REI Club Fees
I was looking to join a local REI club in the area, however, the membership fee is $199/year for an individual membership (recurring fee of $149) or $299/year for a family membership (recurring fee of $249).
Does this sound like a typical membership fee? Or is this a little on the steep side?
The reason I ask is because many of the fees listed under the "Groups" section of this site - advertise fees like $1/year for individuals and $2/year for couples.
That's quite a big difference!
They should allow visitors to go to one or two of the meetings for free. Meet some people and find out what it is all about. I bet that you will meet others who are in your exact situation and some that are a little farther in their career.
Networking is the key. When you know 10 or 20 or 50 people who you can call to ask a question that you have, who live in your city, it makes $200 bucks seem like nothing. Local REI clubs are way more valuable than 200 per year.