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

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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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  • skinnymeenae
    skinnymeenae Posts: 16 Member
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    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
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    Fitbit. It's uncomfortable and inaccurate compared to my beloved BodyMedia FIT (RIP).
  • curlsintherack
    curlsintherack Posts: 465 Member
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    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
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    A set of weights I ordered online that were so light they were only good for doorstops.
  • BeastField
    BeastField Posts: 463 Member
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    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: 24,899 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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: 7,493 Member
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    Fitbit. It's uncomfortable and inaccurate compared to my beloved BodyMedia FIT (RIP).

    Yes, this!!! Fitbit is terrible.
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
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    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.