The cost of the Journey

We've joined the Alaska Club as part of the Journey. And it's not cheap. I want to take this post to talk a little bit about the cost of the Journey.

For a while I resisted joining the gym because of the cost. I teach a personal finance class and I've dealt with way too many people who are in debt up to their necks, living on credit cards & home equity loans; all while spending a fortune on entertainment, hobbies and things like gym memberships. I wasn't going to live my life like that. It's just ridiculous. Normal in America is being broke, and I refuse to be normal.

So we had to sit down and adjust the budget to make the gym work. But we were able to do that because we aren't making payments on a bunch of stuff. And think about this: A trip to Anchorage, a movie with popcorn, candy & soda, and dinner at Chili's will run you about $100. That's about what the Alaska Club cost for a month. So, one less night of entertainment & extra calories a month will pay for the gym membership. And there's cheaper options than the Alaska Club. Body Renew has plans that start at $14 a month.

Since we've made this commitment to losing weight, we are eating less fast food and saving money there. In the long term, being a healthy weight will mean less health care costs as we age. Fat people clothes aren't cheap either. Being able to shop at regular stores will save some money.

Yes, it cost money. But it's all about priorities. And right now, the Journey is the priority.