Money Saving Mom®

Every Monday in 2013, I’ll be sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you’re already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.

How many of you have a gym membership that you aren’t using regularly? If you’re not using it, that’s just money going down the drain every single month!

And even if you are using it occasionally, it could be really pricey for each visit. For instance, if you’re paying $40 per month for your membership and you only go once a week, that’s $10 per visit!

What if you cancelled your gym membership and committed to try other much more alternative options? Here are some ideas that have worked for me:

Inexpensive Gym Alternatives

1. Buy Some Used Exercise Equipment

We have gotten great deals on workout equipment on Craigslist. If you wait until midyear — when everyone has long since forgotten their New Year’s resolutions — you may be able to get a fantastic deal on an almost-new treadmill or elliptical that someone just wants to get out of their house.

Garage sales are also great places to check for workout equipment. Know what you’re looking for, have patience, and you’re bound to find a deal.

2. Watch YouTube Workout Videos

YouTube is a treasure trove of free workout videos. I personally haven’t used a whole lot of them, but one I am very familiar with is Clare from Peak313.com. She has all sorts of fantastic workout videos, workout routines, and great fitness ideas on her blog — all for FREE!

If you have YouTube workout channels you recommend, would you post the link in the comments for us? Thanks!

3. Check Out Some Workout DVDs

You can find dozens — or even hundreds — of workout videos at your local library. I love Jillian Michael’s DVDs — especially her 30-Day Shred. If you are wanting something a little more low impact, try Leslie Sansone.

If you find a DVD you especially like, it’s probably worth buying it instead of constantly renewing it at the library. 🙂 But I love how you can “try before you buy” via the library.

4. Get Outside & Get Your Heart Pumping

Getting outside and exercising — whether running, jumping rope, chasing your kiddos around playing tag, or taking your baby out in the stroller for a brisk walk — is one of the best ways to exercise. Not only do you not have to mess with purchasing exercise equipment or DVDs, but you get fresh air and sunshine at the same time!

More Fitness on a Budget Ideas:

Family Fitness for Less

3 Inexpensive Ways to Make Exercise Fun for Your Children

7 Ways to Save Money and Stay Motivated While Getting Fit

6 Tips for Losing Weight on a Budget

Three Ways to Stay Consistent

Now, it’s great to have these gym alternatives. But you actually have to follow through with them to make them worth anything! So here are three suggestions I have for staying consistent with exercising:

Have a Specific Plan

Make a plan and write it down. It could be as simple as saying you’re going to take 3 15-minute walks this week. Or that you’re going to complete 4 days of the Couch to 5K program.

And don’t just plan what you’re going to do. Plan when and how you’re going to do it as well. Will you take your kids on a bike ride after school? Or will you hop on the treadmill first thing in the morning?

Knowing what you’re planning to do and how you’re planning to do it will be a huge step in the direction of success.

Find an Accountability Partner

If you’re struggling to stick with your exercise plan, I highly recommend getting an accountability partner. Find someone to run with every morning or to come over and do a workout DVD with you three times per week.

Or, just ask a friend if she’ll be willing to keep you accountable every day to following through with exercising. This means that you’ll text her, call her, or email her to let her know what you did. It’s amazing how motivating accountability can be!

Track Your Progress

It’s very encouraging to keep track of your exercise each week — and to see the progress you are making over time. You can use something like Nike+ or log your exercise on a site like SparkPeople. If you’re more of a pen and paper person, you can use one of these free Fitness Planning Printables.

What are your best tips and ideas for staying fit on a budget? I’d love to hear!

Every Monday in 2013, I’ll be sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you’re already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.

A very simple way to cut your bill is to get comfortable and experienced with asking for a discount. My philosophy is that you never want to short-change someone, but it never hurts to politely ask. The worst they can say is “no”. 🙂

Here are three ways you can often get a discount just for asking:

1. Ask for a Discount If You Buy In Bulk

If you buy a lot of a particular item, you can often get a discount if you buy in bulk. If you’re going to be using a lot of something over the next four months and you can freeze or store it for an extended time period, see what kind of discount you can get if you buy enough to last you for three to six months.

For instance, if you go through a lot of organic butter, ask the health food store you typically purchase them from if they could give you a discount if you purchased a case of butter. If they say “yes”, buy the case and store it in the freezer to use as needed.

My dad did this when we were building our house when I was growing up. He went to the local lumber stores and told them he was going to be buying a lot of supplies for building our house and what kind of discount could they give him if would buy all of the items from their store. If I’m remembering correctly, one store almost immediately offered him 15% off everything he purchased from them over the next six months. That simple step of asking saved us thousands of dollars!

2. Ask for a Discount on Almost-Expired Groceries

Many stores are happy to give you a discount on almost-expiring groceries. All you have to do is ask.

One of my friends discovered that her local grocery store will give her $1-2 off each gallon of milk if it’s within 3-5 days of its expiration date. So when she shops, she looks at all the expiration dates, finds some milk that’s going to expire within 3-5 days, and asks them to mark it down. (By the way, you can freeze almost-expired milk to use in baking.)

One time, I found some bananas that were past their prime at Aldi. I went and asked if they’d give me a discount on them. They did better than that; they said I could have them for free!

3. Ask for a Discount on Memberships and Monthly Bills

If you have a membership to a local gym or other club and it’s something that you are regularly using (if you’re not regularly using it, cancel it today, okay? There’s no use in paying for something you’re not using!), ask them if they have an discount opportunities. If you volunteer once a month or help with a certain project, you might be able to get a sizable discount.

When it comes to your monthly bills, always call and try to re-negotiate fixed rate bills at least once per year. Things like internet and phone packages are often negotiable — and we’ve saved hundreds of dollars over the years by asking annually if they have a better rate they can give us.

So take the time to make that simple phone call. Schedule it on your calendar or just go do it right now. It could result in savings of $100+ per year — just for taking the time to ask!

Have you asked for a discount on something before? If so, tell us about your experience(s).

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