At the beginning of this year, I decided ditch the cable to simplify my life and save $120 a month. I don’t watch much TV and when I do it’s sports. But with so little time, I watch 10-minute highlights on YouTube for free.
Around the same time, I decided not to renew my Bay Club sports membership. The renovation would have cost about $2,500, paid in advance over the next 13 months. I had just spent $1,700 fixing my car and I didn’t feel like writing another check that big so soon.
The great benefits of life
In hindsight, I probably should have upgraded. 2025 was a strong year in the stock market, so the money was there. AND the value of membership in a sports club it goes way beyond the monthly fee.
The health and social benefits are real. The more friends and connections you have, the happier you are. And I had met dozens of new people at the Bay Club playing tennis and pickleball.
The confidence that comes from consistent exercise, feeling better and looking better over time. And when you’re thinking about longevity, sports club membership starts to look less like a luxury and more like preventative medicine.
That said, I was already a member of another sports club, a tennis club 15 minutes away, for about $300 a month. And since you can’t be in two places at once, I had neglected it. Paying for both just felt pointless.
Why did you join two sports clubs in the first place?
The Bay Club offered something my tennis club did not: a pool and indoor courts. Both are essential during the rainy winter months. My tennis club doesn’t have a pool or jacuzzi, which meant no teaching my kids to swim.
Teaching children to swim is one of those non-negotiable parental responsibilities. Drowning is one of the three leading causes of death for children under five, so survival is the number one reason. But beyond safety, I wanted them to at least know freestyle and breaststroke, a basic life skill.
Every Sunday, I would drive 35 minutes south to the Bay Club in Redwood Shores. We would spend from 10am to 1pm in the pool area, followed by 45 minutes of tennis, then some reading and lunch. these “Sunday Father’s Day CampsIt ran five to six hours – good quality time with the kids and a nice break for my wife to do her own thing.
Having children is a great way to spend your wealth. If we didn’t have kids, I wouldn’t have become a member
The feeling of regret of not renewing
After not renewing in January (my membership ran until the end of April), I began to feel a bit of regret. The stock market had just experienced another sharp, V-shaped selloff and recovery.
Yes, I was upset when the Bay Club raised the child guest fee from $15 to $25 a year ago. But $51.50 for Sunday (including credit card processing fee) to get into a quiet, spacious teaching pool? That was a price I was willing to pay.
So I contacted my pod membership leader to ask about the reunion. Unfortunately, she told me that my seat was full. Boomer. I shouldn’t have let him go. Isn’t it funny how we want more of something we can’t have?
I was about to continue asking about the reunion when I received an email update from the Bay Club that stopped me cold.
Guest fees are increasing
The email arrived with the usual upbeat frame:
“As we head into peak season, our focus is simple: protect and enhance your experience so you can enjoy every moment of summer with your community.”
At the halfway point, said guest fees were going up, from $25 to $75 – $100 for all ages. Holy mole!
That means taking my two kids swimming on Sunday would cost $204 (including credit card processing fee), before factoring in 35 minutes of driving each way and about $16 in gas. Now we’re talking $220 per swim session. For that price, I can find a closer and cheaper option.
Now need motivation to drive so far and back on Sunday. But to arrive later and pay $204 in guest fees seems outrageous. I was happy to save time and money for gas with the war in Iran still going on.
Life is a long lesson in economics
I had been thinking about getting back together for a few months. However, seeing that fee increase made me cringe big about leaving. There was no doubt in my mind, compared to the fact that the guest fee would have only gone up another $10 per person. And it gave me a perfect teaching moment with my kids.
First lesson: nothing good lasts forever. All those Sunday mornings at the Bay Club for the past 2.5 years – swimming, playing, having lunch together – are now over. Appreciate what you have while you have it, because things change faster than you expect.
Second lesson: how businesses work. When a private equity firm buys a business, their mandate is to maximize returns. That means raising prices until demand falls enough to hurt profitability. Understanding this dynamic is important, whether you are a consumer, investor or business owner yourself. We want to own assets where prices continue to rise, such as yours main residencedon’t get stuck paying rising prices forever.
Third lesson: replacement and opportunity cost. When prices rise sharply, rational consumers find alternatives. I asked my kids directly: pay $880 a month to swim at the Bay Club, or do something else closer to home? They did not hesitate. Save money, they said. This is exactly the same logic I applied to food spending when prices spiked during COVID. When something becomes too expensive, reduce consumption and find substitutes. The benefit was maintenance and weight loss.
What’s next
When one chapter closes, another opens. We’ll get back to soccer and basketball – both essentially free, since we already have the equipment and public courts and courts are everywhere. Maybe we will invest more time in music: singing, guitar, piano.
There’s no shortage of things kids can do that don’t require an expensive club membership. And when we’re in Honolulu for a month this summer, there’s a free community pool two blocks from our house. The Everline Resort in Lake Tahoe also has pools.
As for me, I’m looking forward to refocusing on my tennis club, where I’ve been a member for 15 years. I had taken a break after a knee injury and spent more time with the kids, but it’s time to get back on the field.
Thinking of joining a sports club? Here’s how to decide
If you’re weighing a sports club membership, especially after a solid year of investment or a milestone like having a baby, here’s a practical framework for thinking about it.
The case to join (and spend more than you think you should):
As you age, the return on health and social investments becomes more complicated. The cost of not staying active (in medical bills, wasted energy, and reduced quality of life) tends to far exceed the membership fee. If you’ve had a good year in the market, a sports club is one of them better luxury spending to enjoy your earnings. Health and social connection are long-term assets.
What you actually have to pay:
A reasonable rule of thumb: your sports club membership should not exceed 1–2% of your gross monthly income. For most people, that means somewhere between $100 and $500 a month is defensible. Beyond that, you’re likely paying for brand and status as much as access.
Beware of additional costs. Guest fees, court booking fees and processing fees can quietly double your effective monthly cost. Put them in your rating before you sign.
Red flags to watch for:
Aggressive fee increases (especially guest fees) are a signal that the property is optimizing for revenue over the member experience. The Bay Club’s move from $25 to $100 guest fees in one fell swoop is a textbook example. If a club is doing this, it may be time to shop for alternatives.
Substitution test:
Before you renew, ask yourself honestly: what would I do with this money if I didn’t spend it here? Public swimming pools, community tennis courts, recreation centers and school gymnasiums are vastly underutilized and often excellent. The best club in the world isn’t worth it if there’s a great public alternative five minutes away.
Conclusion: if you can afford it, a good sports club is almost always worth it, especially when you have children at home and years of active life ahead of you. Just make sure you’re getting what you pay for and stay alert when the value equation is quietly tipping against you.
Readers, are you noticing a rapid increase in membership and guest fees for your sports club and other activities? Could it be a very positive sign of a strong economy and increasingly affluent consumers?
Track your finances to keep lifestyle inflation under control
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