Its not such a bad idea after all

Until last week, I had been to the gym maybe twice or thrice in my life. However, last week I got a 10-day free trial membership at a big gym in downtown Toronto. The reason? To try the shoes I was going to buy.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I still haven’t found the perfect shoe. The shoe store lets me try their product for 30 days and I can return or exchange the shoes if they don’t suit me well – provided I keep them in mint condition. So, it was important to try the shoes in an indoor setting, and hence the gym.

Getting a 10-day free trial membership at Extreme Fitness is not a task for the soft bargainers. I had to sit through almost 20-30 minutes of discussions and negotiations. The sales guy called his manager because I wouldn’t budge. Their membership costs $85 per month and by the end of the negotiations, the sales manager offered me a discounted price of $60. All memberships have an annual contract, so I’d be set back by $720 per year. I understand that people have different resources, needs and goals in life, but this was an exorbitant cost for me. All I wanted, for selfish reasons of course, was the free 10-day pass, which they advertise everywhere.

Finally, after the manager got convinced that I will not, under any circumstances, commit to a marriage before dating, he gave me a free 10-day trial.

I admit I do feel slightly brainwashed by the institution. I can see the benefits of a gym membership, especially given the Northern winters and generally unpredictable weather.

So I am recalculating my financial forecasts to incorporate the potential risk of higher healthcare costs, and identify another expenditure area to compensate it from (can you tell I work in the government?).

¶ Blogged by Priyank Thatte | Tags: Marathon training