--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, a_non_moose_ff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "markmeredith2002" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > When I taught full time I never saw myself as "selling mantras" or > > some such thing, but charging for the cost of maintaining a center, > > publicity and other expenses, and a maintainance lifestyle for me the > > teacher - plus of course giving about 1/2 to the parent corp as a > > franchise fee for its role in developing the product and conducting > > other support operations - at least that's the business angle on > > understanding the course fee for TM. In short you're charging for the > > cost of making tm easy and convenient for someone in the US to learn. > > Agreed. > > > I think that was fair when the cost was $75-$175 which it was when I > > taught. Now with the fee at $2500 or more, that whole model breaks > > down in my mind. > > I just checked an inflation index from 1968 -- when prices were > $75/$35 for adults and students. Prices have increased by a factor of > 12.3 times since then.
Where did you get your figures? Because when I googled "consumer price index history" I came up with a table showing a MUCH different result from 1968 to 2005 than 12.3 times. According to the Consumer Price Index found at the U.S. Department of Labor at ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt , the CPI in January 1968 was 34.1; in January 2005 it was 190.7. Now, according to MY calculater that's an increase by a factor of 5.6, NOT 12.3 as you stated(curiously, 5.6 is almost exactly half of 12.3 so maybe you accidentally doubled your figures when you did the math). Unless my math is wrong (and I will stand corrected if someone points out an error on my part), a $35.00 initiation fee in 1968 would therefore be $196.00 today. A $75.00 initiation fee in 1968 would therefore be $420.00 today. Extrapolate all you want from there, and add all and anything you think is justified from there, but I don't think there's any way you can come up with anything anywhere near $2,500... > > A surprisingly large factor, but then again, adult theatre tickets > were around $1, a gal of gas around $.3, a nice middle class home in > the SF Bay Area was $30,000, a large Hersheys chocolate bar with > almonds was $.10, etc., an all day ski lift ticket at a premier area > was $5 ($75 now), hardbound "best sellers were around $2, a new VW > was $1200 or so (I think), etc. > > Thus in "today's dollars", the 1968 equivalent price TM for an adult > is about $925. > > One could argue (not me particularly) that the value of the product > has increased due to the availability of adjunct products that are now > available to enhance the core product: AV, SV, GV, jyotish, yagyas, > gems, sidhis, collective consiousness, etc. > > Thus a price of $1500-2000 would not be unreasonable given the more > complete product portfolio available compared to the lone product > offering at $925. > > An extra $500 (25%) ($20 in 1968 terms) is added for "humanitarian > projects" not unlike what some firms like Starbucks and Ben and > Jerry's do (thought their percentage may be different). > > Voila $2500 is "reasonable". And not so far off from 1968 prices. And > heck, you get a King thrown in for free! > > > (See link. You need to do some multiplication to get the index back 38 > years.) > http://www.watsonwyatt.com/europe/pubs/longtermstats/render2.asp? ID=14440 > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
