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Original poster

Help me decide if I should join David Lloyd or not

134 replies

rookiemere · 26/05/2021 09:19

So I've had a trial membership and am now at the deciding if I should commit phase. It would just be for me - DS 15 does his own thing as does DH.

I'm just swithering so much because it's so expensive - £88 per month for a non flexible years membership. But I love the outdoor pool and went to a class there and enjoyed that, plus my friends a member and can meet her for a coffee. There's no other outdoor heated pools where I live.

It doesn't really stack up on price per visit. It's a 15 minute drive away so realistically I'll only go on my day off and weekends, and then obviously there are other things to do so I don't want it to turn into a chore.

DH is encouraging me to join - I find it hard to treat myself as you might have guessed , and I hate the thought of wasting money. Last year was my 50th and none of the special trips I'd organised took place. We can afford it as a family. Should I just go for it?

OP posts:

Original poster

rookiemere · 26/05/2021 14:59

@chocolatesaltyballs22 it's Edinburgh Costorphine.

It's a 15 minute drive from home but does get clogged with traffic so could easily be twice that or more. I can't see me going from work as I'm likely to be taking the bus once I'm back in the office, but we've been told that's likely to be October at the earliest.

OP posts:

someonelockthefridgealready · 26/05/2021 15:00

I love swimming outdoors (pool or lake) so much that if I was in your shoes I would do it for three swims a week for sure. Swimming is so good for my mental health, no outdoor pools are open in winter round here and I miss it so much in the winter months.

Original poster

rookiemere · 26/05/2021 15:01

@Silkiecats the 3 month membership has a whacking great £100 joining fee so I'm not keen, plus July - Sep is when we have a few holidays and weekends away planned.

OP posts:

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 26/05/2021 15:07

Ah ok - I'm a Leeds member and what you were describing sounds similar! But I guess they all have similar facilities.

JLbaby · 26/05/2021 15:12

I recently joined and love it. I have 2 clubs within a 15min drive so I go to whichever one has the best classes on that particular day. If you are worried about the cost, Vitality do 50% off DL membership if you get health insurance through them or 40% off for life insurance, makes it a bit more bearable. But make sure your club is part of it first as I know some clubs don’t participate.

Original poster

rookiemere · 26/05/2021 15:21

@JLbaby - I did check but unfortunately this one isn't part of the Vitality scheme which I used when I was a Nuffield member. Used to love getting my weekly points for free Starbucks and cinema - don't know if they still do that.

OP posts:

JSL52 · 26/05/2021 15:47

Do they do an NHS discount ? It's so frustrating they do t have prices on the website.

looptheloopinahulahoop · 27/05/2021 10:39

I've tried all my negotiation skills and no budging, I think there's a lot of demand at the minute as council facilities have so many restrictions

The restrictions apply to all facilities, not just council-run ones (and very few are actually council-run anyway, they're run by companies like Places for People and Everyone Active).

Maybe leave it a week, pay the £25 to go again, and then see again if they'll bring it down? Even if they said £79 that would feel more worthwhile to me. Or do you have to commit for a year, do they have a rolling contract option?

I didn't realise Blaze was a nationwide thing, I thought it was local to my area

looptheloopinahulahoop · 27/05/2021 10:40

An outdoor heated pool is a beautiful thing.

Silkiecats · 27/05/2021 11:02

I found they initially didn't budge but if you left it a better offer would appear, normally free months. But will depend on demand, if its high anyway may not happen and varies by month - June for them is an easy to recruit month.

Original poster

rookiemere · 27/05/2021 11:14

@looptheloopinahulahoop I think I might leave it for a few weeks anyway. The next few weekends are quite busy and I guess one of my big concerns about membership is that I don't want to turn what is a pleasure into a chore.

They said that the free joining offer is only available this month, but I'm sure there will be something for June - or if not then I'll not join.

I don't think they will change the actual monthly fee, that unfortunately seems quite set.

OP posts:

Triffid1 · 27/05/2021 11:16

Me again OP.

You can afford it.

You enjoy it.

Your family think it's a great idea.

Stop worrying about the one month you might not use it to its maximum use. You don't have to justify this membership. And if you don't go for 2 weeks, so what? I pay for all kinds of things that get used more or less depending on the time. It is what it is.

newnortherner111 · 27/05/2021 11:19

You've not convinced me that in your shoes I would pay £88 a month given you have a gym at home. Outdoor pools are lovely but perhaps that should be a treat when on holiday.

Original poster

rookiemere · 27/05/2021 11:21

@newnortherner111 if only I could guarantee that a holiday with outdoor heated pool was on the near horizon!

Plus older I get fussier I am, rare to get a pool that is warm enough and big enough for swimming lengths.

OP posts:

Original poster

rookiemere · 27/05/2021 11:31

I know what you're saying @Triffid1 . You have convinced me I deserve to join, but I don't want to feel forced to squeeze in visits in my first month.

OP posts:

SylHellais · 27/05/2021 11:43

I pay a bit more than £88 but it’s worth every penny for me. I do classes four times a week, use the gym floor and have just started using the outdoor heated pool which I love. The facilities are much better than the previous (large chain) gym I was at and the cost is only very slightly more.

Yes, it’s an outgoing every month which you could obviously use for something else (though the same could be said for pretty much any leisure activity you spend money on) but I can afford it and I use it enough to make cost/use ratio work out well.

MrsJBaptiste · 27/05/2021 12:43

My gym membership has just increased from 14.99 to 19.99 per month and I was moaning about that 😃 Which is more ridiculous when you work out that's onlu 1.25 per visit as I go four times a week 😊

480Widdio · 27/05/2021 12:51

I go to DL.Joined over 14 years ago,I love it.

I try and swim 1,000metres in the Outdoor Pool everyday.It is open all year round,I am an expert at knowing what time to go when it isn’t busy.

The changing rooms are kept immaculate,the staff are lovely.The food is good,

I am in my 70’s now and when we were in lockdown and the pool was shut,I really noticed the difference with my mobility.

Go for it.

NameChangeforMoneyThings · 27/05/2021 13:01

I joined my local DL and they wouldn't budge on the monthly fee beyond a nugatory NHS discount but they did budge on the total annual fee when I offered to pay up front in advance - I did a 3 month introductory offer to start with and then I think I got 7 months for the price of 9 by paying in advance with the understanding it would be 10 for 12 normally.

The cost per visit doesn't really add up but I don't have to book a lane and I haven't had to share a lane more than 5 times in nearly a year now (obviously it was shut for 3 months of that). Also it means I come back relaxed rather than peeved about dealing with splashy men or lane hoggers etc etc.

bringbackfonzi · 27/05/2021 13:57

Seems a lot of money and a long way away. But OP you very clearly really want to, so go for it. All your messages reinforce positives and downplay or qualify negatives, as if you've already decided. It's what it's worth to you, not what it's worth.

Triffid1 · 27/05/2021 13:58

@rookiemere

I know what you're saying *@Triffid1* . You have convinced me I deserve to join, but I don't want to feel forced to squeeze in visits in my first month.

Faultymain5 · 27/05/2021 14:42

[quote rookiemere]@JLbaby - I did check but unfortunately this one isn't part of the Vitality scheme which I used when I was a Nuffield member. Used to love getting my weekly points for free Starbucks and cinema - don't know if they still do that.[/quote]
Only the posh DLs are included in this unfortunately.

DarlingWithoutYou · 27/05/2021 15:21

I rang DL today to find out about the 3 month membership. £128 a month! Jesus. I can't afford it and I'm gutted.

Original poster

rookiemere · 27/05/2021 15:23

@Faultymain5 wow so if this one is non posh I'd love to know what the proper posh ones look like. Do they have Elemis scented bog roll and someone hands you a robe when you get out of the pool ?

OP posts:

Faultymain5 · 27/05/2021 15:27

[quote rookiemere]@Faultymain5 wow so if this one is non posh I'd love to know what the proper posh ones look like. Do they have Elemis scented bog roll and someone hands you a robe when you get out of the pool ? [/quote]
I wasn't a member of the posh ones, but the ones like Chelsea and fulham places like that are very nice as opposed to North London for example.

And yes I believe (don't quote me) that they have nicer shower products.

Even Hatfield didn't make the cut into the Vitality discounts

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