HHI for Country club membership?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full service CC's tend to be very expensive with golf, tennis, swim etc etc plus food minimums. Unless you really use it it's a waste of money. If a lot of your friends are members that's a good reason to join but again only if you really use it. Don't do a cost/benefit analysis (# rounds of golf etc) because the numbers will say no.

If you pay for a pool for the summer throw that cost in. You can throw gym cost in. Tennis and then Golf. 25% of your eat out budget. It makes it look a little better but certainly not cost effective. I have been a member for almost 20 years. Near our house. Love it. We use it. If you will then it is great.

In terms of HHI. I really don't see how a non-rich family could pull it off below 250k. I was 350k when we joined but was almost 20 years ago. To fit into the lifestyle and be in the same conversations I would think we are talking 400k minimum.

HHI $600+ and this mentality is why you couldn't pay me to join one. Couldn't possibly imagine being stuck in a foursome with someone making $375k, what on earth would they have to talk about?!

375 and 600 don't live in the same world. You would have lots to talk about but what you are probably not talking about is private school for multiple kids. 1 or more vacation homes. Going on multiple expensive vacations a year. The issue is not with the 600k talking to the 375k. It is the 375k feeling comfortable in the conversation.

Oh aren't you in another stratosphere because of your mighty $600K a year?!? No one else could ever know how life at such a substantially higher HHI.
This is why I would never join a CC. Such stupid pretention. FWIW, I make way more than that and my net worth is way higher. I don't judge people by their paycheck and my friendships aren't based on where people travel. So sad!!!

Yopu must be a great person. Everyone else in the world judges people on their paycheck. Rich/poor/LC/MC/UMC/UC.

[Anonymous]

We are members of a casual swim/tennis club because we have young children and no time for golf. It works for us now but my parents, who live nearby, are members of a country club that is really nice and very family friendly except they don’t have a kiddie pool which is a must for me. My parents really enjoy it so we may join in a few years because the initiation fee for legacies is fairly low and a social membership is not much different than what we are paying out our club which is nowhere near as nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much are country club memberships? I think that is the only question that needs to be asked.

It depends on the club. One near us is $100K to join and $1500 monthly use it/lose it. $15K to get on the 7 year wait list. We are very financially comfortable and have CC member money, but DH 'doesn't need to buy friends'. I can see his point, but we get invited to go all the time with various friends. DH never goes, but I enjoy it for the both of us.

$100K lump sum plus $1500/month???? That is insanity. No, never. We are at $600-700HHI and would never in a million years consider it. I'd rather buy an investment property, or save for college, or retirement, or vacation, or donate that $100K to various non-profits. There are an infinite amount of things that I could think of as better options for that $100K than the country club. Our summer pool membership was $675. We'll stay there and pay for our poolside chicken fingers in cash. Ridiculous.

The point of this post, I think, was what HHI does it take to join. 100k is way less than the going amount of upfront at high end clubs. 1500 a month is steep and not the going rate although it is probably around a thousand. Most, but not all, of the people that join ccs also buy investment properties, save for college, retitement, vacation, and donate. Average HHI is a lot higher than being discussed here. That is why people can do it all. It is not instead of, it is in addition to. Not for everyone. There are also cheaper clubs are some people have mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We made 700k last year and haven't done it. My goal is to raise children who make it to adulthood without ever memorizing a member number to buy their chicken fingers poolside.

Hmm. I liked that my kids could order for themselves and get icecream for their friends, etc. without having to worry about losing money at the pool. I think our club gave the kids a lot of autonomy and confidence talking to other adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full service CC's tend to be very expensive with golf, tennis, swim etc etc plus food minimums. Unless you really use it it's a waste of money. If a lot of your friends are members that's a good reason to join but again only if you really use it. Don't do a cost/benefit analysis (# rounds of golf etc) because the numbers will say no.

If you pay for a pool for the summer throw that cost in. You can throw gym cost in. Tennis and then Golf. 25% of your eat out budget. It makes it look a little better but certainly not cost effective. I have been a member for almost 20 years. Near our house. Love it. We use it. If you will then it is great.

In terms of HHI. I really don't see how a non-rich family could pull it off below 250k. I was 350k when we joined but was almost 20 years ago. To fit into the lifestyle and be in the same conversations I would think we are talking 400k minimum.

HHI $600+ and this mentality is why you couldn't pay me to join one. Couldn't possibly imagine being stuck in a foursome with someone making $375k, what on earth would they have to talk about?!

375 and 600 don't live in the same world. You would have lots to talk about but what you are probably not talking about is private school for multiple kids. 1 or more vacation homes. Going on multiple expensive vacations a year. The issue is not with the 600k talking to the 375k. It is the 375k feeling comfortable in the conversation.

No one wants to talk to you about your vacation home or private school. Read an effing book.

We talk about which books we read on our fancy vacations, sometimes at vacation homes.... go figure.

[Anonymous]

We didn’t join a CC until we were in our early 50’s and educations were mostly paid for and we had saved a lot and our HHI was very high. It was expensive but at that point in our lives it was very affordable. I’d hate to join a club and then regret it when the college tuition bills started rolling in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full service CC's tend to be very expensive with golf, tennis, swim etc etc plus food minimums. Unless you really use it it's a waste of money. If a lot of your friends are members that's a good reason to join but again only if you really use it. Don't do a cost/benefit analysis (# rounds of golf etc) because the numbers will say no.

If you pay for a pool for the summer throw that cost in. You can throw gym cost in. Tennis and then Golf. 25% of your eat out budget. It makes it look a little better but certainly not cost effective. I have been a member for almost 20 years. Near our house. Love it. We use it. If you will then it is great.

In terms of HHI. I really don't see how a non-rich family could pull it off below 250k. I was 350k when we joined but was almost 20 years ago. To fit into the lifestyle and be in the same conversations I would think we are talking 400k minimum.

HHI $600+ and this mentality is why you couldn't pay me to join one. Couldn't possibly imagine being stuck in a foursome with someone making $375k, what on earth would they have to talk about?!

375 and 600 don't live in the same world. You would have lots to talk about but what you are probably not talking about is private school for multiple kids. 1 or more vacation homes. Going on multiple expensive vacations a year. The issue is not with the 600k talking to the 375k. It is the 375k feeling comfortable in the conversation.

No one wants to talk to you about your vacation home or private school. Read an effing book.

We talk about which books we read on our fancy vacations, sometimes at vacation homes.... go figure.

Which the lowly 375K families can also read on their regular vacations. Hence the PP's point.

[Anonymous]

We made 700k last year and haven't done it. My goal is to raise children who make it to adulthood without ever memorizing a member number to buy their chicken fingers poolside.

I want to be friends with you. Honestly, I grew up with a lot of CC kids all through school and there is a snobbery (especially in the South) that gets SO ingrained. Such a desire not to interact with anyone who is the slightest bit different in ethnicity, thought, dress, religion, or politics. If that's NOT your attitude AND you aren't a die-hard golf or tennis player, there's just no point.

[Anonymous]

A friend of DHs recently looked into Army Navy CC. $88,000 initial fee for civilians.
I don’t think they’ll be joining despite a very reasonable HHI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We made 700k last year and haven't done it. My goal is to raise children who make it to adulthood without ever memorizing a member number to buy their chicken fingers poolside.

Hmm. I liked that my kids could order for themselves and get icecream for their friends, etc. without having to worry about losing money at the pool. I think our club gave the kids a lot of autonomy and confidence talking to other adults.

They'd have more autonomy if they tried to keep track of money and how much things cost themselves.

[Anonymous]

I would say 350k+

[Anonymous]

we are 900k and can’t figure out when people have the time to make this work. we don’t golf so it’s not in our priority list. mountain house far more important goal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full service CC's tend to be very expensive with golf, tennis, swim etc etc plus food minimums. Unless you really use it it's a waste of money. If a lot of your friends are members that's a good reason to join but again only if you really use it. Don't do a cost/benefit analysis (# rounds of golf etc) because the numbers will say no.

If you pay for a pool for the summer throw that cost in. You can throw gym cost in. Tennis and then Golf. 25% of your eat out budget. It makes it look a little better but certainly not cost effective. I have been a member for almost 20 years. Near our house. Love it. We use it. If you will then it is great.

In terms of HHI. I really don't see how a non-rich family could pull it off below 250k. I was 350k when we joined but was almost 20 years ago. To fit into the lifestyle and be in the same conversations I would think we are talking 400k minimum.

HHI $600+ and this mentality is why you couldn't pay me to join one. Couldn't possibly imagine being stuck in a foursome with someone making $375k, what on earth would they have to talk about?!

375 and 600 don't live in the same world. You would have lots to talk about but what you are probably not talking about is private school for multiple kids. 1 or more vacation homes. Going on multiple expensive vacations a year. The issue is not with the 600k talking to the 375k. It is the 375k feeling comfortable in the conversation.

No one wants to talk to you about your vacation home or private school. Read an effing book.

This. PP must be the most boring person imaginable. No surprise she’s into forced socializing at clubs, as no real friend would be beat this boring and uncreative woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we are 900k and can’t figure out when people have the time to make this work. we don’t golf so it’s not in our priority list. mountain house far more important goal

We're the same but we joined because DH golfs. A LOT.

We've been members of 2. We moved states and were members both places. HHI really isn't the determining factor. Budget and priorities are. If you truly want to join one you can make it work. Dues vary wildly and you can probably find one in your price range.

We joined for golf. DH plays a lot. He plays at least twice a week and practices some nights after work. DS and I also play but no where near as much. We use the membership a lot. We go to the gym, play tennis, use the pool and do social activities. Personally I'm there at least twice a week, DH more.

A big factor in this is that we don't live in the DC area any more. It's a lot more relaxed where we now live. Working late means 6:30/7. It's a totally different lifestyle.

When we lived in DC we went to the CC maybe once every 2 weeks. It was still worth it for the golf access but definitely not used as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much are country club memberships? I think that is the only question that needs to be asked.

It depends on the club. One near us is $100K to join and $1500 monthly use it/lose it. $15K to get on the 7 year wait list. We are very financially comfortable and have CC member money, but DH 'doesn't need to buy friends'. I can see his point, but we get invited to go all the time with various friends. DH never goes, but I enjoy it for the both of us.

$100K lump sum plus $1500/month???? That is insanity. No, never. We are at $600-700HHI and would never in a million years consider it. I'd rather buy an investment property, or save for college, or retirement, or vacation, or donate that $100K to various non-profits. There are an infinite amount of things that I could think of as better options for that $100K than the country club. Our summer pool membership was $675. We'll stay there and pay for our poolside chicken fingers in cash. Ridiculous.

Many people don’t have to pay the initiation if they got in through a junior membership.