I finally figured out why my coworking membership wasn't worth it after 6 months

I was paying $200 a month for a coworking space in Chiang Mai and wondering why I felt so unproductive. Last week I realized I was spending half my time in coffee shops anyway because the WiFi in the coworking place kept cutting out around 2pm. I did a quick check and found out I had only used my hot desk 12 times in those 6 months. That works out to like $100 per visit not counting the drinks I bought at the cafe afterwards. Has anyone else done the math on their coworking membership and found out they were basically throwing money away?

3 comments

3 Comments

foster.charles1mo ago

Put the math down on a spreadsheet before you sign up. I did the same thing in Bali - $150 a month for a spot I hit maybe 8 times. What saved me was buying a local SIM with a solid data plan for like $30 a month. Now I just pick a cafe with decent reviews for WiFi and call it a day. Your mileage may vary but I've learned to treat coworking memberships like a trial run - give it a month before committing long term.

jennifer9651mo ago

Did you try one of those day passes first, or just jump straight into a monthly plan?

zarab241mo ago

Honestly that's a solid point about treating it like a trial run, but here's the thing nobody's talking about - check if the coworking space has a referral program before you even buy a day pass. Ngl I saved like 40% on my first month because a friend who already worked there gave me their referral code. Tbh those day passes are usually triple the daily rate of a monthly plan so they're not even a fair test, you're basically paying tourist prices. I'd say look for a space that does a free trial day first, then buy a 2 week flex pass if they have one. It gives you enough time to figure out if the vibe and the WiFi actually hold up on a random Tuesday instead of just their best day.