Pay as You Exit shares some similarities with Goldman's previous novel, In the Wings. In both works, the teen-aged protagonist alienates a good friend through neglect: in the earlier novel, the main character Jessica is preoccupied with her role in the school play and the breakup of her parents' marriage. The mother's separation from Jessica's father echoes the similar problem faced by the mother in Pay as You Exit; her post-divorce dating woes help solidify her bond with her daughter through commiseration.