Saving on Health Club Memberships Without Saying Goodbye to the Gym

A while back, almost one year ago to this day to be exact, my friend Yasar told you all about free alternatives to often costly gym memberships. While I completely agree with everything he said in that prior article, I would like to take the time today to offer up some cost-saving solutions for those of us still too reluctant to say goodbye to our local workout spot.

• One way to save is to take advantage of trial offers and free passes. These are usually offered year-round and, while not a long-term solution, usually range from 1-day passes up to the rarer two-week pass variety--like this free 14 day trial pass from 24-Hour Fitness.

• Another viable option, is to look for seasonal discount offers. Many of the major gyms offer discounted memberships at the start of Summer and during the post-Thanksgiving Winter months. These are obviously aimed at getting you ready for the beach and shorts season. There are also other holiday-themed offers out there.
  

• Choose a little known, local gym in or around your neighborhood. These spots usually offer memberships at rates well-below the monthly prices of big chain workout clubs. That Mom and Pop cathedral to all things cardio or a local YMCA offering the use of its weight lifting facilities can often prove to be key in keeping your wallet fat while helping to thin out the waist and hips it rests next to on a daily basis.
  

• Check with your employer. Some companies have affiliate programs set up with gyms that offer their employees corporate discounts. If you are not sure if your boss offers this, because you slept through that part of the orientation session, check with your HR dept. or fellow co-workers to see if this type of reduced membership program is in place.
  

• Lastly, I would suggest looking into group deals My wife and I found a way to save by choosing a joint membership option. We save less per month than we would with two individual accounts. It is really worth it to check all of the available plans your gym of choice offers and seeing which one will work best with your budget. 

Well, that's it for this week. Be sure comment below if you have some other advice on ways to save on at the gym. If you'd like, you can follow me on Twitter @SavingsGCapes or Yasar @YasarSavings where you can find us talking about a variety of topics including sports and fitness, video games, and consumer electronics.