Crap or Not? #5 – Gym Membership
Posted by Cap in Stop Buying Crap! |
There’s Always Those Annoying Cool Guest Pass for Friends
Personally I think they’re a big waste of money — and it has nothing to do with my love for the couch and television set.
Out of the three friends I have, none of them really use their gym membership. This can be quite a waste, especially since gym membership dues can be rather expensive.
You should also note that having gym membership can turn you into a heartless human being, exemplified by the exchange below between me and Jim of Blueprint for Financial Prosperity:
Cap: Hey Jim. What’s up?
Jim: Nothing much.
Cap: Sigh. I had a really bad day today —
Jim: Can’t talk now gotta hit the gym see ya.
*Your Buddy Jim Has Signed-Off*
Anyway. Maybe I’m being a bit subjective. Maybe working out at home is overrated, and having strangers staring at you while you’re slaving away is fun.
Crap or not? You can vote on the top left of the blog.
Poll Result:
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23 Comments to “Crap or Not? #5 – Gym Membership”
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October 24th, 2006 at 3:18 am
I fully support people having gym memberships because the vast majority of them don’t go like you said but they subsidize it for the rest of us and allow us to go to very nice gyms that are never crowded. In that way its a good deal because if I went to a gym where the entire member base went 3-5x a week it would be a terrible experience for everyone. Actual costs for the gym not counting the people who don’t go would maybe run probably $200+ a month. My girlfriend can go to a large well equipped national chain gym with childcare (2 hours per day) for $65 a month. She goes 5 days a week for a little over an hour a time, her son loves to go, and basically gets 25 hours of childcare and access to top notch gym equipment. You definitely can’t get that at home
I have lots of friends that go and lots that don’t. I just thank the ones that don’t for subsidizing it for the rest of us
October 24th, 2006 at 7:20 am
Not crap. Gyms are a great place to look at
eye candyuse equipment that I don’t have at home and take group classes that I may have not tried before. Not to mention it’s a great place to workout during the cold midwest winters.I lost 30 pounds this year with the help of my gym membership. If people aren’t motivated enough to actually go, then that’s their problem. Don’t buy the membership if you don’t go. Simple, right?
October 24th, 2006 at 7:22 am
Like doh, can’t use strikeout in comments, huh? Seriouisly the eye candy isn’t that great…
October 24th, 2006 at 8:51 am
Crap if you don’t use ‘em.
Not crap if you do.
Theoretically, actually utilizing a gym membership can potentially save you tens of thousands–possibly more–if staying fit and healthy helps you avoid future health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
Personally, though, I exercise at home. I saved up my pennies and bought (crap) a treadmill and some weights. Cheaper than a gym membership in the long run (although would have cost even less to brave the neighborhood dogs and jog outside), and much more convenient.
October 24th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
I look at is like this, if you have decent gym nearby that is free or very cheap, get into the habit of going to that one. If you can do that, then buy the membership.
Ofcourse if you dont’ have that nearby, then try a day to day or monthly pass to get into the habit at first.
October 24th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Wow, I’m a jerk. :)
October 25th, 2006 at 6:22 am
Not crap if you use it. You have to find a place that’s a good match for you.
I once belonged to a great gym, and the fees were covered 50% by my health insurance. I paid only $40 a month. It was around the corner from work, and I went every weekday.
What I loved most were the classes. There’s nowhere else you could take 20 yoga classes a month for only $40. There was also a great women-only area, where you could exercise in peace.
Unfortunately, that gym closed. I joined another, but it wasn’t that close to home or work, didn’t offer yoga, and was patronized by men whose biceps were bigger around than their heads. I never felt comfortable lifting my puny little girly weights, so I never went. That membership was a serious waste of money.
So what about renting or buying a place in one of those fancy buildings that has a gym?
October 25th, 2006 at 8:04 am
If you actually go it’s not.
October 26th, 2006 at 6:07 am
definitely a personal preference I guess. well, the quality and cost of the gym matters too.
I know the poll is totally unscientific, but it was kind of neat how it kept being 50/50 for so long.
everyone should try a trial run of a perspective gym before they join up.. and actually do the test drive on the day and hour you’re most likely to show up to see the type of people you’ll be working out w/. seems like a better idea before you take the plunge and sign up.
still think they’re mighty expensive though.. especially the national chains.
October 26th, 2006 at 6:33 am
Joining the YMCA branch near my neighborhood was a great investment. I don’t use the actual gym portion much, but I can swim laps (2x/week) year-round, and take my children to family swim no matter how cold & icky the weather gets this winter. And, when I do get in for one of the yoga classes, there’s the afterschool play & homework hour included in the price of membership. And, I plan to take advantage of the price discounts for summer camp(s)
There are a couple of gyms in Atlanta where I could put together similar services, but not for $70/month.
October 26th, 2006 at 9:21 am
Him: edited for ya
Jim: yes you are.
October 27th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
> Crap if you don’t use ‘em.
> Not crap if you do.
I would concur with that sentiment. But I will say that I think spending money on something when you could do free exercises to get the same benefits seems like a waste of money.
It seems like there 4 camps with some possible overlap…
1. People who workout but don’t give money to a gym.
2. People who workout and give to a gym.
3. People who don’t workout but give money to a gym.
4. People who don’t workout and don’t give money to a gym.
For Camp 1 people gym memberships are crap.
For Camp 2 people who would otherwise be Camp 4 people it’s not crap. For camp 2 people who could be Camp 1 people it’s crap.
For Camp 3 people it’s crap.
For Camp 4 people it’s neither crap or not crap. It doesn’t exist.
October 30th, 2006 at 7:19 am
On top of the already aforementioned benefits of thousands of dollars on health costs in future being saved if you make use of a gym membership, having to allocate time to go to the gym drastically cuts down on the hours you could be shopping. By the time I get out of gym on the weekend, I’m too tired to amble into a mall and go through retail therapy like I used to quite often. Both my body and my wallet feel great the next day!
Estimate that I’ve saved at least $2000 over the last year on skipping impulsive weekend shopping sprees, which is a lot more than what I’ve paid for my gym membership.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:12 am
I’m with Midnight Raider. The long-term health benefits can outweigh (har) reasonable short-term expenses on home equipment or a membership. Sometimes, though, one has no choice based on living conditions. If I weren’t living on the second floor of an apartment building with very cheap floors and walls, I would have converted my bedroom to a workout room. Sadly, my downstairs neighbor pounded on my ceiling the first time I used my NordicTrack, so I had to patronize the town gym. Otherwise I would have plunked down something close to the annual membership nut on free weights and perhaps another aerobic gadget and just used them ’til they rusted out. So in my case, spending on the gym’s a necessity.
November 16th, 2006 at 1:33 pm
My husband and I love our gym memberships. I get mine free as a perk for having a part-time job with the city. J’s membership costs $355/year. If I didn’t get a free membership, I would absolutely buy one, as we go to the gym 3-5 times/week. We go to a public rec center, partially funded by city tax dollars. I guess that’s why the fees are so low. We have a sweet climbing wall, a pool complete with huge water slides and a lazy river, a hot tub, BB courts, a track, tons of cardio machines, and a well-equiped weight room. The national chain gyms in our area have huge sign up fees, two year contracts, $60+/month fees, etc. Our rec center is a steal. So before you fork over your money to the nearest big-name gym you see, check with your city or county office to see if there is a public rec center where you could get a membership instead.
March 26th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Having a gym memberhip is not crap….You just have to have the motivation to go. Before you join a gym you have to focus on WIIFM….And there’s lots in it for you. Better health, depending on the gym social interaction and networking. I know what you mean that gyms can be expensive try checking out http://www.transfermymembership.com for a cheaper deal. You may work out that the gym isn’t the right training environment for you..Depending on were you live nad what you have excess to, there’s bush running, mountain biking, kayaking, and there’s plent of outdoor fitness groups going on all over the place.
March 26th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
I meant access to excess…
April 10th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
A gym membership for my wife made sense. In the last 18 months she has gone about 3 or 4 times a week. And with free child care for our 3 boys, it gave her up to 90 minutes of quiet time – plus she gets a work out. But I had one for a year and only went twice. So, crap for me, gold for her.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Computer, preferably laptop, from work: already-sunk cost.
Copy of StepMania: Free.
StepMix 1.0: Free.
Two XBOX DDR mats at Ocean State Job Lot: $40
Two XBOX/USB adapter cables from eBay: $20
For the cost of about one month of introductory gym membership for two people, you can jump around like idiots to catchy techno music with incomprehensible Engrish lyrics. I highly recommend it; just make sure you either live on the ground floor or have no one living beneath you.
August 23rd, 2007 at 1:02 am
Find a local community center and buy a yearly membership (probably between $100 & 200)… There is ample workout gear, not too many distractions (i.e. cute people) and if you do meet someone they have a higher chance of being frugal like yourself!
The only reason I would have a club membership is for the late-night workouts – they would have to be open 24 hours.
Lastly, any money spent on your health now will probably save you money from doctor visits in the future…
March 28th, 2008 at 11:46 am
i just joined a gym ($33/mo, classes and personal training included) and so far love it. i try to get at least every other day except weekends. it’s not crap unless you have to wait in line for a treadmill, which happens after guilt-inducing weekend hogfests.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
When ever joining a gym ask what the best up-front cash special is. I paid $800 for 3 years at 24-Hour fitness. Every year after is now only $54 – that’s right, for the entire year for the rest of my life. Why do gyms do this? They know that the percentages are on their side – the vast majority of people who join a gym stop going by month 3. But if you are a committed person who will use the facilities then this deal may be fore you.
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:03 pm
When I had a gym membership, I used it. I don’t think it is a waste if you use it. I would take advantage of the cardio and weight machines as well as the exercise rooms where I could stretch. The gym was kind of a getaway for me. If it is reasonably priced and you use it, I think it’s a good investment.