If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (and Why It Matters for Your Money)

Drew Isbell
Sep 1
2 min read

The best children’s book ever written is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Let me explain why—and how it relates perfectly to the world of financial security planning.

A Morning Thought (and Too Much Coffee)

This morning, as I was getting ready for my reflection time with Jesus, I poured myself a cup of Gevalia coffee from our pour-over, still wishing beyond all hope I could find the espresso machine my Bride and I got at our wedding shower 11 years ago.

If I just spent a little more time crawling through that God-forsaken crawl space, maybe it would appear before my eyes. Then maybe—just maybe—I could convince Amanda that I need more caffeine in my life.

Amanda’s a nurse. She’s utterly convinced I’d function better with more sleep and less caffeine. (She needs 10 hours of sleep a night. Boring!)

And here’s the truth: the more coffee I drink, the more coffee I want—and the less I sleep. It’s a cycle I know all too well.

Anyway, enough about coffee. Let’s get down to business.

Why the Mouse Matters

The brilliance of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie lies in its very simple message.

On the first page, Laura Numeroff writes:

“If you give a mouse a cookie…”
“…he’s going to ask for a glass of milk.”

Then, of course, the mouse asks for a straw. Then a napkin. Then a haircut. Before long, he’s circled all the way back to needing another cookie.

“Small choices trigger predictable and repeatable patterns of behavior." Whether it’s a mouse with a cookie or your finances; the chain reaction is real.

It’s clever, funny, and painfully relatable.

Predictable Patterns

One of Dr. Phil’s most famous lines was:

“The greatest predictor of future behavior is past behavior.”

He was talking about psychology, but our choices with money are psychological too.

Buy the new car → you’ll probably want the upgraded sound system.
Get the upgraded sound system → you’ll probably want the leather seats.
Once you have leather seats → the salesperson will definitely want you to buy the extended warranty.

And so on.

The cookie leads to milk. The car leads to debt. The credit card swipe leads to another bill. And unless something interrupts the cycle, the pattern repeats itself—sometimes for years.

Breaking the Cycle

That’s where financial security planning comes in.

A good plan helps you flip the script. Instead of reacting to every “cookie” life throws your way, you:

Set boundaries
Anticipate what’s coming next
Build healthier money habits

It’s not about saying no to everything—it’s about saying yes with confidence.

Dr. Phil is right that past behavior predicts future behavior. But with intentional planning, you can change that story. You can create new habits, better outcomes, and greater freedom.

The Cookie or the Plan?

So, if you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll ask for a glass of milk.

But if you give yourself a financial plan or strategy, you’ll ask for something far more valuable: peace of mind. Freedom.

That’s where we come in. We help families, business owners, and professionals build financial strategies that don’t just react to today’s “cookies,” but prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities.

Ready to break the cycle?