a village used to work: what comes in gets shared around, and the whole thing stays standing because people give according to what they have.
For me it also comes from practice. Generosity, honesty and non-harming are qualities that I understand I must practice in every aspect of my life if I want to see benefits for me and a better society. I want to invite people to practice these life changing qualities, and this starts in how they interact with the services I offer. By exercising these qualities one feels the effect and has the opportunity to start to notice how they might bring benefit to the life.
How it works in practice
Every session, class and course shows its own price range when you book.
You choose the band that matches your circumstances right now.
Nobody checks, and I'll never ask you to justify it.
You can choose a different band next time. Life changes; so can your band.
The session is the same whichever band you pick. Same time, same care, same attention.
And it does work. In 2025, 42% of sessions were paid in the Supported or Community bands, and 26% were paid at Supporter or Solidarity. Those two numbers are connected: the second is what makes the first possible. You can read the full picture, including what 128 of you told us, in our 2025 Impact Report.
The five bands
Each service shows its own price for each band when you book.
Band | Who it's for | What it does |
1. Supported (struggling) | Money is genuinely tight right now. Paying more would mean going without something you need. | Keeps the door open. Nobody is priced out of looking after themselves. |
2. Community (just enough) | You get by, but there isn't much slack. Unexpected bills hurt. | Covers part of the cost while keeping things affordable. |
3. Standard (true cost) | You're comfortable enough. You can pay for things you value without it causing strain. | Pays the actual cost of the session: time, training, rent, insurance, materials, a fair wage. |
4. Supporter (pay it forward) | You have some spare. Holidays, eating out, savings — these are part of your life. | Covers your session and part of someone else's. |
5. Solidarity (give access) | You have real financial security: assets, a high income, or both. | Funds a Supported session for someone else, and keeps the whole thing running. |
Band 3 is the true cost of the work. It isn't the "normal" price with discounts below and extras above. It's simply the point where a session pays for itself. Everything below it is held up by everything above it.
A few myths worth clearing up
"If I choose a lower band, I'm taking something from someone else."
You're not. The lower bands are there to be used. They're funded on purpose by people who've chosen to pay more. If you leave them empty when you need them, the model isn't doing its job.
"Paying less means I'll get less."
The session doesn't change. I don't hold back with some people and give more to others.
"I'll have to prove I'm on a low income."
No. There's no means test and no paperwork. I trust you to know your own situation better than any form could.
"Standard is what I'm really supposed to pay."
Standard is the true cost, not a moral baseline it is a reflection of what this service would cost to make a small margin. If Supported or Community fits your life right now, that's the right band for you.
"Paying more makes me a better person."
The ego plays all sorts of tricks on us that disturbs our peace. By giving more you are giving thanks to your efforts and conditions and circumstances that give you the opportunities you currently have. Giving without any expectations is very good for one’s self and very good for society.
"Once I've picked a band, I'm stuck with it."
Choose fresh each time. A redundancy, a new job, a bad month, a good year — your band can follow your life.
"A sliding scale means the business is struggling."
It's a deliberate choice, and part of what Space to Thrive was built on as a B Corp. It's sustainable because enough people pay at the top.
How to choose your band
There's no formula, and I'd rather you didn't overthink it. A few questions can help:
Would paying this mean going without something essential — food, heating, rent, travel to work?
Do you have savings you could fall back on if something went wrong?
Do you own your home, or is housing a monthly worry?
Are other people relying on your income?
Do things like holidays, eating out or new clothes happen without much thought?
If the first question is a yes, start at Supported. If most of the last two are a comfortable yes, look at Supporter or Solidarity. Most people land somewhere in between and know it when they see it.
It's also worth noticing where the hesitation comes from. Sometimes people choose a lower band out of habit or anxiety when they could comfortably pay more. Sometimes people stretch to Standard out of embarrassment when it's genuinely hard. Neither is a failing — just something to notice.
Some examples
These aren't rules, just a sense of how different lives tend to map onto the bands.
Supported. A student living on their loan. Someone on Universal Credit. A carer who's had to cut their hours. Someone in recovery rebuilding after a hard few years.
Community. A single parent working part-time. A care worker renting a flat, managing but with nothing much left over at the end of the month. A freelancer in a quiet patch.
Standard. A teacher or nurse, renting or with a mortgage, with a bit of savings. Things are fine, if not lavish.
Supporter. A couple with two incomes and a mortgage that isn't a stretch. Someone who goes abroad once or twice a year and doesn't sweat the cost of a meal out.
Solidarity. A senior manager or business owner. Someone retired on a good pension with the mortgage paid off. Someone with inherited wealth or significant savings.
Your situation might not match any of these neatly. A well-paid job with heavy debts, a modest income with a paid-off house, a good salary supporting family abroad. Weigh it up honestly and pick the band that feels right. That's all I ask.
If you're booking for an organisation
This five-band scale is for individuals. Work with organisations — training, facilitation, leadership programmes — uses a separate set of rates based on organisation size and income. Find out more on the working with organisations page.
Questions?
If something here isn't clear, or you're not sure which band fits, just ask. You'll get a kind, straight answer.
In Kindness, Ed.
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