The green bottle sliding scale

(I got this concept from Alexis J. Cunningfolk. Read more about it here: https://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog/sliding-scale).

We all come from different backgrounds and we have had varied financial privilege or lack thereof throughout our lives. How well off you are has little to do with how hard you work, and a lot to do with pure luck. Some people work two jobs and try to pay back student loans, a mortgage and make ends meet, others are sitting on inheritance and zero debt. That is how the world currently looks.

Offering the sliding scale is in essence about making services available to people who have not had the luck that others have when it comes to money. When we offer our services, the full price is the actual cost of the service. We charge that amount to earn a fair wage and to be able to deliver this service sustainably. Offering these services requires a lot from the facilitators - as much as we love doing what we do, we also need to take time between guests to recalibrate, recover and recharge. At the same time, we also believe deeply in making teacher plants available to more people – A New Day Retreats is a creation of love and we have a profound belief in the properties of these plants.

If you purchase the service at a lower than full rate, you get a discount off the actual price of the service. We do not ask for income verification and we rely 100 % on trust in this process. Pay in relation to wherever you fall on the green bottle sliding scale – no questions asked!

Cunningfolk says: “The sliding scale represents the idea that financial resources, including income, are not and should not be the only determining factor in whether or not someone can access services/care/etc.” And she continues to look at the difference between sacrifice vs. hardship: “If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do. If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship.”

So when you can afford the full price, you not only help A New Day Retreats provide a service that you find beneficial for yourself, you also help to make it sustainably available for people who are not as financially affluent as you are, for whatever reason that may be.

But why should I pay a higher amount when others get it at a "better price"?
Because it has no real, long-term (or even short-term) impact on your life, because you can do it comfortably, because you have a bit more "pure luck" than others do when it comes to where your bank statement is at at the end of every month. Because at A New day Retreats we have bills to pay and the wish to make a sustainable income for our famlies. Because we truly, truly believe in what the teacher plants have to offer, not just for us and you, but for society as a whole. Because the capitalist world we live in, when it comes down to it, just is not fair. I have worked with severely underprivilged people in my life who rarely get a break. I wish to give people a break when I can. So thank you for paying full price, so that less privileged people get a change to access services that you take for granted.

Very, very few people have asked for reduced rates since A New Day Retreats opened. Please do not hesitate to do so, if you are struggling. We can work out a way that makes this accessible to you while you still know that you are contributing meaningfully to the experience. Please just ask :) So if you find yourself on the sliding scale, we encourage you to reach out and we will find a way to make this possible for you!

(My parents struggled with money and I remember times when they could not pay the electricity or phone bills. There is a lot of shame attached to not always being able to make ends meet, when in fact they both did everything they could to provide. Having this experience growing up has made me hugely aware of this issue and I wish to address it in this small way that I can contribute.)

(* Basic needs include food, housing and transportation. ** Expendable might mean that you are able to buy coffee or tea at at shop, go to the movies or a concert, or buy new clothes, books and similar items each month. Image and framework created by Alexis J. Cunningfolk.)