As the days are getting shorter, and with Day Light Savings time coming to an end, I've realized that my late day walk/jog has been coming to an end, mostly because I don't want to want to walk around in the dark/cold in my neighborhood. This has caused my fiance's and my workout plan to pretty much fall apart.

I found a pretty good deal at gold's gym in the MD area (www.goldsgym.com/laurewww.goldsgym.com/silverspringmd) for $39.00, with aerobics class, body pumps,yoga, cheap child care (although I don't need that too much), and a women only workout room.

So perhaps I shall make a compromise with my frugal ways and look into this. Anyone had a good experience with them?

Not with Golds, but I have had experience with some great gyms. 

Do they have a 7 day FREE trial period available?  If so, I recommend to go in, take the tour, listen to the sales pitch, then say "that's all great!  I'm excited, and I would love to try it for 7 days before I decide." 

They usually start lowering the price, processing fees, etc. at this point.  Tell them you would still like that 7-day trial, and they might even lower it some more. 

They will tell you that the month is about to end and they can only offer you that special for a limited time.  Great!  That gives you several days to make up your mind. 

Don't make up your mind by the end of October, let your 7 day pass run out, and your sales associate will call you with "Novembers deal"  soon after the end of the month. 

The point is to NEVER sign the day you go in to take the tour.  In my experience, you end up spending waaaay more than you need to if you do.  

Also...it's great to actually go to the gym  at the time you will be going every day.   See how busy it's going to be.  Ofen folks go in to look at a gym during the middle of the day when it's not that busy.  They are then super suprised when they go to workout at the actual time they will go daily to find they can't get on a machine. 

You may already know all this.  If so, GREAT!  If not, hope it helps.  I, too, am VERY frugal with my money.  I have lost a small fortune over the years taking the "best limited time deal" at the first visit to the gym. 

Hope you have a great day.  Let us know what you decide.  Welcome to our group. 

Here is what happened for us. 

Couple weeks ago heard advertisement on the radio. 

"come join the gym for only $39.99 a month"

Once we got to the gym and took the tour, it was actually....

A one-time $99.99 inital fee

A one-time $29.99 processing fee

THEN it's $39.99 a month.  Of which you had to make the first 2 payments of when you first sign.

Had we signed right away we would have payed....$209.96 to get started that day!!!  

Since we delayed, they started dropping the $99.00 to $49.00 then completely got rid of it after 2 no's from us.  They then dropped the monthy to $34.99

So instead of paying $208.97 upfront, we payed 29.99 for the processing fee, and 34.99 x's 2 for the first and last month.  Giving us a savings of $109.98  PLUS, we got our 7 days free because I didn't do ANYTHING until the 7 days were up. 

Ok...I'm done!!!  Hope this helps.