Let's Talk Dollars + Cents
For the last five years, we've been quietly giving away at least 10% of our planners each year. I've never said much about it because it isn't a marketing ploy or a feel-good gimmick. I've approached it as the kind of faithful stewardship that doesn't let the right hand know what the left is doing. But we've realized that keeping it to ourselves also keeps it from reaching as far as it could. It also keeps you from having a hand in it.
From the very beginning, the Sacred Ordinary Days Planner has belonged as much to you, our community, as it does to us. When we launched five years ago on Kickstarter, it was with the understanding that our planner would only exist with enough hunger and enthusiasm from you to make it possible. You blew us away then and you continue to blow us away now.
For a while now, we've been dreaming of a planner fund that would allow us to get more planners into the hands of people who are hungry for peace, presence, and purpose, but whose finances truly can't support the cost. A fund that we seed, but that our community helps us water and grow.
The time has never seemed more right. Sacred Ordinary Days is growing despite the global pandemic that continues to desiccate so many small businesses around the world. That's a direct result of your faithful support, by the way, and we are so grateful. At the same time, the number of those experiencing economic hardship as a direct result of the pandemic also continues to grow. For so many, peace, presence, and purpose feel further and further out of reach. We're hoping that, together, we can offer a beacon of hope as well as a beautiful, useful tool.
Maybe you've used the planner in the past and it changed your life. You want every one of your brothers and sisters in Christ to be able to experience the same transformation. Maybe the planner isn't right for you or isn't right for you right now, but you love what we do and the practices and rhythms we help you foster. Maybe you've purchased a book or resource from our shop and wished there were more ways to support our business and our ministry. Your chance is coming soon.
I'm sure you have questions. While we're still working out all the details, we've jotted down a few answers below.
As with everything we do, our ultimate goal is to help people grow in Christ-likeness—and help the church come together—through holistic spiritual formation. Our planner is a phenomenal tool for that. If helping the planner reach more people sounds like your cup of tea, will you hit reply to this email and let me know?
Alongside you,
P. S. Our limited edition Behold and Abide covers are already sold out, but we still have all of our beautiful book cloth covers available in both weekly and daily formats. If you want one of them to be yours, now's the time—$5 off ends tomorrow!
AREN'T THERE ALREADY WAYS TO SAVE?
Yep, there sure are! We've always provided opportunities to save on the planner and will continue to do so. The planner fund would work in tandem with them so that cost doesn't have to be a barrier to entry for anyone. If you're looking for ways to save on a 2021 Daily or Weekly Planner, here are some ideas to consider.
- Order before tomorrow to get $5 off. That just might be the difference between out of reach and financially doable.
- Ask for a planner as a gift. We know many who get their planner for their birthday, Christmas, anniversary, or mother's day/father's day every year. (It also ensures you get something you’ll actually use from your mother-in-law or favorite aunt.)
- Band together for a group discount. Join up with your Sunday School class, small group, or other family and friends. An order of 5 planners gets you 10% off, but the bigger your group the more you'll save. (Pro-tip: you'll also save money by dividing up shipping costs, which is especially helpful for international orders.)
- Earn points by referring others through social media and email. Any points you earn can be used toward significant discounts on your planner purchase—or even a free planner! And you get $10 when you give $10 to friend.
WHY NOT JUST REDUCE THE COST?
On a cost-per-use or cost-per-day basis, the planner is clearly a value. But we totally understand that it's not cheap. If you're curious, we landed on the price-tag for a few good reasons.
- This is not your average, mass-produced, big-box-store planners (like we said). You won't find any thin paper, plastic binding, or flimsy covers. Instead, our daily and weekly planners are made with high-quality 60-pound paper, durable hardcover binding, beautiful book cloth and printed covers, and gold-foil-stamped finishing. They are made with care to wear gracefully through an entire year of frequent use.
- There are just under 500 pages in the daily planner and almost 300 pages in the weekly planner. That's way more than the standard. We could easily pack 52 weeks into 52 pages and call it a day, but that will not help you deepen your journey in faith. If the goal is to weave your growing faith into every day of your life with multiple practices and resources, then plenty of space is required.
- Our daily and weekly planners are more than just a bunch of pages with lines and dates. Both formats incorporate time-honored, rich resources that tie the liturgical year, the lectionary, the practice of praying the examen, and the practice of crafting a rule of life into your everyday life. The "planner" part of this planner is really just a small piece of the overall package.
- Our planners are printed right here in Waco, Texas, and bound just down the road in San Antonio. It's a choice born from loving where we live—and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We could save a few dollars per planner by moving production overseas. But we're not willing to operate without visibility as to the quality of life of those involved—especially when producing a planner whose purpose is greater faithfulness. Those two practices just don't match up to us.