Whether you realize it or not, you can be throwing away a significant amount of money at the gym without really realizing it. The Inner Resistance Monster is lazy you see, so he/she can influence you to not only skip your workouts but to also throw down the drain some of your good hard earned money. Here are some helpful tips to save money related to your gym time:
- Those bottles of water at the gym are usually about $1 more than what you would pay at the grocery store. If you always buy water at the gym, and you go 5 times a week, that comes to $260 a year you're spending on water. That's almost 3 massages at a nice spa. Wouldn't you rather be pampered than chuck money for bottled water at the gym. This week, start buying water at stores where the H20 is cheaper.
- Now, speaking of sport water bottles you buy in bulk like at Costco, that's a whole lot of plastic to recycle. To conserve money and carbon footprints, why not buy a reusable water bottle, and fill it each time you go workout. Make sure you're sport bottle is BPA-free. Workout Mommy has more info on BPA and water bottles.
- Have you always wanted to work with a trainer but weren't sure and don't want to pay just for one session? Most gyms, if you ask nicely, will offer one free training session so you can see what it's like.Be specific in telling them that you want to "try before you buy." It's kind of like getting a bite from that pink taster spoon at Baskin Robbins before committing to a full scoop.
- Do you really need to spend money on fancy fashionable workout and yoga wear? Actually, no you don't because 1. You are there to get sweaty and "work" so basic workout wear will do. However, do care to not wear outfits like Charlotte points out in "What Not to Wear: Gym Edition" and 2. Ladies, this is something a few guy friends told me, when guys see women dolled up on the gym floor it communicates "high-maintenance." The tactic of dolling up to get the guy's attention is not as effective as showing that you can pump some iron, spin like you love it, and kickbox like you mean business. Impress people with your love of being healthy than your love of vanity.
- And most importantly, go to the gym. Go! How many of you have memberships that you pay for and yet you never go. Even if you only go once a week, that is better than going zero times. You may justify that it's only $30 (or whatever) a month. But over a year, that $30/mo adds up to $360. For many, that's a car payment, a credit card payment, or food or gas for a month. If you have a membership and don't go, either cancel your membership or start going. Again, even going just once a week is a move forward. You'll probably start enjoying how you feel better after working out.
Things I did last week:
I met with a bunch of old college buddies, and we went out for pizza and beer. I ordered my first ever vegan pizza which I shared with a couple others at the table who turn out to be vegetarian or trying to cut down on fat. It was a large so we actually did half vegetarian and half vegan. The pizza was delicious. It had a thin wheat crust with a pesto sauce, potatoes, carmelized onions, and sweet peppers. The other half just had feta cheese sprinkled on top. Here's the pizza taken from a fancy-smancy iPhone. Yum!
- I tried a seaweed side dish at a Korean restaurant because seaweed is actually very beneficial and helps thyroid function, and provides iodine and selenium, things vegetarians/vegans tend to be short of. I just have avoided it in the past because, well, it tastes like the sea. This seaweed dish was really tasty, and I was happy about that ;)
