Well, I suppose you could call it deflation.
Folks interested in becoming “Dave Ramsey certified counselors” in Dave’s counselor-training program will now find their wallets lightened by roughly $2,950 for the priviledge. (Spouses can tag along for just $1,500 more.)
Stout price tag? Yes. But readers with healthy memories might recall that the last time I checked, this counselor-training course of Dave’s was running in the $3,950 range. However, if you were participating on behalf of a non-profit, church-related entity, you could get all “Dave’d up” for the low low price of $2,350.
So the course is cheaper now for Your Average Joe, but more expensive for the church-based crowd. Better pass that collection plate around a couple more times.
$3k Keeps Out the Riff-Raff
I’ve kicked around the idea of taking the counseling course. Obviously this topic (debt-busting, financial independence, and so on) is one that I eat up, and I agree far more often with Ramsey than I disagree with him.
However, while I’d likely have a blast at the event, I just don’t know how much I’d learn there — nor do I know how I could make it financially worthwhile for myself. Tax-deductible or not, three grand is a chunk o’ change.
And aside from the cost basis required by providing for a Tuesday-Saturday hotel stay, food, and “high quality training materials and manuals” (all included in the price), I’m quite sure Dave’s group sets the price where it is so that they can, in some measure, weed out all non-hackers who don’t pack the financial gear to serve in his beloved corps.
In the end, Dave has become too salesman-ish these days for me to feel good about handing him $3k to relearn what I likely already know. I’ve bought and given away numerous copies of his books, so my conscience isn’t nagging me about “giving back” to those from whom I’ve derived value. (That “value” hasn’t been restricted to just a personal level: A fair amount of search traffic at IYM gets here via Google and Yahoo searches for Dave-Ramsey-related terms.)
NM Guy wrote:
Wow. I didn’t even know Ramsey offered classes like that, but it doesn’t surprise me. DR will sell anything, it appears to me.
Broke by Choice wrote:
I attended Dave’s Counselor Training. As a purchasing professional, I feel that the cost is worth the training and service provided durning the 4 day stay in TN. Including any volume discounts he may receive I don’t feel it is a waste of money.