10 Ways Thrifty People Exercise

Exercise doesn’t have to cost a lot of money here are …

10 Ways Thrifty People Exercise

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1. Thrifty People head outdoors whenever possible

Outside workouts are free. Use map my run to find out just how far you went and log your workouts for free. If you want to find out your pace of your outdoor runs download the free Log My Run Pacer app. from I-tunes. Want to know your heart rate to see if you are working out hard enough download the free Instant Heart Rate App. from I-tunes. (these apps. work on both i-touches and smart phones).

2. Thrifty People borrow what we can from the library

Libraries are often great resources for workout DVD’s. They usually also have books to inform and inspire you in your workouts. Check the magazine area while you are there for current and back issues of workout magazines such as “runner’s world”.

3. Thrifty people work out at home

If the weather is not nice enough to take the workouts outdoors your home is another free place for workouts. Use a library DVD or search Netflix for workouts.

If you have the room and the money search Craigslist for second treadmills and ellipticals as well as other like new fitness gear at a fraction of the cost of retail.

4. Thrifty people grab daily deals

Groupon and sites like it often have great deals on physical activities such as skating, rock climbing, yoga classes and more. They also sometimes have deals on fitness gear and nutrition related products.

5. Thrifty people take advantage of early bird specials

If you decided to take the plunge and sign up for a race, do it early and save yourself as much as 20%.

6. Thrifty people watch for discount codes

Another tip for saving money on races, like the events Facebook page, often they will announce discount codes.

Also if you happen to attend a race, take the time when you are at the pre-race expo to pick up the advertisements from future events you wish to enter, often a discount code good through the weekend of your race will be printed on them.

7. Thrifty people use store coupons and rewards cards to get the best price on your exercise needs

When you are at a sporting goods store, or running store, ask if the store has a email list often they will and by adding your name to the list you will receive coupons in your inbox for discounts.

The same stores might also have store reward cards which could save you even more money on your equipment needs.

8. Thrifty people use point reward programs to buy fitness gear

Join Swagbucks and Bing Rewards and in just a few minutes a day you can earn $10 in amazon cards each and every month that you could use to purchase music for your mp3 player, or a new workout DVD.

9. Thrifty people hit the clearance rack

I never pay more than $5 for a dri-wick workout shirt. Every time I am in Walmart or Target I take perhaps 2 extra minutes to take a quick look through the fitness clothes clearance rack and see if shirts have dropped to my price goal.

10. Thrifty people buy some products online for less

I save a significant amount of money on hydration and energy products for long marathon training runs by buying them either at Lucky Vitamin or Amazon.

To get the lowest price I have to buy in bulk but luckily I have enough fit mom’s in my life to share in the purchase of it.

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Comments

Kate Craig says

March 9, 2013 at 10:12 am

Old Navy is also a great place for clearance workout gear! And with an ON credit card I get a $5 reward certificate maybe once a year

Dallas says

March 10, 2013 at 10:26 pm

I love this whole series, Victoria! Thanks for the inspiration. This post was especially helpful! My fiancee and I used giftcards to buy a simple, no-frills exercise bike, which we often ride while catching up on our favorite TV shows or movies we’ve gotten from the library. It’s a great way to save time by multitasking and also can be a great motivator to work out even when you don’t “feel” like it! Plus we save money by not needing a gym membership.

Erin says

August 27, 2014 at 11:26 am

If you’re a good runner and consistently run a regular pace at races, they will often let you be a pacer for free. One of my friends does this and she saves a fortune on races. She also gets sponsors (she’s a pro runner though) and saves a lot of money that way too. Obviously, you have to be a serious runner, but a lot of the ladies in my running group do this.

- Victoria says
  
  August 27, 2014 at 1:01 pm
  
  Thanks for the great tips! I always wondered what perks the pacers got.
  
The City Rental says

October 28, 2014 at 10:26 am

Oooh, I agree on not overpaying for workout gear! I get mine at Goodwill or other thrift stores and what I usually do is single out the wicking fabrics by touch and sight FIRST and then check the fit and style once I have pulled them off of overcrowded racks. Here is a post of some of my great thrift finds: http://www.thecityrental.blogspot.com/2014/09/favorite-thrifted-items.html

- Victoria says
  
  October 28, 2014 at 12:58 pm
  
  Thanks for the tip.