8 Ways to Save on a Gym Membership
Join with a group. Many fitness facilities will lower their monthly rates for a large group. One of the easiest ways to take advantage of this benefit is through your employer. Ask your human resources department whether your employer has deals with local clubs.
Many fitness clubs offer family or household discounts to two or more people who live together. You can also gather a group of friends and ask a gym manager if she would be willing to cut a deal for the group. If you can’t wrangle a discount, find out whether your group can get deals on additional services, such as small group personal training sessions, says Kufahl at Club Industry.
Check your insurance benefits. Health insurance plans may provide discounts on a gym membership. Some plans offered by UnitedHealthcare, for example, have reimbursed members up to $240 per year if they belong to a participating fitness center. Call your insurance plan’s member services number (often listed on the back of your health insurance card) or check with your company’s human resources insurance expert to see whether you’re eligible for a discount. See whether there are any special requirements to get a reimbursement—you may have to visit a facility a certain number of times a month.
Read the contract. One of the most expensive charges you could eventually encounter is a cancellation fee. Although you might not be able to get it removed, you should be aware of the terms in advance so that you don’t get stuck paying a penalty for a membership you no longer use. You might have to let the club know you want to cancel two months in advance, for example, or submit a notarized letter to end the contract.
Keep in mind that this has been an area that fitness customers have complained about. Last year, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose term ended this month, said that there had been a significant rise in consumer complaints in his state about discrepancies between what they were told by sales personnel and what the signed contract guaranteed, especially when it came to cancellation procedures. The attorney general said you should carefully read any contract you sign, keep a copy of that contract, and be wary of unusually low prices.
Ask whether the membership fee has changed. Once you’ve joined a club, you’ll still want to keep tabs on how much the club charges new members. A club may lower prices to attract new customers but not offer the reduced rate to existing members. If you find that to be the case, ask the manager if the club would also give you the lower rate, Metcalf says.