What's your biggest waste of money related to fitness?

lolis_DD
lolis_DD Posts: 9 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
Let's face it. Most things related to fitness aren't cheap. What's your biggest purchase that turned out to be a regret? Was it a problem with functionality, or was it a lack of utilization?

I bought a stack weight machine, which wasn't expensive (around 200) but it wasn't enough weight, and I easily outgrew it.

So, let's hear them.
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Replies

  • skinnymeenae
    skinnymeenae Posts: 16 Member
    Somewhat of a regret: joined a gym that's 100 euros a month (gyms are far more expensive in Europe, and this one is actually the most expensive one in my city). After I started going I see that they have no stepper, stairmaster, stepmill - no variety of it whatsoever.

    I ask around and I'm referred to the gym manager, I explain the situation (in fact I have never seen a gym without at least one or two of those machines) and he says: " well you can do the circuit"... you know, that part of the gym with the cheaper, lighter machines arranged in some sequence. They don't even have actual weight markings in them!

    So basically, he referred me to those despite the fact they have nothing to do with what I asked for (stepper!) for the mere reason that I am female (unfortunately The Netherlands is a very sexist country I have discovered and I'm happy to be leaving soon). I looked around and the far cheaper gyms here have the machines :(

    Another regret is an elliptical I bought. I was getting hip joint pain that was preventing me from sitting down and getting up easily and was struggling to figure out why. At the time I was using the elliptical a lot at the gym and bought one for home due to a new job with long commute preventing me from hitting the gym. Well, I finally realized the hip pain was coming from using the elliptical. Sold the elliptical for half the price after 1 or 2 uses only.

  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Fitbit. It's uncomfortable and inaccurate compared to my beloved BodyMedia FIT (RIP).
  • curlsintherack
    curlsintherack Posts: 465 Member
    bowflex used but still expensive.

    I do credit it with saving my shoulder. After an injury I used very light weight on the bowflex for a few months to reestablish range of motion and some strength in it. I use free weights now but may never have gotten back to them without the expensive clothes rack.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
    A set of weights I ordered online that were so light they were only good for doorstops.
  • BeastField
    BeastField Posts: 463 Member
    As of right now the only thing I have spent any money on was my gym membership. Which, I am happy to say is not a "waste" because I go 5 days a week! I have thought about protein powders and such, but have decided against them for now.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    I actually can't think of anything.

    My main exercise is cycling ... and I regret nothing when it comes to my million-and-one cycling-related purchases.

    Next is walking/hiking ... and again, I use and like all the equipment I've picked up for that.

    I've got a small home gym which I use semi-regularly and it is adequate for that.

    I do have a couple wet suits I haven't used much ... but the weather hasn't beckoned us to the ocean in some time. Some with our canoe ... we used it fairly frequently where we used to live but not here yet.

    Snowshoes? Golf clubs? Well, they weren't expensive, and I do use them once in a while.


    Gym membership? Well, we got a 1-year membership at the biggest (and possibly, most expensive) place in town, and used it 2 or 3 times a week for a while ... almost half a year. But then we moved out of town and it became really inconvenient, so our use dropped to about once a week. I don't know that I regret it, but it was kind of a shame.

    We let the membership there lapse, but then a few months ago, I found another gym that is about half the price and a tiny bit closer, with slightly better hours. We've opted not to get a membership, and to just drop in instead. That works! :)


    Possibly the biggest regret I'm having right now is a somewhat impulse purchase of new and rather expensive pillows which are simply NOT working. A good night's sleep is fitness-related, right? :)



  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Probably signing up for Eat to Perform for a short while. It wasn't my thing. Fortunately I wasn't out too much money.

    I mainly workout at home. I have a membership to a rec center that I only go to once a month or so lately. But my membership gets us a discount on our daughter's summer day camp so it ends up benefitting us in a non-fitness way.
  • Spencerport
    Spencerport Posts: 270 Member
    Graze membership. It was ok, but I realized I could do a lot of the same snacks cheaper by buying food in bulk and mixing it myself.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    Fitbit. It's uncomfortable and inaccurate compared to my beloved BodyMedia FIT (RIP).

    Yes, this!!! Fitbit is terrible.
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
    Not too much, other than a pair of running shoes that ended up hurting my feet and it was too late to return. Oh and a pair of running tights that fall down when I run (but I still wear them around the house).

    I paid for a Y membership for a long time and only went on and off. Now I still don't go into the actual Y all that much but I do use the running club so it's well worth it to me.

    Fitbit Charge HR - I wouldn't say it was a waste because buying that was really the thing that got me motivated initially. I used it very happily for a year and then it fell apart. I had already bought a fancier Garmin though for running so I wasn't too bummed, but really think it should be more durable than that.
  • ladyteapot
    ladyteapot Posts: 54 Member
    This is disappointing..I wanted a Fitbit :/ reviews seem to be bad
    @Spencerport I'm with you on the graze thing ..awful!
  • Misssynth
    Misssynth Posts: 179 Member
    An exercise bike. I bought it for around £200 thinking it would save me a gym membership. I used it twice and eventually sold it for £50 and joined the gym. I have to leave the house to get motivated to push hard. I've also bought various DVD's that I don't use because a) again, not motivation in the house and b) the bloody things won't play on the xbox and I don't have an actual DVD player because we have the xbox
  • frantzcr
    frantzcr Posts: 129 Member
    A $3 resistance band. Used it once. So much money wasted.
  • peter2100
    peter2100 Posts: 101 Member
    edited November 2016
    SLLeask wrote: »
    peter2100 wrote: »
    Technically fitness is free. You can do bodyweight exercises and go for a run. A person could get a hell of a lot fitter than most people by simply doing that.

    I go to the gym for the convenience. And I consider it worth it, because I got 3 times a week, and I can go at any time, morning or night, it's always open. If I want to go to the gym at 5am, I can.

    Anything other than a gym membership is not required in my opinion. Even protein shakes are not necessary. Have you heard of chicken breasts? 80g in one breast. People were getting fit hundreds of years ago with nothing. It's funny to me when people spend money and do everything other than the two things that actually matter: diet and exercise.

    Well aren't you lucky to be so wise? Mr Gloaty-McGloaty-Pants! Glad you find other people who aren't so wise to be so funny... Such a shame we aren't all so marvellous, I'm sure the world would be such a better place if we were all as clever as you!
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    peter2100 wrote: »
    Technically fitness is free. You can do bodyweight exercises and go for a run. A person could get a hell of a lot fitter than most people by simply doing that.

    I go to the gym for the convenience. And I consider it worth it, because I got 3 times a week, and I can go at any time, morning or night, it's always open. If I want to go to the gym at 5am, I can.

    Anything other than a gym membership is not required in my opinion. Even protein shakes are not necessary. Have you heard of chicken breasts? 80g in one breast. People were getting fit hundreds of years ago with nothing. It's funny to me when people spend money and do everything other than the two things that actually matter: diet and exercise.

    How much for that high horse?

    Yeah, yeah. We can't all be this clever. It just comes naturally to me.

    $350 ono
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    I have a whole basement set-up of squat rack, bench, oly bar, and weights... but I figured out I really just prefer going to the gym for some reason. So it's a bit wasted, although I do use it when I can't make it to my gym.

    Also I once completely wasted $60 on P90X dvds that I hated and used once. But I bought them at a yardsale and was able to resell and get my money back.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Although I wasn't the one who spent the money, I'd have to say my Fitbit is the biggest waste of money. It may be quite useful for some people but I just don't care to log my intake, I don't care what my HR is, I find it too uncomfortable to sleep in. Knowing the number of steps in a day is sometimes interesting but honestly most of the time I forget to even look or sync the thing with my phone. And the vibration when I hit 10,000 steps always scares the *kitten* out of me.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    peter2100 wrote: »
    SLLeask wrote: »
    peter2100 wrote: »
    Technically fitness is free. You can do bodyweight exercises and go for a run. A person could get a hell of a lot fitter than most people by simply doing that.

    I go to the gym for the convenience. And I consider it worth it, because I got 3 times a week, and I can go at any time, morning or night, it's always open. If I want to go to the gym at 5am, I can.

    Anything other than a gym membership is not required in my opinion. Even protein shakes are not necessary. Have you heard of chicken breasts? 80g in one breast. People were getting fit hundreds of years ago with nothing. It's funny to me when people spend money and do everything other than the two things that actually matter: diet and exercise.

    Well aren't you lucky to be so wise? Mr Gloaty-McGloaty-Pants! Glad you find other people who aren't so wise to be so funny... Such a shame we aren't all so marvellous, I'm sure the world would be such a better place if we were all as clever as you!
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    peter2100 wrote: »
    Technically fitness is free. You can do bodyweight exercises and go for a run. A person could get a hell of a lot fitter than most people by simply doing that.

    I go to the gym for the convenience. And I consider it worth it, because I got 3 times a week, and I can go at any time, morning or night, it's always open. If I want to go to the gym at 5am, I can.

    Anything other than a gym membership is not required in my opinion. Even protein shakes are not necessary. Have you heard of chicken breasts? 80g in one breast. People were getting fit hundreds of years ago with nothing. It's funny to me when people spend money and do everything other than the two things that actually matter: diet and exercise.

    How much for that high horse?

    Yeah, yeah. We can't all be this clever. It just comes naturally to me.

    $350 ono

    giphy.gif
  • Woodspoon
    Woodspoon Posts: 223 Member
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    Fitbit. It's uncomfortable and inaccurate compared to my beloved BodyMedia FIT (RIP).

    Yes, this!!! Fitbit is terrible.

    This for me too
    Uncomfortable, inaccurate, essentially just an overpriced pedometer - absolute rubbish
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