Guest post by Cassie and Michael who blog at The Thrifty Couple
Thanks to Crystal’s posts on P90X, we were inspired to purchase the P90X System ourselves. We just received ours last week and look forward to getting started. We have been wanting to try something new in an effort to try and be good stewards of all of the things the Lord has given to us — even in the area of physical health and fitness!
Being The Thrifty Couple, we have had a few people ask us how we are managing to take on a fitness program the thrifty way?
1. Order the program off of Amazon and buy it with Swagbucks.
The P90x program is priced right around $140 on Amazon. You might have enough Swagbucks to cover 25% of the cost or 50% or better yet, you could have enough Swagbucks to pay for the whole thing, which means you can get it for free.
2. Buy one off of Ebay
Find an auction that has free shipping and you can also have automatic bids placed in the increments you decide and up to a maximum amount. By doing this, set your absolute final maximum bid for a new set to be a little lower than Amazon. Amazon is your fall back!
3. Check your local classifieds.
Where we live, two of our news stations have a classified ads section on their website. Thousands of locals, including us, use these classified ads to sell and buy things each month. Just today, there are dozens of P90X ads starting at $25 for gently-used and $40 for brand-new! So whatever your main local classifieds are, definitely check there.
Here are a few suggestions of places to check for deals on P90X:
- Ebay runs a local classified ads site.
- Oodle.com (we saw a number of brand new sets for $50)
- Your local newspaper classifieds
- Check your local television station classifieds
- Check your local Craig’s List ads as well. When we checked there for our local area, again there were a handful of new systems starting at $50.
- Finally, check Freecycle.org and you might just score a free set.
Note from Crystal: There is a knockoff version of the P90X program out there that some are selling much more inexpensively so be aware of this when you are searching for a deal.
CJ, from My P90X Nutrition Plan recently wrote and said:
“As it turns out, the guide has obviously been copied and is rife with typos, some of which could be very damaging to people trying to follow the nutrition plan. One especially terrible one is that it says that Phase 1 Level III requires 3,800 calories a day as opposed to the 3,000 in the actual guide! One quick way folks can tell if theirs is a knockoff is that the “N” in “Nutrition Plan” is lowercase on the cover of my knockoff version.”
“I just learned that my P90X program is a KNOCKOFF! I purchased mine online from Craigslist (for around $70), and while it seemed odd that the guy was willing to sell it so cheaply, it was unopened and contained all of the materials, so I didn’t think anything of it after that.
Remember that trying to stay (or become) physically fit can be done in a thrifty, frugal manner. Always check out your options as you might just be surprised to find a much more affordable option for whatever you do. And you might find that painful process of trying to get fit is just a little less painful than you thought — well, at least in the purchasing of it!
Alex and Cassie are a frugal couple that blogs over at The Thrifty Couple. They are a Christian, homeschooling family raising 4 children. They have been learning how to live a frugal lifestyle for years — which, in fact, aided them in becoming debt-free.
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JoDi says
If you purchase from eBay, another thing to check is the Seller’s feedback. Some people will say they are selling a slightly used P90X set because they tried it and didn’t like it or someone gave it to them as a gift, blah, blah, blah, but when you look at their feedback, you see that they’ve sold several other sets recently. You can also check what else the person is currently selling to see if they have several more sets listed or other workout programs they’re selling. The scammers selling illegal bootleg copies are sneaky and abundant on eBay so you have to check very carefully.
It was tough, but after carefully sifting through the listings, I was able to find an authentic set that was in almost new condition from an honest seller.
Nikki says
You can get a legitimate copy off of Ebay. There are plenty of people who bought them directly from BeachBody, made it through three workouts and then decided to sell it. You can usually tell from the listing picture and how things are worded if it’s someone selling their original or some kind of knock off copy. Whenever I am looking for a DVD or something like that I try to buy from an individual who is just looking to unload something they don’t use anymore. This is how I bought my P90X and it works fine. It looked as if they guy had used it once or twice and he included the brand new nutrition guide as well. I’ve had no problems.
Corrie says
How can you tell if the videos are knockoffs? Mine are really good quality video, in a white plastic-wrapped box, and the dvds are packed in plastic in a black case. I bought it cheaply off Craigslist, but I don’t know if they’re real or not.
Laura says
@Corrie, If I can add, I got mine directly from BeachBody, and mine didn’t come in anything plastic at all. The Cds didn’t come in any plastic item. Its like paper, thick paper sort of thing, and it holds all 13 dvds. What you mentioned didn’t seem like mine.
CJ =) says
@Crystal, Hi Crystal! Thanks so much for the link to my P90x recipes blog =) and especially for letting everyone know about the scam in your article. P90x is a big (but worthwhile) commitment – the last thing P90xers need is another thing to worry about as they are starting the program!
@Corrie,
Mine was also shrink-wrapped in an official-looking P90x box, and all of the documents inside looked legit. The real program has the same box, but it is packaged in a black P90x branded cover sleeve. Check the front cover of your nutrition guide – if it has a lowercase “n” in the word “nutrition Guide” then you have the same knockoff that I have. If your DVDs work, then having a knockoff doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be able to do the program. Just be wary of some of the info in the nutrition guide and double-check anything that doesn’t seem to make sense. (i.e. my knockoff version says that a single snack serving is 30 OUNCES of pistachios instead of just 30 pistachios! lol).
I hope this is helpful!
– CJ =)
Corrie says
Yeah, my nutrition guide has an uppercase “N” (i.e. Nutrition Guide), but there are a lot of typos in it. That’s why I was curious.
@Laura, it came in a thick, heavy paper case and each DVD was individually wrapped in each slot and the case holds all 13 DVDs as well. The plastic I mentioned is just a plastic sleeve over each DVD and each DVD is in its own slot.
Debbie says
After research may I suggest you buy it at the higher price @ Amazon (showing Beachbody as the seller) or directly from Beachbody? If you read up on these, you will find anything less is more than likely a knock off and Tony Horton and Shaun T don’t see a dime of it. Honestly, if you’ve done these videos you can tell a lot of work went into the workouts and it’s not right to “steal” from them. While it is possible someone is selling an authentic version they are done with, chances are it is a knock off of some sort.
Lauren says
Just to make people aware – from what I have heard and read on Amazon and other sites if you buy P90X through another person or even DIRECTLY from Amazon, the discs are not guaranteed and Beachbody (the company that makes the program) will not replace them or anything if something happens. From what I’ve seen, apparently lots of people have trouble with the discs getting scratched and skipping after only a few plays, and even if you paid full price from Amazon there still isn’t the guarantee on the discs so you are just out the money without being able to get them fixed. For this reason, I bought P90X directly from Beachbody (through a Beachbody coach) and ended up paying full price but I like the knowledge that if the discs don’t work correctly I can send them back and I’m not just screwed out of the money. Also when you buy them through a Beachbody coach you get a couple extra workouts thrown in there too.
I really wanted to buy it off Amazon and get a better deal money wise, but I don’t want to spend 75 or so dollars on something that is going to break or not be replaced if something happens. I would rather spend $120 and know that I can really get my moneys worth from it.
Laura says
@Lauren, wow, I just did my first work out!!!!!!!!!! I bought it directly from BeachBody also and I’m so happy you posted this. I love Tony Horton.
Bridget says
My husband and I just started a similar program called “Insanity.” It’s very similar but the workouts are shorter (30-45 minutes), more intense and require no other tools other than your own body weight. It’s like a marine/bootcamp thing and not for beginners…. but with awesome results. You can do a little research comparison online. It works great for us because I don’t have a ton of time to workout with 2 babies and don’t want to purchases extra weights if I don’t need to. I think it’s also a little cheaper but not sure. We got ours for $70 off ebay.
It’s called Insanity. Just wanted to thow that out there.
Crystal says
I’ve heard great things about Insanity and hope to try it once I finish P90X!
Jennifer says
Phase 2 of Insanity means 1 hour workouts, not 30-45 minutes. Just when you start getting the hang of it, Shaun T throws more at you, the sadist. LOL For those of you who enjoy P90X, look into One on One, which Tony Horton also instructs. I’m doing a P90X/Insanity/One on One hybrid right now that’s awesome! My bro said something about these programs being available on file sharing sites, but I don’t know anything about that stuff. I can barely check my e-mail, LOL. Have fun sweating, I’ll be right there with ya! 🙂
Rebekah says
Doesn’t this program also require sets of weights or a weight bench? If so, how do you find these other items marked down. My husband and I both have been looking for something to help us get in better shape and stay healthy. P90X has definitely caught my attention!!
Crystal says
It’s highly encouraged to have a pull-up bar and a few hand weights. You can likely get these off Craigslist or from your local sports store.