So, you’ve mulled about the decision to join a gym and finally decided to give it a try. While it’s true that a leaner body has its advantages, your gains should negate your bank situation to a great degree.
In today’s economy, there are many fitness centers that offer an assortment of services for their clientele. The usual suspects are things like tanning, massages, and laundry services. Of course, all these offerings come at a price and dent wallets differently.
No one doesn’t like saving the occasional dollar every once in a while. If it’s possible to actually do that without compromising on quality, then, even better. Today’s review focuses on all the top tips that you can use to save money on your gym subscription.
Pounce During the Off Season
Unbeknownst to many, gym membership prices vary depending on the time of year.
Typically, New Year’s is the busiest time of the year for most gyms thanks to the innumerable resolutions made, fresh resolve and determination by people and the numerous gift certificates issued out. The cold months are also quite busy since people find it harder to exercise in the great outdoors.
If you’re looking to join a gym and save money while at it, then, it’s best to avoid these times of the year. Instead, wait for summertime or the end of the year before embarking on gym hunting. During these times, it’s quite easy to land special discounts with every subscription.
Month End Subscription
Since most gyms are run on business models, it’s easier to land good deals towards the end of every month. How so? Well, a lot of that goes down to the fact that employees usually have sales quotas for every month that they need to meet. In effect, haggling for a deal is quite easy during end month sales.
Sample the Competition
As alluded earlier, today’s sedentary lifestyle has greatly contributed to the emergence of gym centers all over populous cities and towns. The onus is thus on you to find out which gyms offer the best services at reasonable amounts.
Make sure you carefully evaluate a couple of gym centers before arriving committing to one.
Ideally, the hunt should involve making inquiries on the specifics of what you’d like to achieve at the end of the subscription period. Your list needs to narrow down to those gyms with the most fascinating facilities without necessarily being overly expensive.
Tempting as it may be, it’s best not to do phone inquiries. Instead, walk up to the various gym centers and physically acquaint yourself with their services and their rates. This is because most instructors can’t stomach the thought of seeing you walk out the door unsatisfied with what they have to offer.
No Miscellaneous
In most gym establishments, the rate universally applies to all members. However, if you realize that you won’t be making utility of a number of facilities like the locker rooms, gyms, group fitness, and childcare classes, then, it’s best to have a word with the management in order to voice out your frustrations. In so doing, they’re likely to give you a deal that appeals to your financial muscle.
Pay as You Gym
Interestingly, many people don’t know that numerous gyms allow for per visit payments. While this approach may not seem feasible in the long run, it’s definitely an option that needs to be evaluated. Researchers at the University of California in Berkely discovered that on average, gym users on monthly subscriptions actually pay about 70% higher than those who make per visit payments.
Significantly, this number represents about $300 in a single year. Before you sign up to any gym subscription, its best to be realistic on just how many times you’re likely to go to the gym. If the math doesn’t add up, then perhaps its best to just ditch the monthly payment option and switch to the less conventional but ideal payment per visit.
Partner Up
To make savings, it’s best to tag along with a couple of friends and formulate a tiny training group. Once you’re all set up as a team, you can split up the cost in order to access the trainer’s expertise. According to the American Council on Exercise, most trainers will be open to the idea since it actually translates to more earnings, despite the fact that they’re charging less.
Talk with HR
This is perhaps the best call you could make before your append your signature on the dotted line. By having members of your human resources department let you know whether they can subsidize your gym membership, you can actually realize massive savings.
A couple of corporations and health insurers have been known to chip in with discounted offers and full sponsoring of gym memberships. However, before they grant you some of these opportunities, they’ll need your consent. It’s always a good idea to make inquiries.
