24 Hour Fitness

It dawned on me yesterday that I had been a member of 24 Hour Fitness for 5 years already. I signed up in Florida when they offered me a deal to prepay for 3 years' membership fee of $650 and then $99/year. I've been paying $104.95 every year since I moved to Colorado.

Biajee has been an add-on family member for $20/month since last August. He hasn't been using it too much since Arnold was born.

When I was at the gym yesterday, the sales manager said it was their friends and family day when family members and friends could receive the same deal as us. I immediately asked him whether Biajee could get my deal. It ended up last night Biajee had to prepay for 3 years membership of $549 and from the 4th year it'll be $49/year. The prepay also includes 5 free personal training program that will help him lose 15 lbs in 6 weeks so that he'll be the "Biggest Loser".

I went ahead and called to cancel Biajee's current add-on membership. The lady tried to persuade me to let him stay.

"Why are you canceling his membership?"

"He never goes. And I've been paying it from my credit card every month for over a year."

"In that case, we could offer him a free personal training program that'll help motivate him to exercise. Do you think this is something that could stimulate him to work out?"

"No. Absolutely not. Can you please just cancel it?"

"Well, I see you're currently paying $20/month for him. We could offer you a better program that you only have to pay $15/month for him. Does this sound like something that's attractive?"

"No. Not at all. I'd appreciate it if you'd just cancel his membership and stop charging my credit card."

"You know. We could hold his membership for a few months just in case he decides that he will start to work out again. You think this might work?"

"No. He doesn't like the gym. He'd rather play soccer outdoors. Can you just go ahead and cancel it?"

"All right then. Your credit card will still be charged for another month, plus you've prepaid one month when you signed him up. He could still work out at the gym till Feb. 24th, 2007."

Gosh. Why is it so hard to cancel something?? Anyway, we're all set now.

The main reason Biajee could not go to the gym is because of Arnold. One of us had to stay home with the baby. Gyms here won't watch our kids till they're over 6 months old. We couldn't wait till Arnold turns 6 months. Then we can leave him at the Kid's Club in the gym for $2/each workout.

I think gym is a good business, especially when the location is next to a McDonald's or an icecream store. People can fatten up first and then go work out.

Our Arnold cannot have any sugar, icecream, cake, cookie, McDonald's, BK, etc. till he is 5 years old. I want to make sure he is healthy. There was a report written by a person who eats McDonald's for breakfast, lunch and dinner and his face is full of acnes. Something that tasty cannot be good for anyone at all. The rule is: Biajee and I won't be the people who introduce junk food to Arnold. His baby fat will all have to come to breast milk and organic baby food.