At the end of last month I signed up for a gym membership. I worked it into my budget and there it will stay. Why did I increase my fixed costs by $42.50/month when I am trying so hard to cut down spending? Well, because it’s really important to me.
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I think that taking care of myself inside and out is extremely important.
I want to have a strong, healthy, body, so that I am around long enough to pay off all my debt once that finally happens in 60 years. That may be a slight exaggeration. But the point remains that healthy people live longer, and I am definitely looking forward to being a little old lady who can actually walk more than 5 feet at a time without getting winded.
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Working out reduces stress.
I have always had problems with anxiety and stress. I constantly work on myself to improve this, and working out is something that ‘produces endorphins and makes you happy’, as learned from Legally Blonde. Saving $42.50 / month is not worth losing out on the benefits of living a happier life with less stress in it.
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Working out is a fairly inexpensive activity to fill my time.
Although it is $42.50 / month, I will be spending 30-60 minutes at the gym 3-5 x / week. That amount could be spent on one night out, a dinner at a restaurant, etc. Working out gets me out of the house and breaks up my day to make me feel like I’ve done something fun that day, not just worked.
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I want to look good.
I am happy with my looks, but everybody wants to look like their best self. This point is one of the least important, but still deserves a mention.
This is how I justify my increase in fixed costs from joining the gym. It was pretty awesome that there was no pesky start-up fee at the non-chain gym I joined, since those can cost hundreds of dollars. At the end of the day I think it is probably one of the best ways I spend my money. On a related note, I buy fresh food and vegetables even though it is more expensive than buying junk, because it is truly important to me. The only problem now is that I want to buy some really cute work-out gear (none of mine fits) which can get pretty pricey!
Good for you! For us, we cancelled just because we never went (the only 24 hour fitness center was over 10 miles away and we couldn’t justify the driving). If there was one closer, then we definitely would’ve kept it.
Agree with all of this! Even though I’m trying to keep my living expenses low, one of the first things I did when I got my new job was get a gym membership for a place close to my apartment. The mental and physical health benefits are more than worth the $30 a month I spend there.
I credit working out for preserving my sanity and sense of purpose when I was last unemployed. When I’m getting enough exercise, I sleep better, perform better at work, and just generally am more awesome at life.
I get most of my workout gear from Target, but I have a serious weakness for Moving Comfort and Under Armour stuff, so I typically reward myself with something a little nicer when I hit a particular fitness goal (run a 5k, increase my lifts by X amount, etc)
Exactly, $30 is one night out. Much rather have the gym membership all month ! I am in Canada and am seriously excited for Target to get here; I think the stores open next year all over the place. Will definitely be looking there for well-priced workout gear! Thanks for reading.
Good for you! We all have to do what is best for us, and I think that a gym membership really sounds like something which adds value to your life. For myself, I’m debating signing up for Yoga lessons, because I want to learn Yoga, and I want to be in better shape.
You also raised a good point that even though you’re out $42.50 for the month, you’ll also be spending a lot of time at the gym, and won’t be able to spend that time spending money elsewhere! I could easily drop $42 shopping or eating out.
I so want to do yoga! No one offers classes here so it’s kind of unfortunate. You should definitely try it out ! They often have Groupons for Yoga packages so you can save a bit of money too. Thanks for commenting ! :)
We actually have a gym membership but never use it (the wife does though). I get a VA discount and it only costs us $25/month. If It wasn’t out of the way I probably would use it more often but in the warmer months I prefer to run outside and I own a bunch of weights and machines myself. Eventually I’ll heat my garage and will be able to work out all year long. One thing I could give up to help our finances but refuse to do is racing motocross. It is expensive and takes a lot of time but we really enjoy it and so does the in-laws. I’m not willing to give that up (unless of course I lost my job).
I love running outside too, but now that it’s raining more here I need another option for when the weather is crappy. Owning weights and machines is awesome, I would much prefer to do that but I can’t afford spending the money ! And motocross sounds fun. I’m glad you can still do the things you love and be frugal !
HEre’s what I think, for what it’s worth. If you can afford it and you use it and love it, then that’s what a gym membership is for! It’s only amoney waste when people dont’ use it, or if they truly cant’ afford it. BUt it sounds like you love it and can afford it, so enjoy it!
Thank you ! Yes I definitely use it, especially now that I’m not in school and have no homework or projects due to throw all of my spare time at ! Thanks for reading !
Even when I go through periods where I don’t use my gym membership nearly as much as I should, i still keep it. It’s only $22/month for me, and it’s important to me to keep it as well.
I can totally understand this. I honestly had a hard time letting go of my gym membership, although it was more expensive at 110/month…but I went and I loved it. I just couldn’t justify it…enough, especially when I live in Socal and the weather is nice enough to work out outside. I wouldn’t give up yoga though, so I just joined a much cheaper studio, because yoga is like my church. And so far I haven’t given up my biggest expense, which is my apartment where I live alone. I’m still weighing my options there.
Research has found that exercise is as good or better than antidepressants for all but the most severely depressed people. Exercise does countless things to look after your health. The money you spend on exercise now will save you money later in pharmaceuticals. If you ever see the DVD ‘Forks over Knives’ it features a fellow that was spending thousands in medications for all his preventable problems.
I’d die if it wasn’t for my exercise. I have issues with anxiety and it’s helped me more than anything else I think. And hopefully de-stressing will add a few extra years onto my life ;)