Make A Change Monday: Work Out At Home

When I first started Family Friendly Frugality, I knew I wanted to approach frugal living from a very relaxed and welcoming mindset. I wanted to create a blog about frugal living that didn’t leave people  feeling overwhelmed or less than when they walked away.

The main complaint I hear about saving money nowadays is that it is too darn overwhelming to know where to begin. If you have $20,000 in credit card debt, is clipping a few coupons realistically going to make much of an impact to your bottom line? If you are drowning in student loans and house payments, is living within your means even possible?

The answer to all of the above is  yes. While the small things you do might not add up to financial freedom, they do make a big difference. Some of them will chip away at your debt or create more wiggle room in a tight budget. Some of them will simply give you more confidence and a self esteem boost, proving to yourself that you can save money!

So I am starting a Make a Change Monday series where I will simply give you one task to work on for the week. You might already be doing it…so you get to skip that week! If not though, try it out and see if it makes a difference! I’ll keep them small manageable changes that don’t require a lot of effort or learning the drugstore game .

This week’s Make A Change Task:

Work Out At Home

This Make A Change Monday probably won’t be applicable to a huge section of my demographic, but it’s still worthwhile visiting for those that might be a slave to health club fees!

First, I’m going to state that I have nothing against gyms or health clubs. I think they are great and I think that a good reasonable gym membership can be worked into a budget nicely and be a beneficial expense.

That said, so many people are either paying way too much for a health club membership OR they are paying a reasonable rate but NEVER using it.

If you are currently paying too much for your gym membership:

1. Shop around for a cheaper rate at another gym.
2. Try to negotiate a lower rate with your current gym. It’s possible fees have dropped over time, or you can drop some amenities and get a lower rate.
3. Likewise, see if you can pay a lump sum for a year and get a discount
4. Work out at home (see below)

If you are paying for a gym membership, but not using it:

1. Use it.
2. Work out at home (see below)

If you choose to work out at home, you have quite a few great options:

• Take the money you were spending on your gym membership and invest in a home gym. It doesn’t need to be elaborate or take up an entire room. Some weights, an exercise ball and some DVD’s are sufficient in most cases.
• Do your cardio in the great outdoors. Walk, run, jog, swim, etc.
• Join sports or dance classes to get your exercise in.
• Check your cable package for free Exercise shows or join Netflix and choose from their wide selection of Exercise DVD’s.
• CollageVideo.com has tons of DVD reviews and DVD’s for purchase. You’ll find something for every activity level.

Don’t be a slave to high health club fees! Get healthy and active without wasting big bucks.

Previous Make a Change Monday Tasks.