Okay so now I don't feel so bad about smuggling in vodka to Padres games at Petco Park ($8 for a cup of beer??!!). I'm not the only one who has been known to hide a little liquor now and then in my purse (or pants)! Good ideas QL and Andy - I like the way you think! I'll have to remember those tips for the next time I'm in the mood to bar hop again! ;-)
Small baby step toward getting more organized: I entered in all my bill due dates into my outlook task reminder. There are two bills due right at the beginning of the month (one on the 2nd, one on the 5th) and I've been pretty consistently late on. I've set the reminder to ding me one week in advance so I'm sure to see it and go online to make the payments.
I've decided to track all my purchases for the next 31 Days. I have a tiny spiral bound notebook to keep in my bag along with a pen. Each time I spend a dollar or swipe my card I'll record the expense and note whether it was an essential or non-essential purchase.
Yesterday was Day 1 and I spent:
$34.89 on gas ($3.52/gl + $0.45 charge for using my debit/visa card! Grrr!) - an essential purchase as it's my gas to commute to work this week.
I'm looking forward to gaining more awareness on my purchases!
Another thing I've been thinking a lot about is my gym membership. Now, I actually use my membership to LA Fitness so it's something that I've been struggling with whether I should get rid of it or not. My membership costs $39.99/month. On average I go to the gym 3-4 days a week, sometimes 5 if I'm super motivated. Mondays I do a weight class with this ancient woman with an AMAZING body. I want to look like her when I'm 70 (she's my motivation!)! Tuesdays I run on the treadmill 3 miles. Wednesdays I do Step/Weight aerobics. Thursdays is my night off since I usually meet a friend after work for coffee - it's our weekly gab session. Fridays if nothing is going on I'll run 3 miles on the treadmill. Saturdays are another off day. Sundays are negotiable - if SB is motivated (and I'd say he is 75% of the time) we'll go to the gym together for a long run on the treadmill or we'll run outdoors along the Mission Beach boardwalk or around Mission Bay. To be conservative, let's say I use it 3 days a week (no Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday), that means I essentially pay $3.50 each time I go.
I called my gym rep a few weeks ago to see if they would lower my membership rate. I've been a member for over a year and when I initially signed up I bought the upgraded plan that included access to access to any club in California for an extra $10/month. This was important to me at the time because I was living in another county and when I saw SB on the weekends I wanted to have the option of going to his local gym with him. Since I live here in San Diego now with SB I don't need the upgrade anymore . . . but get a load of this - they won't let me downgrade, only upgrade!! I asked if I could quit my membership and rejoin with the lower rate but they'd charge me the initial membership fee of $150 again. What a racket!!
I know there are a lot of things I could do at home but I think what I love about the gym and keeps me going back is the group mentality. I love the classes! Also, I'm not too keen on running by myself outside due to recent news about rapes in the area. EEEK!!! So, that being said - I'm pretty convinced I'm a gym rat.
My university has a gym that I'm considering trying out. This Friday I'm going to go over and check it out - I've actually never been in there. I'm sure it'll be cheaper but I don't know how much. If it's a good deal and they offer similar classes I'd be willing to switch. I'm also planning on seeing if there is a YWCA in the area. If none of these options pan out, I'm going to cancel my LA Fitness plan and rejoin under SB's membership. They have a friends/family promotion where you can add someone for only $40 and pay $29.99 a month.
I'm curious though - what do you do to stay fit yet not spend a lot of money on it?
Small baby step toward getting more organized: I entered in all my bill due dates into my outlook task reminder. There are two bills due right at the beginning of the month (one on the 2nd, one on the 5th) and I've been pretty consistently late on. I've set the reminder to ding me one week in advance so I'm sure to see it and go online to make the payments.
I've decided to track all my purchases for the next 31 Days. I have a tiny spiral bound notebook to keep in my bag along with a pen. Each time I spend a dollar or swipe my card I'll record the expense and note whether it was an essential or non-essential purchase.
Yesterday was Day 1 and I spent:
$34.89 on gas ($3.52/gl + $0.45 charge for using my debit/visa card! Grrr!) - an essential purchase as it's my gas to commute to work this week.
I'm looking forward to gaining more awareness on my purchases!
Another thing I've been thinking a lot about is my gym membership. Now, I actually use my membership to LA Fitness so it's something that I've been struggling with whether I should get rid of it or not. My membership costs $39.99/month. On average I go to the gym 3-4 days a week, sometimes 5 if I'm super motivated. Mondays I do a weight class with this ancient woman with an AMAZING body. I want to look like her when I'm 70 (she's my motivation!)! Tuesdays I run on the treadmill 3 miles. Wednesdays I do Step/Weight aerobics. Thursdays is my night off since I usually meet a friend after work for coffee - it's our weekly gab session. Fridays if nothing is going on I'll run 3 miles on the treadmill. Saturdays are another off day. Sundays are negotiable - if SB is motivated (and I'd say he is 75% of the time) we'll go to the gym together for a long run on the treadmill or we'll run outdoors along the Mission Beach boardwalk or around Mission Bay. To be conservative, let's say I use it 3 days a week (no Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday), that means I essentially pay $3.50 each time I go.
I called my gym rep a few weeks ago to see if they would lower my membership rate. I've been a member for over a year and when I initially signed up I bought the upgraded plan that included access to access to any club in California for an extra $10/month. This was important to me at the time because I was living in another county and when I saw SB on the weekends I wanted to have the option of going to his local gym with him. Since I live here in San Diego now with SB I don't need the upgrade anymore . . . but get a load of this - they won't let me downgrade, only upgrade!! I asked if I could quit my membership and rejoin with the lower rate but they'd charge me the initial membership fee of $150 again. What a racket!!
I know there are a lot of things I could do at home but I think what I love about the gym and keeps me going back is the group mentality. I love the classes! Also, I'm not too keen on running by myself outside due to recent news about rapes in the area. EEEK!!! So, that being said - I'm pretty convinced I'm a gym rat.
My university has a gym that I'm considering trying out. This Friday I'm going to go over and check it out - I've actually never been in there. I'm sure it'll be cheaper but I don't know how much. If it's a good deal and they offer similar classes I'd be willing to switch. I'm also planning on seeing if there is a YWCA in the area. If none of these options pan out, I'm going to cancel my LA Fitness plan and rejoin under SB's membership. They have a friends/family promotion where you can add someone for only $40 and pay $29.99 a month.
I'm curious though - what do you do to stay fit yet not spend a lot of money on it?
3 comments:
Jaci and I run outside a few days a week. But we live in Nebraska in a suburb of almost NOBODY where nobody gets raped. I also play basketball once a week at church. Jaci and I do sand volleyball in the summer at a bar and we want to get into a dodgeball league, too. We ride our bikes on a 27-mile long trail, sometimes. We signed up for a dualathon in June which is a 5k followed by a 10-mile bike ride. I also work in a 19-floor, 5,000 employee headquarter building in downtown Omaha and they have a free fitness center for employees. After Jaci and I get married in September she can use it too. I should weight train more but I only make it there about once a week.
I definatley think you can find a cheaper place to work out or, like you said, a loophole like getting in on SB's membership.
Staying healthy will save you SO much money in the long run in so many ways. There are the obvious health benefits as well as some stuff that you may not be thinking of. $3.50 an hour is pretty cheap entertainment! If you were not working out 4-7 hours a week, what else would you be doing? You might spend that time going to a 10 dollar movie, or at a bar paying 5 dollars for a drink, or spending 5 bucks on a pack of cigarettes and smoking them.
Nope, I am gonna have to say that your gym membership is well worth the money and working out together is a great way for you and SB to connect. If a gym member ship truely keeps you motivated, I think you are better off keeping it than canceling it.
P.S. Great job with the spiral notebook budgeting. I carry a little back-pocket-sized notebook with me all the time. I write things down as they come to me so it is very chaotic-looking to the untrained eye, but it works for me. Use whatever works for you!
Great job on the steps you've taken!!
As for the gym, I think you should work your hardest at getting the payments reduced, whether it means having a "hissy fit" and getting them to lower it (I've heard that works!), or finding a cheaper place. Like Andy said, $3.50 is pretty good since you are actually going. I personally am not motivated by going to a gym. Just the thought of driving there after work and parking makes me rather stay home. My neighborhood is pretty safe for walking/jogging, in the evenings you always see families or other joggers out. I'd rather do that than drag myself to a gym.
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