Getting Fit is Expensive! what do you do to save some $

yoovie

for work out shoes, i usually buy the clearance rack at sports authority. i don't care if they're last years shoes. and i don't need micheal jordans signature on the side of them. good old new balance is good for me.

everytime i have to throw away a pair of new balances, I take a picture of them all scuffed and torn up and dirty and destroyed, send it to NB and tell them how many miles we did together. They always write me back loving it.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I don't save really--I try to find good deals by keeping tabs on what things are cheaper at the various stores I shop at but good food/workout gear is one thing I won't compromise on.

joejccva71

Find a butcher and get good deals.

Mr_Bad_Example

So my feet keep going numb in my work out shoes - esp as/after I do my JM-30 Day Shred, so I figure I reaaaallly need some new workout shoes! (&& would love some new gear too! lol)

Went online looking & HOLY POO, all the workout stuff I love/want/need is so expensive!!! ...and not only workout stuff - I would LOOOVVVEEE to buy more organic foods, but I hardly ever have money in my budget after all the other necessitites....

Im thinking there has to be a way around some of this stuff or maybe a place to buy stuff cheaper that I am not aware of...or something! lol

What do you do to save money now that you are being/eating healthier?

I bought myself an exercise machine - the Bodyworks 5000 - for around $150 about 3 years ago. Still use it to this day and it's infinitely cheaper than a gym membership (and I don't have to wait to use it or shudder because the last person hasn't wiped it down).

As for food, my wife and I shop at places like Aldi's and Save-a-Lot since they have some good options for not much money. It may not be strict organic food, but I can honestly say that I have never felt better physically than I have once we started buying lower calorie foods from those places.

AShawneeF

instead of joining a gym, i do my workouts at home and use the 30ds youtube video.
my sneakers are just payless 35$ running shoes (getting a bit worn out though)
i dont bother with a yoga mat because i don't do yoga and we have carpeting
i use houeshold items instead of weights (for now anyway)

food is tougher though. i'm in college so i get "free" food but it's mostly crap...

Elzecat

I buy my workout clothes at Target, Kohls (on sale only), and the Goodwill or ARC (you have to dig, but you can often find good quality, name brand stuff for super cheap--I've bought shorts and a bathing suit for $2 apiece in recent months.

I also joined a couple of free running groups through my local specialty running store and they do drawings on store merchandise--I've won a number of dri-fit technical shirts, vests, socks, hats, etc. (and a few gift certificates towards shoes).

I am trying to be smarter with my grocery budget and frequent sales and buy produce that is in season. Sometimes you can find good deals at local farmers' markets. I eat out less and try to use coupons when I do...

The only thing I haven't skimped on is good running shoes.

bcattoes

I'm at that stage in life where money isn't the issue it was when I was a young single mother of two. But I've never spent a lot on being healthy. If organic is too expensive, I buy non-organic. If fresh is too expensive, I buy frozen or canned. I buy my workout gear at Target or other discount stores. I don't spend money on a gym membership when the great outdoors is available for free.

bicoastalgirl

most of my workout clothes are from target, tj maxx and old navy. i don't belong to a gym, so that saves me a ton right there. the one thing i spend a lot of money on is shoes, because i run, and i need proper support.

For food, I only buy certain things organic. We have our own organic garden, and that helps, too. I buy a lot of frozen veggies in the winter to save costs.

wlkumpf

watch craigslist and facebook for sale groups. I see so much excersize equipment on there for super cheap.

I shop whatever fruits and vegies are on sale. Cucumbers are 3/1$ this week Muskmelon (cantaloupe) were 1.50$ I bought 2! I havge a family of 5 and lots of daycare kids though too.

I find whey protein a great deal since I have a hard time getting enough protein in otherwise, but do lean meats on a salad or tortilla with lots and lots of salsa whenever appropriate, even on my eggs.

I can almost always find coupons for greek yogurt online and in papers. They are so competitive.

Shopko has great shoes ( I wear new balance or nike) and have sales all the time! If you sign up for their emails they usually send a 10$ offf 50$ purchase coupon too. A place in town had 40-50% off all their clothes when I started working out so I bought all my workout clothes then. Otherwise I would watch the used sites, always people going up or down sizes. I have seen a lot of running shoes on facebook recently too.

cavewoman15

old navy and target have good options for workout clothes - target especially.

as the other posters said, you just got fork out the cash for good shoes, especially if you're a runner. totally worth it though!

2012asv

Organic food is ideal but it's not necessary in order to get fit. You can still be healthy eating non organic produce.

workout at home or with videos instead of the gym; there are actually a bunch of videos on Netflix and Youtube that are very good.

You can get pretty decent workout clothes and gear at walmart, ross, discount stores etc. for much cheaper than sports stores. I found a KILLER pair of Adidas running shoes for only $30 at a sports store on the clearance rack. I even buy "interim" clothing at consignment stores because I'm not at goal yet.

Also, there are places where you can buy equipment second hand like weights, books and videos.

At the beginning it seems like you need a lot of things in order to do this- but really you don't.

fab50G

Most all of my workout wear (clothes) I bought at Wal Mart. I doubt I paid more than $10 for any one item. The Danskin workout clothes are cute, comfy and cheap. As for workouts...walking and running are free. Just hit the road!!!

ChaseAlder

To make up for the workout clothes and running shoes I have to buy to keep running, I run to and from work! I save money in gas and I always have what I need.

innocenceportrayed

For DVD's, books and games I used half.com it's owned by ebay and things are fixed price and usually really cheap.

For weights I use craigslist or friends
I'm a college kid so I belong to the gym at school but it's usually busy, but if I really need weights I can go in there when I'm on campus.
Even though it's miserable in florida, I walk/run my road which is a mile down and a mile(uphill) back.
Last year I had a garden, this year I didn't, but I will this coming planting season so for now I get all fruits and veggies from the local fruit stand. Snack bars I eat, like protein bars I get bulk at sams club(much cheaper for 18 ct boxes at $8 than 5 count boxes at $4).

bushidowoman

I work out barefoot.
I work out primarily at home. Which means if my pjs are comfortableand I can move in them, then that's what I wear.
I buy from local farmers when I can. Where I live, everyone and his brother has at least a garden and some chickens. :laugh:

But my hubby is a runner and needs some new running shoes, so I still have to shell out some bucks to keep HIM fit!

NikkiGetsFit185

it depends, i got some regular tanks tops from wal-mart for like $3.88 they are acutally kinda cute with designs, im alway hitting up the cleareance rack though looking for deal, i got my sports bras from target or walmart, i think i got 2-3 in a pakc for under $10, i just got more workout bottoms from my local family dollar, they had a clearance sale buy 2 get 1 free, so i got 6 pair, only paid for 4, and i agree dont skimp on the shoes the cheap ones will hurt your feet, but i have went to some outlets and got nikes for under $30 acutally i think they were under $25. and as far as the food i try to get whats on sale and what i need so i dont waste any since fresh fruit can go bad quickly. hope that helps

opuntia

I bought a cheap equivalent to a Bosu ball on Amazon - a different brand, about a third of the price, and works just as well. I also bought the cheapest set of kettlebells I could find on Amazon - it's worth really searching Amazon, because the prices for things that are the same can vary a lot.

I spent quite a lot on walking shoes - but I walk everywhere, as I don't have a car, so I see walking shoes as my transport - and they are obviously a lot cheaper than a car would be!

I buy healthy food very cheap from the supermarket when it's about to go out-of-date. The dates tend to err on the side of caution, so fruit and veg last quite a bit longer than their sell-by date. With meat and fish, I just put it straight into my freezer.

My main expense is the gym. I have a membership at quite an expensive gym, which has a really good fitness suite, and a swimming pool, a sauna, a steam room and a hot tub. I make good use of it, and it has become part of my routine and makes a really positive difference to my life, so I feel it has definitely been worth the money, although I'm thinking of switching to a different gym which is cheaper and which has a special offer on at the moment - it's less than half the price of the expensive one. I still have to check out this other gym though, to see if it has the kind of equipment I like to use. I may decide to stay at the expensive one - I can afford it if I budget carefully. I'm quite good at budgeting - I have a budgeting app on my phone, so I keep track of all my expenses. I recommend getting a budgeting app if you want to save money - it makes you think more carefully about what you spend.

opuntia

Oh, and for sports clothes, I get vest tops for £1 or £2 each at Primark, and sports trousers from Sports Direct for £6 each. Sports Direct has some really good bargains, especially if you shop online rather that at their actual store.

runzalot81

I splurge on shoes. I buy my workout clothes at Target. I'm not really into organic *dodges tomatoes*. I did recently buy my first pair of compression sleeves for $40. I think that's a good investment during my half marathon training season. I am prone to shin splints. I freeze any produce that I can't eat fast enough. I have a nice stash of strawberries and bananas in my freezer ready for shakes and whatnot.

kornmaiden

I go to the gym at the community college, walk outside, just wear regular t-shirts instead of expensive workout gear. I do spend good chunk of money on my workout shoes to get the right fit but don't buy many dress type shoes so it balances out. As far as food goes if you are not buying a lot of cookies and jink you have more to buy organic veggies. I have two good friends who give me stuff from their gardens too.