I am usually sooo good with my money, actually, about all the time. I only spend it if I have too. I have my savings and then I have my little spending money I allow myself; I am just frugal by nature, up until now at least. It seems I may have just made my first money purchasing mistake, but I am trying to debate why it is a good thing.
I went to try LA Fitness for the afternoon on Sunday, and I ended up liking it a lot. So, I immediately signed up for membership. The deal was 30 dollars a month for all access to California LA Fitness Gyms, I can bring 2 friends for free any time I come, attend all classes with no fee, unrestricted access to pool, sauna, weights, the whole deal, etc. Sounded great, so I got it. Thirty bucks is definitely do-able.
Well, here is where I get in trouble. They had a 1 hour session with a personal trainer free for joining and I took it. It was so good! I literally got my butt kicked. I had not worked out that many muscle groups in a long time, and I am soooo sore! It felt so great, but now I can barely walk.
After the session, I was so out of it, and they started talking money for the personal trainer program. I knew I could not stretch it, or at least hate spending the money on it. Then after refusing for a bit, they gave me a "deal" for 100 bucks a month to get me 4 training sessions. 25 bucks a week? Not too bad, if you think about it, that is about a trip to the movies and a drink, which I do normally. Then again, I am now paying 130 bucks/month for a gym! Ahhh! I thought I could cancel anytime, but I just got an email saying I was committed for 12 months and my only option to "cancel" within the next year is to "freeze" my program.
What if I absolutely cannot afford it!? Plus, I have no idea if I will even be here in LA for a year. What happens if I do have to cancel before the 12 months, do I have to pay it all in full? I read the fine print before I signed, as anyone should, and based on what the trainer was telling me, it seemed I could cancel as long as I give a 10-20 day notice before my next billing period.
Is this paying for a personal trainer good or a mistake? I know I can only get in shape from it, so for that, it is great. I need a trainer to push me; it is the only way I respond and challenge myself. I am able to be healthy by myself, but I need a coach to stay in shape (not just healthy), I respond better to structure and and outside force motivating me when it comes to excercise. I have come to see this "purchase" as an investment in myself. I will pay the money for a better me, to help me reach my goals, and feel good about myself.
However, I am afraid with not having a set job and other expenses just to cover, I am not going to be able to afford this. I just hope I can keep it going. The thought of $1300 a year for a gym scares my half to death because that seems like my entire life's savings! Do I even make that much?! haha, no, seriously! If it is so good for me, why do I feel stressed about this decision, as if I am throwing money down the drain?
I know I will have to make some cutbacks, but the thing is, I do not have much to cut back on! I only pay for gas, rent, food, and some fun. This July was so expensive for me in terms of those basics along with a car checkup, plane flight home, and contacts with eye exam. I know I need to start helping my parents out with my health and car insurance, and here I am signing up for a PT. I think I will cut back on my going out/fun habits, which would be my drink a week, weekly subway sandwiches, occasional movie, etc.
On a side note, I am also trying really, really hard to get to Orlando! I am sooooo close to booking a week flight in October, despite the job situation because I need to get my seasonal cast member hours done asap. That expense alone (plane flight + food) will be around 500 bucks.
Can you tell I am feeling a little stressed by this decision? What do you think? Is paying for the Physical Training sessions a good investment in myself or a mistake? I cannot wait for the day in which I have the means to afford a great lifestyle.
No comments:
Post a Comment