Penniless Celebrity

My Celebrity Fitness membership is expiring soon. I've been offered 3 packages:

Package 1
buy 18 months and get another 18 months free

Package 2
buy 24 months and get 24 months free

Package 3
buy 48 months. After 48 months you pay RM120 per year
(They call this Lifetime membership but i dont call it that coz it's not like you get it free for life..you just pay significantly lesser)

I heard that Celebrity Fitness has bought over California Fitness. According to them, this is the last Lifetime Membership that they are extending to members, as in the long run, lifetime memberships do not make a lot of money. THat's why places like California Fitness and True Fitness (according to this staff ..dont quote me!)are having financial liquidity problems.Sounds quite logical..if you look at Fitness First, they dont offer lifetime membership and they seem to be sustaining pretty well.

The monthly fee at Celebrity has increased from RM149 (which is what I paid before) to RM169...but at this new fee i will be entitled to passport membership - which means I can use any Celebrity branch here. (And that includes the California Fitness in Mid Valley which they took over)

However $$$$ is the problem (isn't it always?:P) While the lifetime membership is a lot more worth it, it's also A LOT MORE $$ upfront.

I've worked it out:
(48 months x RM169) + RM120 (procesing fee) = RM8232

Of course they have some installment package tied up with some credit cards, but it's still a lot of money.

Previously they had approached me on lifetime membership at a cheaper rate, but I was reluctant then as I was worried that they would foldup overnight, plus their service was crappy.Now that they have bought over California Fitness, I see that they could stay for long - especially if they are considering scrapping lifetime membership in future in order to sustain better. Also, their service has improved (but it took them a LONG LONG LONG LONG time - ah well maybe they are slightly - only slightly better than our country which is REGRESSING)

SIgh....bills bills bills...I'll be a penniless B grade celebrity.