I swam at a nearby Lifetime Fitness Club on Thanksgiving Day using a free guest pass from my neighbor. The facility was amazing. It is massive with bright multistory glass alcoves. It has mirrors, marble and tiles worthy of some of the nicest resorts I’ve ever visited. It had 2 indoor pools, 2 outdoor pools (closed for winter), multiple hotels, saunas and steam rooms. There’s onsite daycare, a cafe, and even a chiropractor. They provide free towels, lockers with built in locks, a suit drying spinner, massages, trainers and just about anything you could want from a luxury spa.
For me, the most important thing they had was an open swimming lane of Thanksgiving Day – when every other pool in the city was closed.
It was a bit crowded, even on Thanksgiving Day. During normal days, the parking lot is always packed and I’ve read reviews saying it can be difficult to find a swim lane. So I have no desire to make this a regular pool.
But it would be nice to have it as a backup to my backup pools on holidays.
This morning, as I read a story about Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, I was thinking – I’ll bet they never had a problem getting whatever they wanted, when they wanted it for their entire lives. Money solves a lot of problems. Having excess money means you can afford to eliminate inconveniences, frustrations and challenges.
I was thinking, if I was a rich man, I’d get a membership to Lifetime Fitness and wouldn’t think twice about paying $170 a month just so I could swim there on the few days a year when they are my only option. Heck, I might even pay whatever it cost to “reserve a lane for myself”. At other pools this is often $200/hr.
Too bad I’m not rich.
Then it occurred to me, I could just pay for a day pass on those rare days. It’s $50, which I think is ridiculously overpriced. A day pass at the city pools is about $6.
Then again, for two or three days a year, when it’s the only option, I could afford it.
After all, because I live a frugal life, I can afford to splurge on luxuries that are important to me.
I think I just might.