Fairness and transparency should be the status quo when it comes to your mobile phone bill, and Koodo has been on a mission to champion the values of honesty and simplicity in Canada. They keep their phones and plans separate instead of bundling them together, which means you know exactly what you’re paying for and what you’re getting.
In keeping with their ethos, we’re taking a look at some other types of purchases in an attempt to figure out which yields the better overall value – bundles or individual items.
Today we’re wondering: If you’re interested in taking a lesson or a class, should you pay for one at a time, or purchase a package deal?
The Package Approach
For those of us who aren’t very good at booking (and sticking to) our own schedules, the package approach is a good choice. Your classes are set for specific, pre-determined time slots, and all you have to do is show up. This kind of timetable can keep you on track and focused, as well as help to maintain your interest level in the subject.
You’ll also save money in the long run – typically, a bundle of lessons offers the equivalent value of at least one free lesson when compared to buying the same number of lessons individually.
There’s also better potential to make friends and interesting new acquaintances in packaged classes. If you’re taking lessons in stand-up comedy, you’ll most likely be interacting with people who share similar interests, and the fact that the class convenes on a regular basis means that you’ll have better opportunities to make real connections with other classmates.
On the flipside, having that schedule locked in can also be a bad thing. If your drawing class is on a Thursday night for the next 3 months…there goes your Thursday night. Most classes can’t be moved to accommodate individual requests, so you’ll have to make sure you’re able to attend most of them.
And package deals are a larger up-front financial commitment. Often, they are non-refundable, so you want to be sure you have more than a passing interest in the subject/discipline. The idea of pottery classes might seem interesting and exciting in March, before the program is set to begin, but could lose its luster by the end of the second lesson in May.
Individual Lesson Approach
Dipping your toe in the water with a single class or lesson lets you test out whether or not you like a certain field of study or subject of interest. You might take one drum lesson and decide “Nope, this isn’t for me after all”, saving yourself weeks or months of wasted time and money (and the eardrums of everyone around you).
This method will be easier on your wallet right off the bat, at least as long as you take fewer lessons than what the package deal is comprised of. You might simply be taking cooking lessons to learn a few tips on how to cook better with herbs and spices, not to become the next world-class chef. Also, some of us actually learn better with longer breaks between lessons, and appreciate having plenty of time to practice and prepare for the next session.
One potential downside to the single-serving approach is that you won’t be able to lock into the same rhythm and momentum that a package of lessons can offer. Purchasing one class at a time could mean you’ll be taught by a different instructor each class. You’ll likely have to ask the same questions more than once, and you may not be able to develop a worthwhile relationship with each teacher.
Also, you probably won’t gain the same level of expertise that you would if you were taking lessons as a package. If you book a salsa dancing lesson once a month (or whenever your schedule allows for it), your progress will be slow and sluggish. You may even end up giving up the craft entirely and feel that it was a foolish endeavour to sink your money into!
Yes, packages and bundle deals are everywhere, but not all of them offer the value that they claim to. For example, most phone companies hide the true cost of a handset in a customer’s monthly rate plan charges.
Koodo does things differently. On their site, you can shop for phones and plans separately, with the peace of mind that comes from actual pricing transparency. Translation: No more hidden fees.
One of Koodo’s main initiatives is the Tab, an easy way for people to spread out the cost of a phone over a series of low monthly payments. Once the handset is paid off, the customer’s monthly bill decreases. It’s as simple as that. No further lesson required.
[ad_bb1]