Gym membership question
 

Anyone know how to get a good deal on membership at a gym? They just opened a new 24 hr fitness(ultra sport - super nice!) not too far from my house and they're trying to charge like 44.99 a month. That seems steep to me...and then for my husband it would be a little less...but still, close to 90 bucks a month seems a bit much. I've looked online for coupon codes and stuff, but nothing that would make it do-able. We were hoping for more like 60 a month for the both of us.

Suggestions?

The only ones around me that would be in the price range you're talking about are the YMCA and some of the community fitness centers, run by the City/Township. The big name, ultra sport, 24 hour ones tend to be pricey.

The "local" YMCA is far, so that's out. Even the private gym we belonged to in a beach community was cheaper. Yeah, so there was no pool, BFD you had the beach there.

Gyms have different packages based on want and need. Sometimes people choose the most expensive and all inclusive package but do not need all the amenities that come with it (i.e. some gyms charge an extra $10 for access to tanning beds but many of us don't need nor want tanning).

Tell them your concerns and that you are going to shop around. Tell whatever gym you check out how much you're interested in paying. They are salespersons and are willing and able (regardless of what they tell you) to give you a 19.99-29.99 package to get you. They'd rather have 29.99 than 0. Don't let them fast talk you as salespersons do. Stick to your guns and they'll most likely bend.

This is great advice - they're trying to sell you a product, and there's some wiggle room usually built into the prices that they're offering to you. At my gym in Boston, I was able to work them down from a $65 monthly charge to around $55.

Besides the amenities DrPhil referred to, some gyms charge extra for the access to sister gyms in the area (Gold's Gym and the New York/Boston/Philly Sports Clubs do this). Sometimes you can decline that perk in exchange for a lower monthly rate.

Same here.

People need to carefully read what comes with the packages and prices. Ask questions.

A lot of people are just bad consumers so they eagerly sign anything.

Also, AOII, find out whether any organizations that you belong to or work for offer free or discounted gym memberships. You may have already looked into this.

Thanks for the advice. I've been checking with the orgs of which I'm a member (my workplace doesn't really offer that sort of thing - school district that is having to cut an additional 3.5 mil for the next year), and the other local gym. I do have to say, other gym - not so nice, and not even willing to let me work out there for a week without signing anything. They were trying to hard sell me and I told them to pound sand.

There's no tanning, so that's not a part of their membership. I figured it's because they've just opened and it's the supreme facility that they are trying to be firm on the price for right now. I also just looked into joining that gym as opposed to all of the 24hr fitness facilities and that's the price they were quoting.

I'll give it some time, they'll probably go down on price or be willing to negotiate to meet membership quotas eventually. I know they will negotiate, it's just a matter of time. I can wait and work out at home for now.:)Thanks DrPhil and KSig.

Will your insurance reimburse any of it for you? If I go to the gym 50 times in a 6-month period (more or less once every 3 days), then I get $200 back from my insurance company. Many of the big insurers offer it, even now. My former employer's insurance had a corporate discount for the same gym.

I remember reading somewhere that it's best to go to the gym at the end of the month, since they're looking to fill up quotas for the month. I hate dealing with gym salespeople and have been dealing with the same guy for about 4 years now. He knows that I know what other gyms are offering and can usually match it. I pay about $75 a month, but that's here in NYC and I can go to any gym in their system, and that includes all sorts of classes and a few 24-hour locations.

44 a month? I think that's a good price....well depending on what you get for that price. I'm a member of Her Gym, and I pay (well my mom does...lol) around 50 a month (after taxes).

If you have a Planet Fitness in your area, i'd check them out. They usually have some really cheap prices....but with them, you get what you pay for---if you know what i mean.

Thanks all for the ideas/advice. I haven't checked with the insurance company, that's an idea. I did find a spot for a two week free pass though! Sweet! So I figure if I go every day for two weeks (which I will - I've missed spin classes) they might work with me. I think they will be willing once they realize that in this economy they're not going to have a bunch of people beating down their door to join.

$45 a month is a good price for the Ultra Sport. I got a membership at 24 hour for $249 (and no initiation fees) for the entire year, but I did prepay that amount up front.

You may not be able to talk them down. I work with a trainer at my gym, and all of their packages/prices are pre-set by corporate. So she can't give me a better deal on training than what is pre-set in their computer. However, she will tell me when a special is going on, so I can stock up and buy enough sessions for the next few months at a lower price (she doesn't mind helping me out because she gets paid the same amount regardless of what I pay).

If they can't offer you a discounted rate, they may be able to throw in some freebies, like tanning sessions or nutrition supplements.

That brings up a good point - most gyms will give you a short free pass period to try to get you to join. That includes even higher-priced gyms; they want customers, and if they think they can convince you with an free intro period, they'll do it.