How-to Save Money on Gym Memberships & Are They Worth it?

I don’t know how to start off today’s article so I will just throw this out there for you guys- I’m a personal finance blogger that pays $70 a month for a gym membership.

I’m so foolish aren’t I?

Aren’t you supposed to eliminate your monthly subscriptions?

Well yes and no. My gym membership adds a lot of value to my life. I not only have access to weights and cardio equipment but I’m able to attend all sorts of different combat sports classes. After working out for many years at a wide variety of gyms, it seems to be the perfect one for me for now.

Aside from my perspective, this article is also perfect around this time of the year because all of you New Year Resolutioners that plan on getting in better shape in 2010 will be making an important decision in regards to a gym membership (or lack thereof).

Keep on reading if you want to learn how-to save money on gym memberships:

Gym membership fees can be avoided altogether

First and foremost I need to throw this out there- Why spend money on a gym membership if you don’t have to? I worked out at home for as long as I could until I wanted to start swimming, ran out of weights, found motivated gym addicts to work out with, and pissed off my family.

Train at home for a few weeks of serious training. Don’t think that you will become serious about your physical fitness just because you start paying $70 a month for a gym membership. First you need to prove to yourself that you are taking your personal fitness seriously. Once you have a decent workout regimen in place and fitness has become apart of your lifestyle, then you can start looking around for a gym membership to consider.

Pursue a free gym membership

If you take an honest look around you, I’m sure that you can find access to a gym for free. This is not the same thing as avoiding gym fees. I’m also not suggesting you to be the prick that goes to the same gym every week asking for a “free week pass” with a different alias. This will work only for so long before you get banned from every gym within driving distance. Then you’re really going to have to find a way to workout for free.

How can I obtain a gym membership for cheap/even free?

Look no further- check if your current work/school offer a gym to use.

A work gym:

In order to promote health and all of that other good stuff, most workplaces are either setting up an in-house gym or offering free/discounted gym memberships. I personally have access to a $12 a month gym from my work. My friend just became a Fire Fighter and he’s able to train while on shift. Go to the Human Resources department or whoever deals with that stuff in your company and inquire about gym membership options/plans. I guarantee you that your workplace will offer you a better deal than you could find on your own.

The school gym:

Every college has some sort of semblance of a gym. At my old school the gym was nothing fancy at all but it had the basics. If you’re just getting into working out, that is all you will need. Fortunately, many colleges these days have state of the art gyms that you can either join for free or they will charge you a small fee per semester.

Why pay high gym membership fees if you don’t have to?

Before you sign up for a gym membership:

Will you actually go?

It’s nice that you have bought a fancy new pair of running shoes and all of the other gym attire, but will you actually go to the gym? No really, how many excuses do you have lined up? Do you realistically have the time in your schedule to fit in a work? Are you willing to work out before work in the morning? Are you willing to work out late at night? A realistic assessment needs to be done before you hand over your hard earned money to a gym.

Consider pay per use.

Ramit Sethi calls this the a-la-carte method. Instead of signing up for a subscription why not try paying per use? Instead of paying the $40-50 per month for a gym membership, pay the daily fee every time that you go to the gym.

If I go the gym regularly this is a stupid idea, isn’t it? Yes it is. Unfortunately, most people will only go 3 times a week for the first few weeks. If you find yourself hitting the gym on a consistent basis after a month then please by all means sign up.

Do you even need a gym membership?

Many of us are conscious about the fact that we need to improve our personal fitness but we don’t know where to start, besides joining a gym. Working out at a gym is not for everyone. If you love blasting music (or podcasts) on your music player then the gym will be fun for you. If you appreciate team work and group effort then you definitely need to look into sports.

I have friends that absolutely loathe working out at a gym but can’t get enough of soccer or hockey or swimming or golf. If you want to get serious about your personal fitness in 201o, look beyond a gym. Pick up skiing, play football in the park, join the school basketball team, walk to work, or go old school and clean up your diet.

Hopefully this article will help you decide on whether a gym membership and the gym membership fees that come along with it are worth it for you in 2010. I wish everyone all the best! I hope you all wish me the same because my dumbass is going to need to get through a difficult semester.