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Dave Ramsey folks. It costs $89 a year to join his forum?


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Really? Am I missing something? Where can I go and discuss financial matters for free?

 

(As much as I love THIS forum -- and I have been reading here almost daily for years -- I can't imagine that I would pay $89 a year for the privilege.)

 

I agree! To me it seems the opposite of what he is teaching us to do. I found a wonderful free forum www.llnoe.com. It is totally free with many people who have done all of Dave's steps. Check it out, it has been invaluable for us already.

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Have you looked at Crown Ministries?

 

I used to like Dave Ramsey. Somewhere along the way, he got lost. I have real issues with him now (not so much his advice, but his attitude and the way he runs his business). I will never give him a dime.

 

How does he run his business?

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I used to like Dave Ramsey. Somewhere along the way, he got lost. I have real issues with him now (not so much his advice, but his attitude and the way he runs his business). I will never give him a dime.

 

:iagree:

 

Personally, I see it as greed. He needs more and more and for what? His million dollar mansion that he fully admits he's paying cash for? And he gets it off the back of people who are desperate. To me, this puts him in the same category in my mind as many high priced CEO's (and I do what I can to not support them either - seldom buying name brand, etc).

 

For what it's worth, I don't pay actual money to read any forum. I do pay for memberships for my boys on chess.com, but I see that as akin to various sports fees. My boys learn a lot and have improved their game considerably on that site - for about $50/year (it might be less). Their team has a chance to go to state finals if they can win their last two matches (one of which is today).

 

Why he charges so much from people who presumably have so little boggles my mind.

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I got this email from Gary North this morning (disclaimer - I haven't tried the course - I just signed up. Also, I don't know that much about him, but I've been receiving his tips for years and they have almost always been reasonable and helpful):

 

GARY NORTH'S TIP OF THE WEEK

 

 

Gary North's Tip of the Week - February 19, 2011 Debt-Free Living

=====================================================

Some of you may not know about my free site,

 

www.DeliveranceFromDebt.com

 

There, I offer a strategy for getting out of debt (except for

your mortgage) and staying out. It has all of the tools you need

to do this.

 

I offer this as a service to people who cannot afford Dave

Ramsey's books or courses. He offers good advice, but mine is

cheaper.

 

Gary "Mortgage-Only" North

 

 

The course is FREE and access to the discussion forum is FREE.:)

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I can't understand why anyone would be upset about what he charges for something he provides. :confused: It's a business. If some people choose to pay the fee, then that's their choice.

 

No one needs to access his forum on the internet. No one needs to buy his books either. There are plenty of free internet sights for financial advice and the free library for his books.

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I agree! To me it seems the opposite of what he is teaching us to do. I found a wonderful free forum www.llnoe.com. It is totally free with many people who have done all of Dave's steps. Check it out, it has been invaluable for us already.

 

I tried to register there, but I keep getting an error saying that what I typed for image verification is not correct. The problem is, there is no image to verify. I tried to email them about it, but I got the same message even though there's no image to verify in the contact us screen, either. Maybe they don't want new members.

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I can't understand why anyone would be upset about what he charges for something he provides. :confused: It's a business. If some people choose to pay the fee, then that's their choice.

 

No one needs to access his forum on the internet. No one needs to buy his books either. There are plenty of free internet sights for financial advice and the free library for his books.

I totally agree. And furthermore, he allows you to read the forums for free. It's participating that costs $$. If he were being greedy, IMHO, he'd shut the forums down to paid members only. But he hasn't.

 

Just my two cents...

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I believe you get alot more than just forum access too.

 

You get access to all of his forms, budgeting software, and other stuff.

 

I did try it out, for a 7 day trial.

 

I completely agree that it is a waste of money. I could not see paying for it. But I guess it is valuable to some.

 

Overall, I think his products are waaay overpriced considering his mission is to help those in debt.

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I also think his products are over priced.

 

everytime I see his stuff come across in HS buyer co-op, I think,... too much to pay for it. come to think of it, I think that about most stuff on HS buyer co op and many products on the market with brand names :glare:

 

he can run his business how he wants. he can charge what a free market will pay for products and I don't have to buy them. I like that.

 

i can't stand when our church offers financial peace university and people have to pay $100 each for the course materials. and ability to watch a set of dvd's together. I know they learn to spend better and save, but wow... seems like a high price for the product to learn that information.

 

-crystal

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I use his subscription service - but I only pay month to month. I agree that it's a waste of money for some people. You can get his book at the library. However, I needed the accountability - really needed the accountability. Otherwise, it would have become another pet project that wasted away after a couple of weeks. I posted before how much debt we've paid off now and it's pretty astronomical. :glare:

 

There are other programs out there that are similar.

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I can't understand why anyone would be upset about what he charges for something he provides. :confused: It's a business. If some people choose to pay the fee, then that's their choice.

 

No one needs to access his forum on the internet. No one needs to buy his books either. There are plenty of free internet sights for financial advice and the free library for his books.

 

Because he's marketing his (relatively) high-priced items to people already in debt who, if they're following his plan, are supposed to be allocating every spare dollar to the debt snowball.

 

He absolutely has the right to do this. It's his business. And I absolutely have the right to think it's a little disingenuous.

 

"Don't spend money on things you don't need," on the one hand and "Pay $100 for my course, $89 for my forums, etc." on the other.

 

I like his advice but not his business model.

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Because he's marketing his (relatively) high-priced items to people already in debt who, if they're following his plan, are supposed to be allocating every spare dollar to the debt snowball.

 

He absolutely has the right to do this. It's his business. And I absolutely have the right to think it's a little disingenuous.

 

"Don't spend money on things you don't need," on the one hand and "Pay $100 for my course, $89 for my forums, etc." on the other.

 

I like his advice but not his business model.

 

:iagree:

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:iagree:

 

Personally, I see it as greed. He needs more and more and for what? His million dollar mansion that he fully admits he's paying cash for? And he gets it off the back of people who are desperate. To me, this puts him in the same category in my mind as many high priced CEO's (and I do what I can to not support them either - seldom buying name brand, etc).

 

 

ACK! It's not greed to develope a product, market that product and earn a lot of money doing it. That's just capitalism in the good ol' USA! And thank God for it! I am glad he had the opportunity, glad he used the brain God gave him to make a success out of himself and provide a secure future for his family. His products have helped millions of people. But he is a business man too, not a missionary, forgoodness sakes. Buy his stuff or don't. Join his forum or don't. But calling him greedy is unfair.

Paying cash for a million $ house doesn't make one greedy. More power too him.

 

Disclaimer: I am not a customer of his (though I do know many), am terrible with my money and am poor, LOL! Just defending a principle here, not him personally or his products. In addition, non of the people I know who've used his materials feel ripped off. They are all begging me to try it.

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I pay the annual fee to be there. I don't go on the forum much but I LOVE having the 3 hours of his show on my Ipod everyday. And I'm glad he has millions of dollars. He works hard! I don't understand how you can say he makes his money off the backs of the poor (how offensive!!) when he has so much content for free?!? There is a ton of stuff on his site that is free, including one hour of his radio show.

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I pay the annual fee to be there. I don't go on the forum much but I LOVE having the 3 hours of his show on my Ipod everyday. And I'm glad he has millions of dollars. He works hard! I don't understand how you can say he makes his money off the backs of the poor (how offensive!!) when he has so much content for free?!? There is a ton of stuff on his site that is free, including one hour of his radio show.

I love his podcast. Gets a bit redundant after a while, but then a really good caller will come on and my love is renewed. LOL

 

And for the sake of disclosure in this conversation, we have purchased his Total Money Makeover, and watched his FPU videos. I'd pay a TON of money for those videos if necessary (we didn't pay a thing, got 'em from a friend). If nothing else, the man is hysterically funny (though we learned a TON about investing and insurance). Beyond that, though, with all of his tools available online for free and free budgeting spreadsheets available elsewhere online (google docs has some phenomenal ones!), we haven't spent a penny more, nor will we need to. If I needed the accountability, I'd definitely sign up for the forums. It's a tool, and if you've read any of the messages there, they're from very supportive peers. I, personally, also happen to run a large community elsewhere, and I have learned over the past 11 years what it takes to manage thousands and thousands of people online. Fortunately, my management team is all volunteer (thank you so much, Lord), but I highly doubt his is given the nature of his service. But that's just speculation on my part. Something to think about...

 

He's even posted his whole plan on his website for the world to see (for FREE), so you don't need to spend a dime to do his program, anyway. He's GIVEN that to us all. I paid off 10k in 10 months last year following his plan as it was posted on the website (didn't pay a thing for any of the information I read). Honestly, I think I actually found it on someone's blog. He could have had that shut down for copyright infringement. But he didn't and you can find his plan everywhere online.

 

And I agree, the man needs to live, too. He runs a business, not a missionary. Take it or leave it. We live in the wonderful U. S. of A.

 

I'm just stoked that he built his new house with cash. Have you seen that thing? :D And you know, if my $50 went to help him do that, more power to him! Rock on, dude. I'm doing the same thing for my own family now.

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Because he's marketing his (relatively) high-priced items to people already in debt who, if they're following his plan, are supposed to be allocating every spare dollar to the debt snowball.

 

He absolutely has the right to do this. It's his business. And I absolutely have the right to think it's a little disingenuous.

 

"Don't spend money on things you don't need," on the one hand and "Pay $100 for my course, $89 for my forums, etc." on the other.

 

I like his advice but not his business model.

 

:iagree: And I still say pricing things as high as he does to enjoy the profit he enjoys makes him greedy. Others can feel free to support his million dollar lifestyle (or that of other CEO's). That's their choice. I had my oldest son do his high school course years ago, but we're not doing it with my others. I used to like the guy. The more I see him in action (or his business in action) the more MY brain says, "Hypocrite," and I won't do so. The idea of not being recklessly in debt is good. Making a huge fortune off selling your idea to those who desperately need it doesn't jive with me. I'm GLAD countless others offer the same thing for free or for a more reasonable cost. Crown Financial is one I recommend.

 

To each our own. Those who wish to support the wealthy with dollars they can't necessarily afford can always continue to do so. That's their right. It's my right to offer my opinion on it. My opinion is that it's greed on his part. It ranks right up their with oil execs charging what they can because they can with no concern for the average person footing the bill. We have cut back our oil usage too. :D

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We've been Dave fans for ~ 4 years. Borrowing TMM from the library and listening to his podcasts, both of which are free, CAN get you to your destination.

 

We survived DH being unemployed last year, both emotionally and financially, because of Dave.

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We've been Dave fans for ~ 4 years. Borrowing TMM from the library and listening to his podcasts, both of which are free, CAN get you to your destination.

 

We survived DH being unemployed last year, both emotionally and financially, because of Dave.

That's awesome! We just survived DH's transition out of the military (and his severance STILL hasn't come in...).

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Seriously? :001_huh:

Dave Ramsey's books run $10-$15 from Amazon.

They're *free* to read from the library.

You can get his podcasts (lots of them)--for free.

You can listen on the radio--for free.

You can read an outline of pretty much his entire plan online--for free.

You can call him up, or email him, for personal advice--for free.

You can even buy his video series, etc, used, for a very low price (and I'm pretty sure I've even heard him mention that himself).

On what planet would this be considered greed?? :confused:

 

Making note of what amount he spent to house his family from money that he himself *earned*--that sounds like greed.

ETA: I don't think most of what he earns comes from the charge for his forum or his books. It's mostly (I think) grown from investment properties & such.

 

Edited again: Sorry, I didn't mean for this to post here, I meant to post it at the bottom, and it's not in response to any one person.

Edited by Julie in CA
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:iagree:

 

Personally, I see it as greed. He needs more and more and for what? His million dollar mansion that he fully admits he's paying cash for? And he gets it off the back of people who are desperate. To me, this puts him in the same category in my mind as many high priced CEO's (and I do what I can to not support them either - seldom buying name brand, etc).

 

For what it's worth, I don't pay actual money to read any forum. I do pay for memberships for my boys on chess.com, but I see that as akin to various sports fees. My boys learn a lot and have improved their game considerably on that site - for about $50/year (it might be less). Their team has a chance to go to state finals if they can win their last two matches (one of which is today).

 

Why he charges so much from people who presumably have so little boggles my mind.

 

What bothers you; that he charges for his product or that he has a million dollar mansion?

 

I think you and I have differnet world views. It doesn't bother me that oil execs make big money as long as they are doing their jobs.

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And I still say pricing things as high as he does to enjoy the profit he enjoys makes him greedy. Others can feel free to support his million dollar lifestyle (or that of other CEO's). That's their choice.

 

I agree. I think $89 subscriptions are too much to expect from the people who are most likely to need the forum. I do not think it is in any way wrong to gain a financial advantage by marketing products that people want to buy. But there is a disconnect for me when he theorizes what he does about saving money and then requires such a large subscription for the forum.

 

What would I think if the Tightwad Gazette lady had an $89 subscription forum? I would think it was absurd, that's what. "Cut your children's hair yourself, but sign up for autopay on my site so you can continue to get great tips on saving money." :001_huh:

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I agree. I think $89 subscriptions are too much to expect from the people who are most likely to need the forum. I do not think it is in any way wrong to gain a financial advantage by marketing products that people want to buy. But there is a disconnect for me when he theorizes what he does about saving money and then requires such a large subscription for the forum.

 

What would I think if the Tightwad Gazette lady had an $89 subscription forum? I would think it was absurd, that's what. "Cut your children's hair yourself, but sign up for autopay on my site so you can continue to get great tips on saving money." :001_huh:

 

:iagree: Well put. My thoughts exactly.

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What bothers you; that he charges for his product or that he has a million dollar mansion?

 

I think you and I have differnet world views. It doesn't bother me that oil execs make big money as long as they are doing their jobs.

 

 

Neither. I'm bothered that he charges such a high amount for a subscription to his forum knowing that most people on it really can't afford it. His advice tells people to not buy things they don't need, but then he offers his [paid] things that aren't needed at a really high rate compared to similar products or services and that's supposed to be ok. If his charges were normal for web sites within his field, I'd have no problem at all with it.

 

It's ok to have different views. ;)

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I agree. I think $89 subscriptions are too much to expect from the people who are most likely to need the forum. I do not think it is in any way wrong to gain a financial advantage by marketing products that people want to buy. But there is a disconnect for me when he theorizes what he does about saving money and then requires such a large subscription for the forum.

 

What would I think if the Tightwad Gazette lady had an $89 subscription forum? I would think it was absurd, that's what. "Cut your children's hair yourself, but sign up for autopay on my site so you can continue to get great tips on saving money." :001_huh:

 

 

As someone else said, it isn't just the forum you get for $89. There is a 3-hour, commercial-free podcast, all the budget tracking software, the forum and lots of other features I don't use.

 

As a member of the forum, I'm glad he charges. It cuts down on the spam and the haters. Plus, it builds a sense of unity. We're all so serious about the Baby Steps, we're willing to pay the $89.

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Neither. I'm bothered that he charges such a high amount for a subscription to his forum knowing that most people on it really can't afford it. His advice tells people to not buy things they don't need, but then he offers his [paid] things that aren't needed at a really high rate compared to similar products or services and that's supposed to be ok. If his charges were normal for web sites within his field, I'd have no problem at all with it.

 

It's ok to have different views. ;)

 

I think you misunderstand who is on the forum. There are many people on many differnet Baby Steps. There are people there who have made it all the way to paying off their homes who stay to help those on BS 1 (get $1000 in the bank). There is also a free trial period for those with questions who can't yet afford the subscription fee (which can be only $10/month). And Dave does tell everyone that they need "blow money"; many people use their blow money to pay for their subscription.

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As a member of the forum, I'm glad he charges. It cuts down on the spam and the haters. Plus, it builds a sense of unity. We're all so serious about the Baby Steps, we're willing to pay the $89.

 

 

Building a sense of unity or community is one of the biggest tricks advertisers do no matter what brand name it's for. Actually, I think the absolute best college class I took was about the Psychology of Advertising. That was more than worth the money, and I'm certain it's saved me more than the cost of the course - much more. The sense of unity is what sold pet rocks and pretty much every other fad out there in history or current as well as keeping brand names afloat.

 

As for the rest, charging $30/year keeps haters, spam, and advertisers out of chess.com. DR could do all "that" with less of a charge too.

 

All that said, people are free to use their $$ wherever they wish. I like that about a consumer society, so I'm certainly not telling you that you need to stop. If it's worth it to you, it's your money. I'm sure I pay more than I need to on certain things I choose to pay for too.

 

For anyone not already committed to spending the money on it, I highly suggest you check out the alternatives if money is an issue (as it tends to be with those in debt). $89 could save a bit of interest with that snowball effect if applied to a high interest credit card.

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Neither. I'm bothered that he charges such a high amount for a subscription to his forum knowing that most people on it really can't afford it. His advice tells people to not buy things they don't need, but then he offers his [paid] things that aren't needed at a really high rate compared to similar products or services and that's supposed to be ok. If his charges were normal for web sites within his field, I'd have no problem at all with it.

 

It's ok to have different views. ;)

 

I think if people who can't afford his forum subscribe to his forum, then they need to begin again at step one of getting out of debt. :)

 

I suppose people buy it 'cause they think they need it and that's not Dave Ramsey's fault.

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I suppose people buy it 'cause they think they need it and that's not Dave Ramsey's fault.

 

My advertising class prof would say otherwise. Advertising is big business and a type of science. It's not just commercials and billboards. Very little of it is commercials and billboards.

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Building a sense of unity or community is one of the biggest tricks advertisers do no matter what brand name it's for. Actually, I think the absolute best college class I took was about the Psychology of Advertising. That was more than worth the money, and I'm certain it's saved me more than the cost of the course - much more. The sense of unity is what sold pet rocks and pretty much every other fad out there in history or current as well as keeping brand names afloat.

 

As for the rest, charging $30/year keeps haters, spam, and advertisers out of chess.com. DR could do all "that" with less of a charge too.

 

All that said, people are free to use their $$ wherever they wish. I like that about a consumer society, so I'm certainly not telling you that you need to stop. If it's worth it to you, it's your money. I'm sure I pay more than I need to on certain things I choose to pay for too.

 

For anyone not already committed to spending the money on it, I highly suggest you check out the alternatives if money is an issue (as it tends to be with those in debt). $89 could save a bit of interest with that snowball effect if applied to a high interest credit card.

 

:iagree: I think part of the reason that it rubs me the wrong way is that for many businesses the forum is free to members and paid for in other ways. You certainly don't need to charge money for a forum to create a sense of unity (I can think of a few examples of that ...). Spam and haters can be harnessed with good moderation and upfront rules about what is allowed to be posted.

 

Why not charge for the extras and allow the forum to be free? Obviously he can do as he pleases. We're a self-employed family and I'm all too well aware of the need to make a profit, but I also appreciate that I don't have to pay to participate in most of the forums I'm interested in.

 

For 89.00 I could get a year of Amazon Prime and order 10.00 worth of books. I'm quite sure in the last year I had prime Amazon spent more than 79.00 on shipping and supplies to get my books to me, at least in retail value.

 

What about Facebook? If marketed correctly people would be willing to spend 89.00 a year to connect with family and friends. But it's free to members.

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My advertising class prof would say otherwise. Advertising is big business and a type of science. It's not just commercials and billboards. Very little of it is commercials and billboards.

Ramsey discusses this too in FPU. Says almost exactly what you've just said.

 

Just popped into my mind. Not saying who I'd believe over another, just saying.

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For 89.00 I could get a year of Amazon Prime and order 10.00 worth of books. I'm quite sure in the last year I had prime Amazon spent more than 79.00 on shipping and supplies to get my books to me, at least in retail value.

 

I adore my Amazon Prime account.

 

To take it a step further, sometimes they have great financial eBooks in their eBook section that they list for free during a limited time. It's hard to keep track of it all because they have so many free books to download, but if you catch it, you can get some great book deals. I know that wasn't your point, but it's worth mentioning due to the nature of this thread.

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Ramsey discusses this too in FPU. Says almost exactly what you've just said.

 

Just popped into my mind. Not saying who I'd believe over another, just saying.

 

If they say the same thing, there's no choosing who to believe, right?

 

One just needs to realize that DR is using it to his advantage too. Often "love" makes people blind. ;)

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If I were poor enough that I couldn't afford a vehicle, then someone gave me a fully-functioning vehicle, but I complained because it didn't have a power driver's seat and called the original giver greedy for giving me a car without power seats--that's what complaining about the forum fee is like.

 

He *gives the entire program (and everything necessary to do it) away*. Sorry folks, but that's not greed.

 

So the $89 forum subscription including the forms & budgeting tools ends up at $7.41 per month? If you don't have it to spend, the free version does the same thing.

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Honestly, just go to the free forums.....I like them better anyway (LivingLikeNooneElse.com). You can get the exact same help and information and not have to pay.

 

I won't pay for DR forums and don't even care for DR all that much.....I find him irritating to listen to. I got very turned off when he told a dad to "babysit" his kids.....um, no, we call that PARENTING! I also don't like his arrogant attitude and find him rude to his callers.

 

However, I have read TMM (library) while doing Crown Financial (which I prefer by far!) and don't mind reading TMM as it is sound advice.

 

Dawn

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Honestly, just go to the free forums.....I like them better anyway (LivingLikeNooneElse.com). You can get the exact same help and information and not have to pay.

 

I won't pay for DR forums and don't even care for DR all that much.....I find him irritating to listen to. I got very turned off when he told a dad to "babysit" his kids.....um, no, we call that PARENTING! I also don't like his arrogant attitude and find him rude to his callers.

 

However, I have read TMM (library) while doing Crown Financial (which I prefer by far!) and don't mind reading TMM as it is sound advice.

 

Dawn

 

 

I take no issue with people who dislike DR or his advice; different strokes and all that. I do have a problem with the idea that he is greedy for making a nice living charging for his product.

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I got this email from Gary North this morning (disclaimer - I haven't tried the course - I just signed up. Also, I don't know that much about him, but I've been receiving his tips for years and they have almost always been reasonable and helpful):

 

 

Just as an FYI... the name sounded familiar... I believe this is the same Gary North listed in this thread. :glare:

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I take no issue with people who dislike DR or his advice; different strokes and all that. I do have a problem with the idea that he is greedy for making a nice living charging for his product.

 

To me, he seems greedy because that is such a large mark-up and well more than he needs to make a living. I am not against being wealthy and I'm not against generating a product that people will buy. But, as I see it, $89 is far more than necessary for him to make a good living and that is where is seems very excessive to me.

 

SWB could charge a fee for this forum (certainly glad she doesn't!) and even if it was significant, many here would pay it. But I admire the bit of altruism where you don't earn every possible dollar by exploiting every possible money hole for all it's worth. There's something to be said (especially as a Christian) for giving your talent when you've already succeeded enough to live in perfect comfort for the rest of your life. Why the need to make more, more, more? That is what looks greedy to me.

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If they say the same thing, there's no choosing who to believe, right?

 

One just needs to realize that DR is using it to his advantage too. Often "love" makes people blind. ;)

Exactly. Just trying to tread lightly. This thread is going well and I don't want to be the one to send it downhill. LOL

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People often join/take things when they're free/cheap whether or not they're really committed to the process. Sometimes you need a way to weed those people out. Maybe $89 is the amount he's found that attracts truly interested people who want to participate in the community. Maybe it's the right amount to keep to a comfortable number of paid members, helping the community keep the right feel for which he's aiming. Or maybe those $89 forum memberships help pay for all that free stuff everyone else is getting to enjoy.

 

Whatever his reasons for charging that amount (which I don't feel is all that much, actually) I think he has the right to request a fee that works for him, and for his intended audience. It's not like anyone is forcing people to pay him a monthly fee... buy it if you want it, don't if you would rather not. No harm, no foul.

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To me, he seems greedy because that is such a large mark-up and well more than he needs to make a living. I am not against being wealthy and I'm not against generating a product that people will buy. But, as I see it, $89 is far more than necessary for him to make a good living and that is where is seems very excessive to me.

 

I think this is where our differences come up...it's a completely different viewpoint. Honestly, the very idea that the worth of a product depends upon whether or not the maker/distributor of the product earns more than someone else deems necessary as a "good living" is...a sign of the times, I think. :001_huh:

 

Who's to decide how much is excessive for him to earn?

 

$7.41 per month does not seem like a huge mark-up to me for ongoing budgeting help, if you're the type that wants extra support.

 

Either way, Dave Ramsey gives everything needed to run the program for free. I'm pretty sure giving everything necessary to succeed (for free) isn't a sign of greed.

 

I don't mind someone not wanting to do the forums. I never participated there. I also didn't buy anything else from Dave Ramsey. I just have a little trouble with the idea that someone who's given life-changing direction to so many could be called greedy over $7.41 per month. :001_huh:

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I think this is where our differences come up...it's a completely different viewpoint. Honestly, the very idea that the worth of a product depends upon whether or not the maker/distributor of the product earns more than someone else deems necessary as a "good living" is...a sign of the times, I think.

 

Who's to decide how much is excessive for him to earn?

 

 

But, people who are in debt, who need the advice the most are those who are already more likely to think the way you're talking about..."It's just $7.41 a month. That's practically nothing." Even the point of view of looking at an expense in the short-term is, in itself, a marketing ploy, that's why the car salesman keeps harping on "What do you need your monthly payment to be?" while the savvy buyer should be completely ignoring framing it as monthly payments. The only price that I need to know is What is the entire cost of the car?

 

It would not bother me much if Dave's product was not reducing spending. There's a strange irony in having a product that is meant to help people who have gotten into financial trouble, and then having that product be on the high end. His advice is not even amazingly novel, which he freely states. A basic tenant of good money management is not to spend money unnecessarily when something less expensive or free will do the trick. Yet, his forum is not an example of this sound principle!

 

He is to decide how much is excessive for him to charge. It's not as though I think any one person should not be allowed to earn lots of money or that we should cap what a person can have as profit. But, in his business, wouldn't he be well aware of what $89 means for a family who needs to dig out?

 

Anyway...I'm just saying - I do interpret the way he runs his business as greed and I do think he's exploiting people who obviously already have difficulty making the best decisions with money. I am not against wealth or beautiful homes; I'm a die-hard, 100% capitalist. :patriot: :D His particular case looks disingenuous to me.

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:iagree:

 

Personally, I see it as greed. He needs more and more and for what? His million dollar mansion that he fully admits he's paying cash for? And he gets it off the back of people who are desperate. To me, this puts him in the same category in my mind as many high priced CEO's (and I do what I can to not support them either - seldom buying name brand, etc).

 

Why he charges so much from people who presumably have so little boggles my mind.

 

Very good point, creekland.

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