Earlier this year, I decided to give up cable to simplify my life and save $120 a month. I don't watch much TV, and when I do, it's sports. But in such a short time, I watch 10 minute clips on YouTube for free.
At the same time, I decided not to renew my Bay Club sports membership. The renewal would run about $2,500, paid in advance over the next 13 months. I had just spent $1,700 fixing my car and I didn't want to write another big check anytime soon.
Major Health Benefits
In retrospect, maybe I should have renewed. 2025 was a strong year for the stock market, so the money was there. And the value of a sports club membership goes beyond the monthly fee.
The health and social benefits are real. The more friends and connections you have, the happier you tend to be. And I had met a bunch of young people at the Bay Club playing tennis and pickleball.
The confidence that comes from consistently working out, feeling better, and looking better is compounded over time. And when you think about longevity, sports club membership starts to look less like a luxury and more like a 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've been ignoring you. Paying for both just seems like a waste.
Why I Joined Two Sports Clubs in the First Place
The Bay Club offered something that my tennis club did not: a pool and indoor courts. Both are important during the rainy winter months. My tennis club doesn't have a pool or jacuzzi, which means I'm not teaching my kids to swim.
Teaching your kids to swim is one of those non-negotiable parenting responsibilities. Drowning is the third leading cause of death for children under the age of five, so survival is the number one cause. 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 will spend from about 10 AM to 1 PM at the pool, followed by 45 minutes of tennis, then reading and lunch. These “Sunday Father's Day Camps” run for five to six hours – great 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 be a member
Feeling Regret for Not Reviving
After not renewing in January (my membership started at the end of April), I began to regret it. The stock market had just experienced another sharp, V-shaped selloff and recovery.
Yes, it pissed me off when the Bay Club raised the children's guest fee from $15 to $25 last year. But $51.50 each Sunday (including credit card processing fees) to access a quiet, open teaching pool? That was the price I was willing to pay.
So I reached out to my pod membership leader to ask about rejoining. Unfortunately, he told me that my place was full. Bummer. I shouldn't have let it go. Isn't it funny how we want more of what we can't have?
I was about to continue asking about rejoining when I received an email update from the Bay Club that stopped me cold.
Tourist Fees Are Rising
The email came with a standard recommendation outline:
“As we enter the high season, our focus is simple: protect and improve your experience, so you can enjoy all of summer with your community.”
At the center, he said the visitor fee would increase, from $25 to $75 – $100 for all ages. Holy moly!
That means taking my two kids swimming on Sunday will cost $204 (including credit card processing fees), before factoring in 35 minutes of driving each way and $16 in gas. Now we're talking about $220 per swim session. For that price, I can find a closer and cheaper option.
It already takes some motivation to drive that far and come back on Sunday. But then arriving and having to pay $204 in tourist fees seems awful. I was happy to save time and money on electricity as the war in Iran continued.
Life is One Long Lesson in Economics
I've been thinking about rejoining for a few months. However, seeing that increase in money made me feel big about traveling. There was no doubt in my mind, compared to the fact that the tourist fee had only increased by another $10 per person. And it gave me great teaching time with my kids.
First lesson: nothing good lasts forever. All those Sunday mornings at the Bay Club 2.5 years ago – swimming, playing, having lunch together – are now over. Appreciate what you have while you still have it, because time flies the older you get.
Lesson two: how businesses work. When a private equity firm buys a business, its mandate is to maximize returns. That means raising prices before demand drops enough to hurt profits. Understanding these evolving issues, whether you are a consumer, investor, or business owner yourself. We want to own properties where prices keep rising, such as your primary residence, without being stuck paying ever-increasing prices.
Lesson three: replacement and opportunity costs. When prices go up too much, sensible buyers 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. They said, save the money. It's the same concept that I applied to food consumption when prices went up during COVID. If something is too expensive, cut back on spending and find something else. The benefit was weight maintenance and weight loss.
A Bullish Indicator For Investors
Increasing tourist spending this aggressively only makes sense if demand is extremely strong. The Bay Club is not doing this to drive people away. They used the numbers and believed their members could absorb it.
When families willingly pay $100 per person just to be a guest at a private sports club, consumer confidence is alive and well. These are not people who are worried about their jobs or their positions. They spend freely on the luxuries of choice, which is what a healthy economy looks like from a grassroots level.
Private clubs are a leading indicator that many economists ignore. When people feel comfortable, they join. When they feel pressured, they cancel. The Bay Club raising fees instead of freezing them suggests its membership is strong. That's worth noting.
What's Next
When one chapter closes, another opens. We'll lean back on soccer and basketball – both essentially free, since we already have equipment and public courts and arenas everywhere. Maybe we will spend more time in music: singing, guitar, piano.
There's no shortage of things kids can do that don't require expensive club memberships. And if we're in Honolulu for a month this summer, there's a free public pool two blocks from our house. The Everline Resort in Lake Tahoe has pools as well.
I, for one, am looking forward to refocusing on my tennis club, where I have been a member for 15 years. I've been taking a break from my knee injury and spending a lot of time with the kids, but it's time to get back on the court.
Thinking About Joining A Sports Club? Here's How to Decide
If you're considering a sports club membership, especially after a strong planting year or a milestone like having kids, here's a handy framework to think about.
The case for joining (and spending more than you think you should):
As you get older, health benefits and social investments converge. The costs of inactivity (in medical bills, loss of energy, and reduced quality of life) often far exceed the membership fee. If you have had a good year in the market, a sports club is one of the best luxury expenses to enjoy your benefits. Health and community communication is a long-term asset.
What you really have to pay:
A rule of thumb: your sports club membership should not exceed 1–2% of your gross monthly income. For most people, that means somewhere between $50 and $500 a month is safe. In addition, you may be paying for the product and status as access.
Be aware of the cost of add-ons. Guest fees, court booking fees, and processing fees can quietly double your monthly operating expenses. Build those into your estimate before signing.
Red flags to watch for:
Aggressive cost increases year after year are a sign that ownership is improving revenue over member experience. If a club does this, it may be time to shop around.
Replacement test:
Before renewing, ask yourself: what would I do with this money if I didn't spend it here? Community pools, community tennis courts, recreation centers, and school gyms are underutilized and often the best. The best club in the world is not worth it if there is another good social option five minutes away.
Important point: if you can afford it, a good sports club is always worth it, especially if you have children at home and years of active life ahead of you. Just make sure you get what you pay for, and always be on the lookout for when the price tag is quietly shifting against you.
Readers, are you seeing a rapid increase in membership and guest fees for your sports club and other activities? Could it be a great sign of a strong economy and affluent consumers?
Track Your Finances To Keep Your Lifestyle In Check
When membership fees, guest fees, and day-to-day operating costs keep rising, it pays to know where your money is going. Empower offers free financial tools to track your total worth, monitor cash flow, and analyze your investments all in one place. I've used their dashboard since I left my day job in 2012, and it remains part of my routine.
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