I got a call last week while I was lining up to board a plane. Did I know a Yolanda Guzman? Yep, that would be my mother-in-law. Well she suggested I give you a call. She’s a member of our hotel chain, and thought it might be beneficial for you too.

The deal was this – for $300 a year I could be a member of this hotel chain, always get 10% off their lowest rate, get one night free and some other good stuff. Sounded reasonable, so I thought I’d give it a go for a year.

I got home and there was the email with the terms and conditions, and a cancellation letter that I could send within a 10 day cooling off period.

I realised that there was a cost to the whole thing that I hadn’t factored in. My attention. I have limited bandwidth, and my time, energy and attention is the most valuable thing I have. Another card in my wallet takes up a little bit of my time and energy. A little bit of my bandwidth. I also need to create a process to include that membership when we book accommodation. A bit more of my time and energy. And life is just a little bit more complicated.

I cancelled the card. While it was worth the money, it wasn’t worth the money and my attention.

Love to hear your thoughts and experiences – you can leave your comments below.