Poll: Help me decide if this pool membership is worth the money? Please?

[Old Dominion Heather]

Dh and I keep going around and around about this... and I am addicted to the Poll feature.:D

Here is the pertinent information.

1. The least expensive swimming option for us to do in our community will cost $410 for the summer for a family of four...the two year old doesn't count yet. There are 12 weeks left of the "summer" when the pool will be open. That translates into $34 or so a week. We would go maybe 4 times a week, so that works out to more than $8 a visit.

2. This is the cheap pool... it is not in very good repair... it is owned by a community day-camp which uses the pool during the morning and early afternoon. So the pool doesn't open until 2 pm... Naptime for the two year old. They close at 9 pm.

3. There aren't any other options for us financially as far as pool memberships go... the pool within walking distance is $770 and the other is around $400 but has a $1000 "buy-in". There is a city pool, but it is in the gang area and there are routinely two or three gang fights or riots there each year. It wouldn't be safe for me to go alone with the boys.

4. We are working toward paying off debt and are only about $2500 from being debt free except for the house.

Now for the positive points...

1. My oldest son just conquered his fear of water last summer. He will finally put his head in... He actually got to the point where he wanted to learn to swim after YEARS of being afraid of the water... due to an ineffective swimming instructor. I don't want him to lose that progress.

2. My mom recently gave me $500 to spend on whatever... curriculum, clothes, etc... I could use that to pay for the pool.

3. Temps here in the summer are usually in the 90's so outside stuff, like parks, sports and even backyard stuff is pretty miserable, considering I have to be out there too with the two year old.

4. There are no kids on the street except toddlers, which works out wonderfully for my two year old, but not so great for the older guys. The pool would essentially be for them.

I just can't make up my mind about this. Dh and I just keep going back and forth. What do you guys think? And do please tell me why if you think we should join... I'm leaning toward NO.


Follow-up: We are going to go ahead and join. I found out a church today that one of my friends has joined as well and we may be able to trade off taking the kids... So, since my mom gave us the money, we are going to join the cheap pool and the little guy will most likely give up his nap... At least he should sleep well at night!

[Tammy]

I think you and your kids will tire of it before the end of 12 weeks..... Four days a week at a pool is A LOT!!!

I have at least 4 friends who have pools either at their home....or apt/condo....but then again....I live in Florida...and just about everyone has a pool, LOL!

Tammy

[beansprouts]

Wow that's ridiculous!!

There must be another source of water in your area, lake maybe, river? Large puddle?

Dang you could buy a pretty nice 2' deep inflatable pool with a filtration system and everything for about $200.

[wagnfun]

I'm only a third option vote because I have a few questions. I live in Southern California and a waterpark season pass is $65 for the summer. My question is where do you live? Is there something else besides that pool; like an amusement park? Is the more expensive pool close enough to make a difference in gas? To me the not opening until 2 part is big- your day is half over! The $400 does give your family something to do so you may be less apt to spend money however, if you DON"T go to the park 4 days a week (family sick or tired, crabby toddler), the cost per visit goes up! Are you a big play in the pool family? Target carries the 5X10 4 foot deep pools for under $200- could you get one for your back yard just for this season? Then you'd have pool access all the time! I'm as torn as you are! :tongue_smilie:

[beansprouts]

Target carries the 5X10 4 foot deep pools for under $200- could you get one for your back yard just for this season? Then you'd have pool access all the time! I'm as torn as you are! :tongue_smilie:

Yes, that's the one I meant.

I'm still reeling from the price - I think it's a rip off.

We have an indoor pool at our town rec center. I can purchase a punch card for $20. Each punch admits a family of five and there are 12 punches.

[Pegasus]

I know families pay these large pool fees each summer but, yikes, I could never justify paying that much. However, we do have a near-by (20 minute drive) community pool that has an inexpensive "per visit" fee plus a free lake to swim in. Any natural bodies of water?

Can you look around for private swim lessons? It seems like you could buy a LOT of swim lessons this summer for that much money.

Pegasus

[Just Me]

I am a pool girl, and so I would encourage you to join. I know it is a lot of money, but I like the idea that my children are comfortable around water. I also spend time while the children are swimming working on plans for the next school year, although with a two year old you may need to spend more time watching him or her.

For me, the two or three hours that my kids spend playing is worth the money. And we do go AT LEAST 4 day per week. Our pool is $375, and that includes our stock option, until we get it paid off. Does the pool with the $1000 buy in allow you to make payments on it? That may help.

I don't know where you live, but the daytime hours are miserable here (central NC), so playing outside is almost impossible. I hate the thought of the kids just sitting inside, which I would be likely to allow happen if I didn't have a good option just sitting there, already paid for! http://easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-character-smileys-330.gif (http://easyfreesmileys.com/Free-Sexy-Smileys/)

[Sue G in PA]

We could never afford it. My dc swim on a swim team associated w/ a "local" swim club. Members pay $40 less per child for swim team fees. It's always been tempting to pay the membership, have use of the pool all summer and get reduced rates for swim team. Still it's expensive. Anyway, I vote no. Could you buy one of those Easy Set pools instead? It's not a full size pool but certainly good enough to cool off! We bought one and enjoyed it until the water got yucky b/c dh couldn't figure out the right chemical combo to fix it. :glare: I doubt he'll even set it up this year. :glare: My folks have an in ground pool. They live an hour away. It costs us about $20 in gas round trip to go there and it is still less than the pool membership! We only go once a week and sometimes...we spend the night to make it worth the $! My grandmother lives next door so half my kids sleep at her house and half at my folks house w/ me! I vote get an Easy Set! Have fun! Ooh ooh...or one of those Bonzai Falls inflatable water slides! They are TONS of fun! My dh's aunt had one for her kids...they LOVED it!

[Old Dominion Heather]

I have one friend with a pool, but she lives 30 min. away. I would feel really bad about asking to come over... not to mention the fact that I can't swim well enough to save them without a lifeguard. I wish we had a neighbor with a pool and lifeguard certification!

[Jenny in Atl]

We pay ~400+ for our neighborhood pool. It's not cheap, but it does add to the value of our home. If the pool/tennis courts closed, we would loose about 30k off the value of our house. I also think of it as summer exercise, time to be outside and still handle the heat (yes, we are already in the 90's). One plus is that the pool is open from late May till the end of Sept. One perk of living in Hotlanta.
:laugh:

[Brigitte]

Do any of the local hotels offer pool memberships? I know several of the nice hotels in Charlottesville sold summer pool memberships when we lived there.

For me, the problem with the pool that you are looking at is the opening at 2. If you go for the afternoon, you are pressed for time to get dinner made etc. everytime you go to the pool.

Otherwise, I would probably go for it.

[Kuovonne]

I voted no in the poll.

1. My oldest son just conquered his fear of water last summer.
If he has been out of the water since last summer, will waiting another year make much of a difference?

2. My mom recently gave me $500 to spend on whatever...
Given your previous statement about paying off debt, how would you feel if a large chunk of that $500 went to your debt?

3. Temps here in the summer are usually in the 90's so outside stuff ... is pretty miserable.
Ugh. Outside in the heat with a toddler is no fun. However, it sounds like you wouldn't be able to use the pool in the heat of the day anyway. Between the pool not opening until 2, your toddler's nap, and supper, most days you probably couldn't go until the evening. Is there a museum or similar indoors place with air conditioning where you could get a membership?

The pool would essentially be for [the older guys].
Your older kids would probably like it when they go - but how often would you really go? You say the membership is for a family of four. Would it be possible to get membership for just three of you (two older kids and one parent)? If so, would it be much cheaper? Then either you could take all three kids during the day, or you could take just the big guys out in the evenings while your husband stays home and puts the two year old to bed.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Wow that's ridiculous!!

There must be another source of water in your area, lake maybe, river? Large puddle?

Dang you could buy a pretty nice 2' deep inflatable pool with a filtration system and everything for about $200.

Nearest lake is more than one hour...

River is notoriously dangerous, deep and fast... nearest play creek is more than one hour away.

Large puddle... Well, we do have a sprinkler.

Our backyard is terraced.

We live in Central VA... Waterparks are 3+ hours away. The other pools in the area... and there aren't many, are about the same price as the two I mentioned. The city/community pool is the one I mentioned where all the drug busts are. It would cost us about $10 a visit.

Even the YMCA is about $400 to join. They just built a huge new building away from all the "undesirables". Even so, the indoor chlorine seems to aggravate my and ds's asthma. Indoor is pretty much out of the question for us.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Oh, we would love a waterpark. We live in Central Va and the closest one to us is on the coast, about 4 hours. We have never been.

[Jen3boys]

Debt stresses me. So I'd feel better paying off the debt, and maybe considering the pool next summer. I'd go visit your friend w/the pool a few times, and do something nice like bring lunch. That's just me though.

[betty]

This is a hard one for me to answer. I have never in my life not had a pool I could walk to. As a small child my parents joined a swim/tennis club. When we moved, we moved to a community that had many pools as part of the HOA. Then college pool, apartments with pools. Dh thought it was bizarre that I wanted a pool in walking distance when we first purchased a house. We go to the pool several times a week. I would go everyday if I could fit it in. It is a right of passage to take the swim test that allows a child to go to the pool without a parent at age 8 in my house. I live 200 yards from the pool, so my dc, can walk to and from, stay awhile, go with me, stay after I leave. My dc go to a daycamp for a week or two, but mostly they hang around the pool. Other kids their age show up at the pool, they make up games, ect. That stuff doesn't happen in a splash pool for a yard.

I have a unique pool obsessive perspective. However, I don't know that we would or could spend so many hours at the pool if it weren't walking distance. I think driving would cut me down to 3 visits a week. My older dc would not stay long because I couldn't stay long with the youngest child. So, they wouldn't bond with the "pool rats" and join so many games.

I think you need to figure out what activities you can do instead. If you don't spend the money on pool membership, will you spend money elsewhere on just keeping dc entertained and to keep you from going stir crazy trapped in your house. If you can list several free activities that you think dc can stick with and will provide fun and chance to hang with friends, then don't join. If you think not joining will result on money spent on admission to a number of other things (one week movies, which would cost me more than $34, another week an aquarium, the zoo, museum, amusement park), then I'd join the pool and stick to only going to the pool and visiting the library.

I actually know people IRL who don't join a pool, but I've never asked what they do instead. You need to ask at church, around the neighborhood, in your homeschool group, what people who don't have pool membership do. Even if they have membership, what do they do on days they don't go to the pool. Can you make arrangements to regularly have friends over? If you do have other kids over, will you feel pressured to spend more on lunch that day and build up a collection of newer computer games for the kids to play. If so, this is a cost.

I think you need do to more research than expensive club membership/moderate fee/pool in gang area/backyard splash pool. More research than comparing pool to pool. What other activities are there. How much social time do your kids needs (varies by person). How much will the other choices of activities and substitute social time cost.

Betty

[Jami]

Do you have to pay for a full pass? Is there no per-diem rate at the pool you're considering?

We opted to get a pass this summer, though it was 300$ and a stretch for us. But I figured with a baby in tow next summer I didn't think we'd be able to go as much as this summer. It would have been 5$/person or 20$/visit to not use the pass, so we only need to go 15 times to make it worth our while, we've already been 4 times, so I think we'll make that easily enough.

Good luck with your decision, I know it's not easy.

Jami

[Old Dominion Heather]

Do you have to pay for a full pass? Is there no per-diem rate at the pool you're considering?

We opted to get a pass this summer, though it was 300$ and a stretch for us. But I figured with a baby in tow next summer I didn't think we'd be able to go as much as this summer. It would have been 5$/person or 20$/visit to not use the pass, so we only need to go 15 times to make it worth our while, we've already been 4 times, so I think we'll make that easily enough.

Good luck with your decision, I know it's not easy.

Jami

No, unfortunately, none of our local pools offer swimming without membership except the city pool, which is the one that is not really safe.

[Old Dominion Heather]

I think you need do to more research than expensive club membership/moderate fee/pool in gang area/backyard splash pool. More research than comparing pool to pool. What other activities are there. How much social time do your kids needs (varies by person). How much will the other choices of activities and substitute social time cost.

Betty

Good Question!

Most of my boys' friends swim and don't use the same pool as we are considering. Unfortunately their best friends are competitive swimmers... seriously into swim team and their mom is NOT open to them missing practice to come and play. They are at their pool twice daily, mornings for swim team and afternoons for free swim.

If we don't join the pool, I would expect to be invited to swim maybe three times over the summer by various friends who have pools. Although that scenario makes me really nervous since I can't really swim at all.

There is a children's museum in town, membership would be about $120 for our family. I can't see going weekly though... there are just not enough exhibits to keep the boys' interest.

There is a skate park, but I'd have to stay with them with the two year old and wait... and it is outside.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Hmmm... not that I know of, but I will check into this. Unfortunately, all the hotels with outdoor pools are on the other side of town... I am not sure how much we would go if we had to drive a long way.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Oh, and let me add that the country club $770 pool is within sight of our backyard...so if we don't join a pool, the boys have to listen to all the people in the pool all stinkin' summer.

The other pool is about 1 mile away. The third option with the $1000 buy in is about 3 miles.

[gardenschooler]

I'd join the $770 pool. Yes, it's a ridiculous amount of money, but being in close proximity and it being nicer with longer hours would mean you'd use it more - and enjoy it more when you do use it. Is this also the pool where your kids' friends have swim team?

Your mom gave you $500, so it will really only cost you $270. I think that's worth it, for a whole summer's worth of exercise and entertainment, especially if it's close to home.

We pay $500 for a summer pool membership at a nearby college (within walking distance), where all of our friends go. I could get a YMCA membership for less, but it would be further away, crowded, and a hassle. We go 7 days a week - sometimes twice a day! I'm getting my money's worth! :D My oldest two can even walk there by themselves with their friends. It's completely worth it to me, even though we really can't afford it. I'd rather do without extras all year for the pool.

[Old Dominion Heather]

The $770 pool isn't an option. We don't have the extra money. $500 is all we've got. I wish we could though. It would be so great to be able to walk.

I was unclear in my post above. I didn't mean to imply that was an option, just that watching a pool with no where else to go would be hard on the boys.

Sorry for being unclear! : )

[gardenschooler]

Sorry, I didn't realize that (probably not reading carefully). Well, pooh. It sounded so good.

In that case, I'd go for the sprinkler and hope to get invited over to someone else's pool. The $400 pool just doesn't sound that great.

[beansprouts]

Nearest lake is more than one hour...

River is notoriously dangerous, deep and fast... nearest play creek is more than one hour away.

Large puddle... Well, we do have a sprinkler.

Our backyard is terraced.

We live in Central VA... Waterparks are 3+ hours away. The other pools in the area... and there aren't many, are about the same price as the two I mentioned. The city/community pool is the one I mentioned where all the drug busts are. It would cost us about $10 a visit.

Even the YMCA is about $400 to join. They just built a huge new building away from all the "undesirables". Even so, the indoor chlorine seems to aggravate my and ds's asthma. Indoor is pretty much out of the question for us.

Yuck! It doesn't sound like you have many options, does it? My family would have a very tough time getting through the summer without water. It just seems unfair that it should cost so much just to go swimming.

[Mabelen]

Do any of the pools offer swimming lessons to non members?

If so, check prices and hours. It might be cheaper than joining the pool. The drawback is that it would be strictly for lessons, no free play, but at least your guys would not feel totally left out of the pool fun.

If non membership lessons are not available, I would bite the bullet and join. It is not just a way of having fun, but of keeping fit. Also the fact that your house is within sight of a pool would make it hard for me not to join. This is the kind of thing that would make me feel deprived. As far as opening hours, I am sure you could come up with ways of having dinner fixed in the morning on the 4 days you get to go to the pool so that it would only need heating when you got back. Maybe your dh could even join you guys for a quick dip before all heading home for dinner?

We have a community pool whose fees are part of our housing association fees, so we do go often, at least 4 times a week, sometimes more. We are in Maryland, so the weather is pretty similar, it is too hot to be outdoors if not in the pool.

[Unicorn]

If you know you will use it enough to justify the cost, I would say join. Otherwise no. 2nd option, can you go buy one of those intex pools- w/ the inflatable ring around the top? I know some people dont' like them, but we loved ours! It would have lasted longer than the two years that it did, but dh killed it by draining it one fall, and not putting it away.

[Brindee]

My vote is other based on the thought that maybe you cold get the backyard pool thing (that sure does draw neighborhood kids around here!) or slip 'n slide and littler pool, (or use a sprinkler as gardenschooler said). Then let them use it when it's a good time for you all, and use the rest of the money to pay off more of the debt.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

I didn't rejoin our pool for this summer, and I'm already regretting it. My boys had so much fun and I'm already looking forward to joining again next summer. (It's too late to join for this summer.)

If I were you, I'd join the closer, nicer, more expensive pool if I could. Better hours and better chance to make friends.

[TXMomof4]

We pay ~400+ for our neighborhood pool. It's not cheap, but it does add to the value of our home. If the pool/tennis courts closed, we would loose about 30k off the value of our house. I also think of it as summer exercise, time to be outside and still handle the heat (yes, we are already in the 90's). One plus is that the pool is open from late May till the end of Sept. One perk of living in Hotlanta.
:laugh:

At our old house we had a neighborhood pool. It opened may 1 and closed OCT 31. And yes, I took my girls swimming on Halloween. Of course, the next day it was cold, but by golly, I got my money's worth out of that pool!

[nukeswife]

We have a YMCA membership here in SE VA and we pay monthly instead of the large per year membership. It's $79 for our whole family and then that allows us to use the fitness equipment and the childwatch areas as well as the pools. It also allows us to get "Parents Night Out" where we can drop our older 2 off for only $8 for 3.5 hours. That's not per child that's for both which is a steal for sitting they have one about twice a month. At ours they have a little seating area off the main lobby and I've seen some moms drop their kids in the kidzone (think big McDonald's playland) and sit in the lobby reading a book while the kids burn off some energy.

I would seriously look into seeing if you could afford the Y on a monthly membership. There is a $75 initial fee and then the monthly but you can cancel if you don't feel you'll use it. Just a thought.

Just thought I'd add that our Y has both and Indoor and outdoor pool, our indoor seems to have a major chlorine smell but the outdoor one has almost none and I like that it has a sprikler area and is zero depth entry to only 3.5 feet on the "Playpark" side where my little guy and I are. I can still watch my older two and don't have to worry as they can both stand on the bottom without any trouble.

[lynn]

Would you really want to pack everyone up 4x's a week to make the cost worth while. what if you get rained out? Will the walking distance pool let you pay for the day?

[Reya]

Wow that's ridiculous!!

There must be another source of water in your area, lake maybe, river? Large puddle?

Dang you could buy a pretty nice 2' deep inflatable pool with a filtration system and everything for about $200.

Cheaper 'n what we've got. It's $500 per summer per family and a $500 buy-in.

Sometimes I really miss Texas... Here on the E Coast, SO much is about keeping out undesirables.

Sometimes I really wonder what they spen our outrageous county taxes on, too.

[Pegasus]

Oh, and let me add that the country club $770 pool is within sight of our backyard...so if we don't join a pool, the boys have to listen to all the people in the pool all stinkin' summer.


Can the country club members bring a guest? I'd be grooming some country club friends. :lol:

Pegasus

[Rebecca in VA]

I just did, and found one in Manassas, one in Reston, one in Chantilly, one in Fredericksburg, one in Massanutten, one in Doswell (affiliated with King's Dominion), and one in Williamsburg. Surely one of those would be convenient to you?

I voted "no" in the poll. Paying down debt, especially in this bad economy, should be a huge priority right now. You just don't know what the future will hold.

[Mosaicmind]

We have a nice above ground pool, which now needs new walls and a liner that we cannot afford this year. I am really missing having it this summer because it has hit upper 80's and 90's all week. It would cost less than a $800 to have it repaired, but we just don't have that around.

My kids could ride their bikes to the nearest pool, but it would cost us 1/2 of what it would take to fix ours and I can't justify that. So, this year we are doing other things around the house and within walking/bike riding distance to make up for no pool.

Needless to say next years tax money will go to repair our pool.

[Danestress]

I would spend the extra money for the more expensive pool if there is any way you can swing it. Since your Mom gave you the money, I would use it for the kids - your Mom will LOVE knowing she provided them with many summer days at the pool.

If your 8 year old is just getting over a fear of water, I would justify this as a necessary safety training for the kids. They really NEED to know how to swim. I personally believe every single person needs to know how to swim.

I would also try to justify it in terms of physical education. It's sort of homeschool:)

We go to the pool many days all summer. I would just be so sad without it. I've never broken the price down in terms of a "per visit" amount, but on a miserable hot day, with cranky children and given how expensive cooling the house will be this summer, I think a swim membership is sort of a bargain.

[TN Mama]

I have a free pool membership to a pool that isn't so close to our house and that isn't very child friendly (shallow end really isn't shallow for starters). So last year I used money I made from a consignment sale to join a neighborhood pool that is close to our home. We know several people who either live in the neighborhood or who, like us, live nearby and join for the summer. The pool is very family friendly, has great lifeguards and because the shallow end is actually shallow both of my children learned to swim on their own. This year we budgeted to rejoin and my oldest dd (7) joined the swim team. For us, the high cost of joining this pool has been well worth it. We do go to the pool at least 4 days/week and this year most of my small group of friends has also joined.

Good luck with your decision.

[TN Mama]

We have a YMCA membership here in SE VA and we pay monthly instead of the large per year membership. It's $79 for our whole family and then that allows us to use the fitness equipment and the childwatch areas as well as the pools. It also allows us to get "Parents Night Out" where we can drop our older 2 off for only $8 for 3.5 hours. That's not per child that's for both which is a steal for sitting they have one about twice a month. At ours they have a little seating area off the main lobby and I've seen some moms drop their kids in the kidzone (think big McDonald's playland) and sit in the lobby reading a book while the kids burn off some energy.

I would seriously look into seeing if you could afford the Y on a monthly membership. There is a $75 initial fee and then the monthly but you can cancel if you don't feel you'll use it. Just a thought.

Just thought I'd add that our Y has both and Indoor and outdoor pool, our indoor seems to have a major chlorine smell but the outdoor one has almost none and I like that it has a sprikler area and is zero depth entry to only 3.5 feet on the "Playpark" side where my little guy and I are. I can still watch my older two and don't have to worry as they can both stand on the bottom without any trouble.

If the Y is an option, ask if they can waive the join fee. Tell them you have a friend who works for the Y in another state and she mentioned her Y was running a special and for you to check yours out. If you need more info, pm me. Good luck!

[Caroline]

I cannot imagine going through a summer without swimming. Our pool/tennis court membership is $450. There is a $1000 buy-in, but we paid that about 7 years ago, so that is no longer an issue with us. The pool cost went up $50 this year. (We do have a problem with people sneaking in. Maybe you could just sneak in a pool for the summer? Just kidding.:lol:) We probably go 5-7 times a week. Like Jenny in ATL, it added to the value of our house when we lived in that neighborhood. We have since moved, but we kept the membership.

[Tracey in TX]

I opt for yes because we live at the pool--going a minimum of once daily, often times twice a day (morning and evening). It's a great form of exercise, kids are happy, I'm getting a tan, and everyone has friends at the neighborhood pool.

Every day might be a bit much for the toddler, but when my DCs were your youngest's age we did go several times per week. A happy balanced mom makes a happy home! (And a tired toddler sleeps really well :))

If you choose not to do the pool membership, can you purchase the above ground style for the summer? Have fun deciding no matter what you decide!

[Chris in VA]

Heather,
I love pools--had a backyard one when I was growing up in Ohio.
But I don't know if I'd spend that much--can you compromise? Maybe something like:

One trip to a waterpark (I'm sure there's something closer than 3 hours--pm me and tell me where you are, and I'll FIND you something! :D)

Three trips to your friends' pools

One museum pass for the family (get the kind that is reciprocal, if you can--good at more than one place) that lasts all year--Take 3 trips

Three trips to the library for "events"

Set up the sprinkler and add some water guns. Or try one of those big sets from Target (not the really big one) and put it in the front yard to attract more kids.

That should run you about $300 all told, and you'd have a year long pass to a museum, renew friendships, and have a great family time!

[chiguirre]

I'd see if I could find swimming lessons, either at the Y or through the American Red Cross. Until everyone could swim well, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking them to a large pool if I couldn't swim well. My mom can't swim and we never went to a pool except for swimming lessons until we could easily swim in the deep end. Lifeguards are great, but I wouldn't want them to be my only recourse for ensuring my kids' safety.

[Tracey in TX]

The $770 pool isn't an option. We don't have the extra money. $500 is all we've got. I wish we could though. It would be so great to be able to walk.

I was unclear in my post above. I didn't mean to imply that was an option, just that watching a pool with no where else to go would be hard on the boys.

Sorry for being unclear! : )

Crazy thought, but would you consider talking to the manager of the club pool? Perhaps he/she has the power to accept the $500 as full payment? It's a possibility that it's enough money that you might be able to join a nearby pool with your funds. I'd certainly talk to the person in charge/owner to see if it's feasible. They might consider it a 'scholarship'.

We love the pool and live 100 yards from the neighborhood pool and belong to a club pool and can't get enough swim time. Really hope this works out for you!

[Stacey in MA]

I had time to read through only some of the replies, so forgive me if this was mentioned....

Have you asked the kids? Maybe there is something they would love to do this summer? or have? Sometimes I think I have the greatest idea that will so-please the kids, and when I finally present it (after tons of leg work and finalized plans) they turn their noses up! ;-p Make sure you're on the same page. If the kids are older, they may only want to go where there friends are going....

FYI, we pay $410 (or $330 if I catch the 2 week period that they off 20% off - never largely advertised, and never the same 2 weeks each year!) for the whole YEAR for a membership at the local Radisson Hotel. It's an indoor pool (so in the summer I don't worry about sunburn, and in the winter we can still go), it's heated so the water is always comfortable, and they provide TOWELS so I don't have to do loads of laundry when my family of 6 goes! (love that part!!). They do NOT advertise well... I think they want a few locals to join so they have the money to help maintain the pool, but they don't want to make it a true "business". So go ahead and call around to local hotels to see if they have pools, and offer memberships. FWIW, we (the adults) also have access to the small hotel exercise room which contains 2 treadmills, 2 ellipticals, 2 stair climbers, and several nautilus machines, as well as free weights. It's a pretty good deal!

Also FWIW, we go to that pool about 1x/week, or sometimes 2x. But no more than that. It gets to be too much on ME. It's an outing, but not a place I want to park it for hours every day. KWIM?

Also, each of the older kids belongs to the local Boys & Girls Club where we take swimming lessons through the year once a week. (My older DS is also on swim team there). I think I pay $20/yr/child for a "membership" fee, then I pay for swimming sessions (10wks at a time) independently. BUT, the membership allows the kids to swim at free-swim times if they want. The free swims are only 2x/week (limited - the hotel is any time we want 6am - 10pm every day), but if you're looking for an occassional swim, that's a great choice.

Another idea for the money.... Our library has passes to various local activities, museums, tourist sights etc. For instance, a tourist can go to the Boston Children's Museum for about $10/$8/ticket normally. That's $48 for my family of 5 (not including baby). BUT the library has passes for $1 each!! So we could go for $5. Of course, once we add lunch (maybe $20 at McD's?) and gas money (maybe $10) into this we're talking a $35-$45 outing. Perhaps you could plan a bunch of fun summer outings like that revolving around what your library offers for local passes?

One more thought.... Our local rec. department offers a bunch of various summer classes for kids (actually all year, but summer session is here). They are things like sports, cooking, kayaking, dance, art, etc. The classes usually cost somewhere around $30 or $40/session. Do you have something like that which the kids might have some activity through?

Sorry, getting off the subject - I know you were asking about swimming. You might really enjoy that memebership. It's great to have something that the WHOLE family can do together. That's always the challenge for us. So I do like your idea.

GL! Let us know what you end up deciding.
- Stacey in MA

[Kim in Appalachia]

or some other place like that. You know the kind with a filter. They are not that expensive, and it would be in your back yard.

We had one in our old house, I think we shelled out around $300 total. Of course, it could be higher by now. That was almost 8 years ago. :eek: time flies! We had it for 2 years, but I think it would have lasted at least 1 more. (we moved and our new house has a pool.) I think ours was 16 or 18 around, and 3 1/2 feet deep.

Those little pools are not the same as a large one that you can jump and dive in, but you don't have to share.:D And with your oldest being only 8, they would still enjoy the small pool.

[Prairie~Phlox]

I really don't have any advice, we are not big swimmers, we moved last summer and now have not one, but two neighbors who told us we could use their pool anytime. We used Mrs. F's a few times (maybe 5, & we moved in at the end of June, but I knew this family before that) last summer, but now that Mrs. S. also told us we could come over, we'll probably swim a little more this summer since we have two people that have offered. I was feeling guilty, but another friend said they used to have a pool and it's actually better if it gets used more, stirs up the water and helps with the cleaning, so I'm trying to look at it that way. If I had a friend that had a pool, I would not feel bad about calling and asking to swim. I know if we had a pool, I would want people to come and visit and use it.
I'd probably try and find a cheap pool at Walmart.

Good luck.

[mommylaw]

"Crazy thought, but would you consider talking to the manager of the club pool? Perhaps he/she has the power to accept the $500 as full payment? It's a possibility that it's enough money that you might be able to join a nearby pool with your funds. I'd certainly talk to the person in charge/owner to see if it's feasible. They might consider it a 'scholarship'.":iagree:

We pay around $600 for the summer membership. It includes all the club amenities: swimming pool, gyms, aerobics, yoga, playground, 16 tennis courts (indoor and outdoor), volleyball, and racquet ball courts and lessons. Swim team summer- $95 per kid, year round- 75-per kid per month.

I volunteer as a USA swimming official and my husband does all the computer work. Because of that, our swim team fees are waved.

When my kids were very little I worked as a swim instructor and lifeguard to get a discount on our pool membership.

[tnmomofboys]

We have a pool so I am a pool girl too. I really wanted my kids to be good swimmers and physically active. It can be pretty hot here, so for us, swimming is a good summertime activity. Being out by the pool is when I read up on what my kids are reading or plan for next year or just relax with friends. I really do not mind when friends call and want to come over and my kids are thrilled. I especially don't mind if they don't expect me to entertain them. So, if your friend has invited you, chances are they really want their pool to be used and enjoyed by their friends. I vote for going there and maybe take some pool friendly snacks to share every now and then.

[Old Dominion Heather]

I just did, and found one in Manassas, one in Reston, one in Chantilly, one in Fredericksburg, one in Massanutten, one in Doswell (affiliated with King's Dominion), and one in Williamsburg. Surely one of those would be convenient to you?

I voted "no" in the poll. Paying down debt, especially in this bad economy, should be a huge priority right now. You just don't know what the future will hold.

Well, we are down outside of Lynchburg, so the closest is at Massanutten... which is 2 hours and 15 min. away.

[Old Dominion Heather]

No, they have a no guest policy. Also, no per day rate. Actually, this is the FIRST time they have EVER allowed summer memberships, and the $770 is for the pool only. To play tennis and have the pool from Memorial to Labor Day is more than $1000. A regular membership is $3000 a year.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Would you really want to pack everyone up 4x's a week to make the cost worth while. what if you get rained out? Will the walking distance pool let you pay for the day?

There aren't any pools around here that let you pay for the day, except the unsafe one.

[Brigitte]

[QUOTE=Tracey in TX;280916]Crazy thought, but would you consider talking to the manager of the club pool? Perhaps he/she has the power to accept the $500 as full payment? It's a possibility that it's enough money that you might be able to join a nearby pool with your funds. I'd certainly talk to the person in charge/owner to see if it's feasible. They might consider it a 'scholarship'.
/QUOTE]

Along those lines, if the season has already started, will they prorate the fee?

[Oak Knoll Mom]

Do any of the local hotels offer pool memberships?



FYI, we pay $410 (or $330 if I catch the 2 week period that they off 20% off - never largely advertised, and never the same 2 weeks each year!) for the whole YEAR for a membership at the local Radisson Hotel.

I have "telephone aversion syndrome" as was mentioned in another thread. The thought of calling a hotel and asking about a pool membership just (almost) makes me break out in hives.

I have 4 hotels within 1-2 miles of my house and would like to call them and see if they allow locals to join their pools for the summer. I need a script! Exactly what do I say/ask? To whom do I speak? If they don't have a membership plan already in place, how do I ask them if they'd consider one? (Normally I'd ask my dh to do something like this for me, but he's out of the country at the moment--anyone else want to place the calls for me? :D I'll gladly send you virtual flowers and chocolate...)

[Old Dominion Heather]

Wow... talk about a split decision! I am thinking that most of the other option votes would count as "no" votes. I'm going to get dh to read through these as well...

You guys have given me lots to think about.

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Wow... talk about a split decision! I am thinking that most of the other option votes would count as "no" votes. I'm going to get dh to read through these as well...

You guys have given me lots to think about.

Is there anything you can sell for $270? ;) Used curriculum? Outgrown clothes on ebay? Plasma? Anything?

[Mrs. Readsalot]

by adding about $19.00 per month (probably what you will save in gas not going to the other pool this year) you will be able to join the nice pool next summer. Yes I know this will mean going without this year but, think about how much you will appreciate the nice pool next year. The kids might even be content with a sprinkler in the back yard this year.

[Trivium Academy]

I would get a pool in the backyard for $250 (the blue one).
I would resolve to take the older kids to the skate park at least 1x every other week, if they are doing their chores, etc.
I would take the kids to the lake for a family picnic and swimming at least once this summer.
And I would ask my friend about using her pool about 1x a week, AND I'd bring her a casserole or something like that for letting us do that.

I would seriously consider getting CPR certified so that you don't have any more limitations on what type of fun you feel you can have with your kids safely.

[Kayaking Mom]

I would call all the local country clubs, golf courses, etc. Some have pool only memberships for a steal. I am pro-pool. We go to ours (10 minutes away) about 5 times a week. We're also season pass holders at a water park and have been 2x already (and it opened late May). I spent 14 years in the Coast Guard - I want my kids to be strong swimmers and respectful of water.

[Caroline]

by adding about $19.00 per month (probably what you will save in gas not going to the other pool this year) you will be able to join the nice pool next summer. Yes I know this will mean going without this year but, think about how much you will appreciate the nice pool next year. The kids might even be content with a sprinkler in the back yard this year.

I like this option. Change my vote...

[ereks mom]

I'd join the $770 pool. Yes, it's a ridiculous amount of money, but being in close proximity and it being nicer with longer hours would mean you'd use it more - and enjoy it more when you do use it. ... Your mom gave you $500, so it will really only cost you $270. I think that's worth it, for a whole summer's worth of exercise and entertainment, especially if it's close to home.

That is, unless you really need the $500 your mom gave you to buy curriculum or clothes.

[Jenny in Florida]

It's funny, because we went round and round with a similar dilemma here.

Usually for summer, we have each of our two kids pick two or three weeks' worth of day camp-type things to attend. But this year, in the name of allowing us a breather to recover from much-increased educational and extra-curricular tuitions, we told them we weren't doing that. (Of course, my son managed to get himself a couple of weeks of stuff, after all, but that's another story.)

Also, this is the first full summer since we've moved to Florida that we have not had access to a community pool. My daughter loves to swim. It's one of the very few physical things she truly enjoys.

The house we are now renting has a backyard that is not fenced, and the landlord/agency are very picky. So, putting up an above-ground pool is not an option. (Can't control access, and aren't allowed to kill the grass.)

So, we were facing a long, boring, hot summer, with both kids home, no plans for getting out of the house regularly, and no access to a pool.

I wondered if joining the YMCA might solve some of those problems. In our area, the only membership available is the regional one, which gets us access to all of the Y facilities in something like a 50-mile radius, including pools and playgrounds and classes and activities. The monthly fee for our family would be $95 per month, and there is a joining fee of $100. (They were running a special offering $50 off the joining fee when I checked into this.)

So, assuming we would be joining only for the summer, that worked out to a total of $385 for the summer, or about $128 per month.

We decided it wasn't worth it, because we just didn't know how much use we would get out of it.

[ereks mom]

unless you need to buy clothes or curriculum, join the $410 pool and use the rest ($90, although it won't go far!) for clothes or curriculum.

[Calming Tea]

I think you should try to talk down the country club and if not, do the 400.00 pool, and hire someone to watch your toddler, or just take him along and let him be tired and miserable. I let my dd grow out of her nap at 2.5 and it was great- she just went to sleep very early at 6:30 and slept thorugh till morning. I know she's unusual but it might work 3x per week to just see how she does at the pool. Bring a playpen if your toddler still stays in one and they will let you, and park it in the shade...bring floatie devices and the nice sun might just put her to sleep (but be careful of heat stroke!)...

I think making those boys sit around listening to a pool all summer stinks- and if your mom doesn't mind what you spend the money on, this might be such great memories for your boys. You might meet other kids they can play with too!!

[Calming Tea]

but most families like ours that are so tight on cash, will never make it through the winter not using that money for something- groceries, tires, Dr. bills for broken appendages, you name it.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Ok, I take it back... the closest is a little more than 2 hours away.

[JWSJ]

We goto the local Y. It has indoor and outdoor pools (and water slides) along with all the normal exercise equipment, climbing wall, track, etc.

We pay ~$80 a month for the whole family. It's always in good repair and very clean. The lifeguards are super alert. We haven't found anything as good for less.

[Niffercoo]

This is our 2nd year for a pool pass, but ours is a bit cheaper. I paid $375 for the 4 of us, but it's an annual pass so we can go to the indoor pools in the winter. Plus, the pools in our county cost about $18 per trip for the 4 of us, so it pays off for us much faster.

I can't imagine the summer without being at the pool! But then again, I don't have a toddler anymore. I hope you can figure out a decision that works for your family!

[Stacey in MA]

At our pool, there is actually a person with the title "Pool and Health Club Manager". He's never around, and I wonder if he's fictitious, but I've heard him called that!

Anway, just call the main number - front desk and say, "Hello, I'm calling to find out if you have a pool."
Desk: "Why, yes, we do."
You: "I have a question about the pool. Is there someone else I should speak to? Or should I continue with you?"
Desk: "I can answer for you, I suppose." or "There's a pool manager, but he's not in."
You: "Do you offer the use of your pool to people who aren't actually staying at the hotel? Do you offer any type of day use or membership to your pool?"

(This is the part where they are either totally confused b/c they don't do it and have never heard of that, or they get it. If they don't get it, just give a quick "Well, my friend in another town has this deal with her pool, and I was hoping to find something like that near me". If they do get it, just move on to your questions.)

Desk: "Yes, we do actually."
You "Can you tell me the rates please?"
Desk: "Blah, blah, blah"
You: "Do you offer any group discounts, or other discounts on these rates at any time?" (Our Radisson pool offers 20% off their regular annual rates one time a year - usually during the fall.)
Desk: "Blah, blah, blah"
You: "How do I sign up - just come in and fill the paperwork out?"

You get the idea, I'm sure. I actually did call around my area too. Some people didn't understand what I was asking (who cares), and some people did but didn't have a pool, and others did but had a pool but didn't offer memberships. I was just price shopping. I found out about the one we go to through another homeschooling friend. There's actually another hotel about 30 minutes drive away which offers the same thing, but nicer. I am just not willing to drive that far regularly.

We really love our pool membership. Since the hours are always open, we can schedule going around anything else we have going on. Also, the pool is never busy, and it's always clean and warm. It's also so nice to have a place we can bring friends who are visiting, regardless of the time of year. Something fun and energy-eating for the kids to do!

Good luck! Let me know how it goes! Don't worry, you can always hang up if you get nervous. They won't kow who you are.... Or maybe they will- dang those caller id's!! ;-)

- Stacey in MA

[Tap, tap, tap]

I haven't read all the responses so please disregard if this has already been discussed.

Will the pool let you split a membership with another family?

We have split a zoo membership, children' museum and OMSI (science museum) membership with different friends each year. We always upgrade to a level that allows a friend pass each time, so the hubby can go too. We can then all go or we can just go with our family. It works out well!

We put the moms names as the adults and all the kids on. We are honest when signing up that we are 'friends' and not trying to pass for a couple. I have only had one business not allow me to do this (art museum).

[Old Dominion Heather]

Follow-up: We are going to go ahead and join. I found out at church today that one of my friends has joined as well and we may be able to trade off taking the kids... So, since my mom gave us the money, we are going to join the cheap pool and the little guy will most likely give up his nap... At least he should sleep well at night!

[hsmom]

I was going to say after reading all of your posts (op) that in your situation it would be best to join.

[beansprouts]

Wow... talk about a split decision! I am thinking that most of the other option votes would count as "no" votes. I'm going to get dh to read through these as well...

You guys have given me lots to think about.

Actually, I am now leaning more towards coughing up the cash for the pool membership.

(Maybe because it's been in the 90's up here for the past few days...)