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Home > Blog > Gym membership savings guide for the New Year
Jan 22, 2018
Gym membership savings guide for the New Year

gym_membership_savingsA new year is upon us, which means thousands of Britons will go in search of a gym to begin a new fitness regime. Gyms across the land will undoubtedly be filled to the brim this month, but if experience has taught us anything, very few new clients will remain come June, even though many will likely still be paying £50 or more in membership fees via direct debit to the swankier gyms. This may not sound like a large sum, but £50 each month equates to £600 a year. If you only ride the elliptical two or three times before giving up the gym lifestyle, they’ll be the most expensive workouts of your life.

If you indulged a little too much this holiday season and have made it a goal to get in shape in 2018, this gym savings guide will help you lose the pounds without losing too much of your hard-earned money.

Never Buy Before You Try

Many fitness chains, such as Nuttfield Health and Fitness First, provide free taster days. Many others, like LA Fitness, will even give you three full free days to test out their facilities. Since these gyms are a little on the swanky side, opting for free trials will help ensure you choose a gym you feel comfortable frequenting regularly. However, you should be prepared to suffer through a hard sell, where you’ll be encouraged to sign a long-term contract.

Pay Per Visit

If you’re not a committed workout fanatic, you may want to reconsider signing a long-term contract. Paying per visit may seem more expensive at first, but if you only plan on visiting the gym once or twice a week, it will save you a considerable sum in the long run.

There are many firms, such as Gym Group, that let you pay per visit or month-to-month. Although there may be a £20 joining fee, the firm has 40 gyms across the UK that offer monthly contracts or daily memberships for as little as £5.

Opt for a No-Frills Gym

Instead of paying upwards of £100 a month for a swanky club membership, there is likely a basic, no-frills gym in your neighbourhood that charges less than £20 a month. For example, PureGym, FitSpace, and Xercise4Less have over a hundred locations combined around the UK, and flexible monthly contracts start as low as £13 a month.

You should keep your local leisure centre in mind as well. There are a number of centres run by local authorities that offer decent equipment and facilities for drastically less than posh private gyms. In fact, if you do not live in a large city or town, a local leisure centre may be your only basic gym option.

Look for Discounts

Unbeknownst to many, a number of large employers have deals with gyms in which they have secured discounted prices for their employees. If your employer doesn’t offer this, deals for local gyms and inexpensive short-term gym memberships can be found at The Gym Website, a discount gym membership broker. If you shop at Tesco, you may be able to use your reward points for a gym membership as well. For example, you can receive £15 off LA Fitness’ membership fees for only £5 in vouchers.

Learn the Tricks of the Trade

While many of the shadier gym tactics have been clamped down on by the Office of Fair Trading, you should still be mindful of their unscrupulous practices. Prior to signing up, you should inquire as to what will happen if you change jobs, move house, become injured, or become pregnant and are no longer able to use your membership. Thus, you should find out how much notice you must give in order to cancel or see if your membership can be frozen or transferred to someone else. Also, you should know that the majority of gyms automatically renew memberships.

Cancelling a Membership

According to Citizens Advice, you should cancel your gym membership in writing and also keep a copy of the cancellation letter for your own records. The letter should also be sent via recorded delivery for proof that it was sent. If it is within your rights to request a contract cancellation, you should also cancel the direct debit of your membership to avoid having any more charges taken out of your account. Despite what bank staff may tell you, if the direct debit is a “continuous payment authority,” you are still able to cancel it.

The Bottom Line

By following these tips, you will be able to save up to £300 a year or more on gym membership fees. Just imagine how much you would have by the time you retire if you were able to invest this amount and earn a seven percent return!

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