The Money Mustache Community
Around the Internet => Antimustachian Wall of Shame and Comedy => Topic started by: wordnerd on July 11, 2015, 02:06:07 PM
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http://www.racked.com/2015/6/10/8748149/fitness-class-costs
"When you break it down," the New York native says, "it's $35, give or take, per class, and then you have to go four times a week to really see results." On top of that, there was the cost of transportation to classes outside of her neighborhood: a MetroCard, but also, unavoidably, some cabs. That’s when she realized she was really spending closer to $700 each month on her workout habit.
In her view, it’s all about priorities. "You could lease a car or go really deep into a transformation program and change your life," she says. "I’ll see clients that pay $450 for a T-shirt, but have an issue with $37 for an intimate experience with another human being. It always shocks me when someone shows me a $3,500 dress and then tries to bargain out of a class. Most of these people wouldn’t think twice about a $40 blowout." Plus, she adds, going to a boutique fitness class costs about half (or less) of what seeing a personal trainer does.
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Huh . . . and here I am just running around outside . . . chasing a chicken if I find myself getting into a workout rut.
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She spent money on cabs in order to get to her expensive workout classes. Some of which are biking classes. Hmmmmm
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This is an interesting insight into the anti-mustachian psyche:
"I’m always deeply suspicious of anything that’s discounted, and by the same token, always drawn in by anything with a fixed high price," says Jenny. "I go to expensive fitness classes for the same reasons I’ll have an iPhone forever, no matter how high the price gets. There’s something really psychologically powerful that happens when you witness other people practically begging to pay high prices for something."
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This is an interesting insight into the anti-mustachian psyche:
"I’m always deeply suspicious of anything that’s discounted, and by the same token, always drawn in by anything with a fixed high price," says Jenny. "I go to expensive fitness classes for the same reasons I’ll have an iPhone forever, no matter how high the price gets. There’s something really psychologically powerful that happens when you witness other people practically begging to pay high prices for something."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_goods
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She spent money on cabs in order to get to her expensive workout classes. Some of which are biking classes. Hmmmmm
I work with someone who owns a stair stepper...she lives on the 12th floor of an apartment. :)
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I think its a great example of "yuccie" behavior (see http://mashable.com/2015/06/09/post-hipster-yuccie/ (http://mashable.com/2015/06/09/post-hipster-yuccie/)). Its non-traditional conspicuous consumption. Its an "experience", healthy, good for your body, etc. The point is to show off your wealth but not directly, just to show that you can afford "the best" of something.
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Yep I know some of these people in NYC! One of them asked me to come to a soul cycle class with her. At 7 am on a Saturday, but I have to call in advance and make sure the class isn't full. Meanwhile, she owns a Cannondale and lives blocks from Central Park. Now that I think of it, maybe I'll invite her to go for a bike ride instead.
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/face palm.
I'll be paying $700/month for the one bedroom apartment I'm moving to next week.
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High prices is a sales tactic, actually. If you get a few people to buy at high prices, then you have popularity which provides confirmation.
A lot of people also tend to commit more at higher prices than lower prices.
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And to think I felt guilty about treating myself to a 15 pack of group fitness classes for $150 this month. Will likely last me 4 months as I excersise outdoors too, but having the option to get some endorphins when it's cold, wet and dark is lovely :-)
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/face palm.
I'll be paying $700/month for the one bedroom apartment I'm moving to next week.
Yeah, that's more than my mortgage. And the house comes with this very long network of streets attached to it that I can run or bike or walk on. And steps I could step on and flat space I can do other exercises on. And it comes with 2 showers and lots of space for my gym clothes.
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What is "soul cycle"? I do spin classes, but that name alone makes me want to run away.
My coworkers in New York and Chicago all rave about "Class Pass". It costs more than my gym membership and you have to reserve your spot in the classes ahead of time, and you can only go to each class a certain number of times a month, then you have to go to other locations. The whole concept sounds bizarre.
Personally- I thought my $40 a month gym was expensive, and while I'm not a member right now, when I am, I take about 4-5 classes a week, plus lift weights.
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"soul cycle" = expensive biking in a room with people yelling at you to bike harder. But it's very classy.
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"soul cycle" = expensive biking in a room with people yelling at you to bike harder. But it's very classy.
Ah, I prefer RPM. Included in the gym membership biking in a room with people yelling at you to bike harder. But it isn't that classy. :)
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This is an interesting insight into the anti-mustachian psyche:
"I’m always deeply suspicious of anything that’s discounted, and by the same token, always drawn in by anything with a fixed high price," says Jenny. "I go to expensive fitness classes for the same reasons I’ll have an iPhone forever, no matter how high the price gets. There’s something really psychologically powerful that happens when you witness other people practically begging to pay high prices for something."
What's interesting is it isn't just high priced fancy electronics. I've talked with a couple farmers and this same pattern shows up at farm auctions. The lower priced pieces of equipment are harder to sell because people assume they are poor quality.
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This is hilarious and sad:
... Jenny, who works in tech and spends around $850 each month on fitness. ... If I had a surplus of free time and money, I would work out constantly and eat only the finest organic fruits and veggies and grass-fed beef."
If she didn't spend $850 a month on things that are free in life, she could have that surplus.
I did agree with her on this quote, though - just not for her reasons: There’s something really psychologically powerful that happens when you witness other people practically begging to pay high prices for something."
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Making our status and wealth known to others is something deeply embedded within us.
It's interesting what we consider to be a status symbol now. Wasn't it a good thing before for a person to be a bit chubby, to show that food wasn't in shortage? (I can't remember if this only applied to the lower classes or not.) Now it's organic food, barre and aerial yoga classes, Lululemon pants, and gym memberships.
The height of opulence, especially in warm, fit cities like Miami and LA, is being rich enough not to work so you can spend all of your time perfecting your body, which has become the ultimate luxury item itself.
..."For high achieving people, it’s one of the few chances you get in adulthood to measure yourself against a fixed, objective line that mirrors the grading system in school. A lot of professional success can be really subjective, but being like, ‘I ran six miles yesterday and seven miles today!’ gives you the same sense of accomplishment as getting a 4.0 GPA."
Yep, I can definitely see this.
I dunno; I'm all for spending where your priorities are, but what strikes me is thinking that you HAVE to spend this kind of money to be fit. It's a "healthy purchase" so people reach to justify stuff they can't afford. David Beckham makes a lot more money than I do; if he were in my gym, I'd start wondering if I was spending too much or if he was just incredibly frugal.
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Its non-traditional conspicuous consumption. Its an "experience", healthy, good for your body, etc. The point is to show off your wealth but not directly, just to show that you can afford "the best" of something.
Yep, this is the new trend in urban circles. Facebook and other social media has made "activities" into something you can show to your friends to improve your social status.
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Its non-traditional conspicuous consumption. Its an "experience", healthy, good for your body, etc. The point is to show off your wealth but not directly, just to show that you can afford "the best" of something.
Yep, this is the new trend in urban circles. Facebook and other social media has made "activities" into something you can show to your friends to improve your social status.
Yeah, I have noticed this as well and as a result I have reduced posting anything on FB. In addition, I've made a conscious effort not to check what other people are doing on FB.
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Hmmmm. Sounds like I should be opening a gym in an upscale neighbourhood.
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I've noticed that offering an un-Mustachian service in an un-Mustachian neighborhood is the basis for many, many businesses.
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I've noticed that offering an un-Mustachian service in an un-Mustachian neighborhood is the basis for many, many businesses.
It's almost like creating a market for an expensive, frivolous product is a good way to make a profit!
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I hired a personal trainer last fall. I have never really worked out in a gym before so I learned a lot, but it did cost $500ish a month for 2 sessions a week.
I still meet with him but less and less as now I have learned what I need, (diet/routines/correct posture/ect/ect)
Facepunch time maybe? However, being down 30lbs and having a way to go even further and keep it off, I would respend that money every day.
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I hired a personal trainer last fall. I have never really worked out in a gym before so I learned a lot, but it did cost $500ish a month for 2 sessions a week.
I still meet with him but less and less as now I have learned what I need, (diet/routines/correct posture/ect/ect)
Facepunch time maybe? However, being down 30lbs and having a way to go even further and keep it off, I would respend that money every day.
Congrats! If it's worth it to you, great. But you can probably get something similar working out on your own if you are diligent. If you aren't that kind of person you may be better off paying to keep you in shape (pun intended).
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I hired a personal trainer last fall. I have never really worked out in a gym before so I learned a lot, but it did cost $500ish a month for 2 sessions a week.
I still meet with him but less and less as now I have learned what I need, (diet/routines/correct posture/ect/ect)
Facepunch time maybe? However, being down 30lbs and having a way to go even further and keep it off, I would respend that money every day.
I think this is different - taking away lessons and stuff from a trainer will be valuable in the long run since you can reuse this knowledge, and while having a trainer is a "prestigious" thing, it's not done for the social flaunting as much as going to yoga/barre/step/spin or whatever, IMO. Those kinds of classes are more like one-time group exercise classes. IDK.
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Making our status and wealth known to others is something deeply embedded within us.
It's interesting what we consider to be a status symbol now. Wasn't it a good thing before for a person to be a bit chubby, to show that food wasn't in shortage? (I can't remember if this only applied to the lower classes or not.) Now it's organic food, barre and aerial yoga classes, Lululemon pants, and gym memberships.
Their defition of chubby would be our defintion of skinny. Rubens was just a chubby chaser:) It was really all about avoiding getting a tan.
As far as status flaunting, have you notice the one upman ship that happens in every budget thread. It is the exact same impluse:)
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I hired a personal trainer last fall. I have never really worked out in a gym before so I learned a lot, but it did cost $500ish a month for 2 sessions a week.
I still meet with him but less and less as now I have learned what I need, (diet/routines/correct posture/ect/ect)
Facepunch time maybe? However, being down 30lbs and having a way to go even further and keep it off, I would respend that money every day.
I'm debating with myself if i should hire one as well. I made an experimental routine with him and really liked, but the 700ish bill for 2 sessions a week is a bit hard to swallow. The mustachian inside me is throwing facepunches like crazy.
I'm a bit uncoordinated, and fear trying to push weights by myself and end up hurt because of bad posture or something.
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Check out the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. If you hire a trainer, IMO you only need to learn a few basic movements safely: squat and dead lift, maybe press. With those, you can make a ton of progress.
The biggest mistake I've made with a trainer is relying on him to develop workouts, rather than using him to learn different ways of changing up or adding to what I already know. In other words, I was just being mentally lazy and past a certain point it had nothing to do with safety.
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I'm debating with myself if i should hire one as well. I made an experimental routine with him and really liked, but the 700ish bill for 2 sessions a week is a bit hard to swallow. The mustachian inside me is throwing facepunches like crazy.
I'm a bit uncoordinated, and fear trying to push weights by myself and end up hurt because of bad posture or something.
The cheap option is to work out with the best looking friends you have. Learn from them.
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I'm debating with myself if i should hire one as well. I made an experimental routine with him and really liked, but the 700ish bill for 2 sessions a week is a bit hard to swallow. The mustachian inside me is throwing facepunches like crazy.
I'm a bit uncoordinated, and fear trying to push weights by myself and end up hurt because of bad posture or something.
The cheap option is to work out with the best looking friends you have. Learn from them.
Is that why everyone wants to work out with me? <flex>
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The cheap option is to work out with the best looking friends you have. Learn from them.
+1 this.
A true gym rat is almost always willing to teach new people the basic compound lift techniques (squat, bench, deadlift, etc.) because they love the lifestyle and are excited to get anyone and everyone they can into it too. Once you have those basics down AND start eating with the right mix of carbs/fats/proteins for your goals, you'll start losing fat/adding muscle faster than you can believe.
Worked for me anyway!
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I hired a personal trainer last fall. I have never really worked out in a gym before so I learned a lot, but it did cost $500ish a month for 2 sessions a week.
I still meet with him but less and less as now I have learned what I need, (diet/routines/correct posture/ect/ect)
Facepunch time maybe? However, being down 30lbs and having a way to go even further and keep it off, I would respend that money every day.
No, you know, I hired a personal trainer once, for a 5 or 6 week session. It was incredibly useful, and I was never so strong.
There's something about having a professional help you with form and motivation. Because it works.
It's the same thing as working out in a gym/ in a group vs. working out by yourself. For many, it's just better with others or at a gym. Especially for motivation.
But I can't bring myself to spend on those extra classes. I did some really great yoga for awhile, 10 classes for $100. It was so helpful when I was distance running. But I just couldn't justify the expense anymore, even though it amounted to $10 a week.
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This is an interesting insight into the anti-mustachian psyche:
"I’m always deeply suspicious of anything that’s discounted, and by the same token, always drawn in by anything with a fixed high price," says Jenny. "I go to expensive fitness classes for the same reasons I’ll have an iPhone forever, no matter how high the price gets. There’s something really psychologically powerful that happens when you witness other people practically begging to pay high prices for something."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_goods
More specifically, they are "Veblen goods." While the wiki page says these two are synonymous, there are definitely differences between the two.
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I guess if you would pay $450 for a T-shirt, then fitness classes for less than the price of 2 t-shirts doesn't seem like such a bad deal.
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This is an interesting insight into the anti-mustachian psyche:
"I’m always deeply suspicious of anything that’s discounted, and by the same token, always drawn in by anything with a fixed high price," says Jenny. "I go to expensive fitness classes for the same reasons I’ll have an iPhone forever, no matter how high the price gets. There’s something really psychologically powerful that happens when you witness other people practically begging to pay high prices for something."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_goods
More specifically, they are "Veblen goods." While the wiki page says these two are synonymous, there are definitely differences between the two.
Maybe you should make the necessary corrections to the wiki page(s).
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I hired a personal trainer last fall. I have never really worked out in a gym before so I learned a lot, but it did cost $500ish a month for 2 sessions a week.
I still meet with him but less and less as now I have learned what I need, (diet/routines/correct posture/ect/ect)
Facepunch time maybe? However, being down 30lbs and having a way to go even further and keep it off, I would respend that money every day.
In my experience a number of people who love fitness will be happy to share knowledge... I work out with workmates who are all super fit and they explain stuff to me :-)
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It boggles the mind how much contradictory and overcomplicated shit people do, like taking a cab to a cycling class.
I was in great shape just living in NYC. I wore running shoes all the time and jogged to the train, from the train, between trains. I wore out my first pair of high-end running shoes in only six months. And I LOVED riding my bike in Brooklyn and Manhattan. I've never felt so alive in my life.
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I do find it funny seeing people drive around looking for a close parking spots....to go to a gym! Seriously, take the first available spot and walk the rest of the way. I suppose an excuse can be if it's snowing or raining or other bad weather.
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I do find it funny seeing people drive around looking for a close parking spots....to go to a gym! Seriously, take the first available spot and walk the rest of the way. I suppose an excuse can be if it's snowing or raining or other bad weather.
Or, you know, ride a bike to the gym, or run to the gym.
I used to warm up for the gym by running to the subway, surfing the subway (crouch low and ride without holding onto anything), and running from the station to the gym. Walk right in ready to go, and start lifting.
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Not quite as bad, but a trend in my area: Paying about $400 a month for Boot Camp callisthenics. That's right, the stuff you can do anywhere costs $400 a month. And I have friends that have done that for years at a time.
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Not quite as bad, but a trend in my area: Paying about $400 a month for Boot Camp callisthenics. That's right, the stuff you can do anywhere costs $400 a month. And I have friends that have done that for years at a time.
Jebus!
I paid up to $150/mo at one point for one of those, when I really needed to turn myself around. At this point I've learned about all I ever will from them. I've been tempted to go back just to bump up the motivation factor, but I can't get past the cost. $400 is fucking insane.
DW does one a couple times a week but I think she's only paying like $10/session, and she really needs the structure or she'll never do anything other than a light job around the neighborhood.
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I do find it funny seeing people drive around looking for a close parking spots....to go to a gym! Seriously, take the first available spot and walk the rest of the way. I suppose an excuse can be if it's snowing or raining or other bad weather.
Or, you know, ride a bike to the gym, or run to the gym.
I used to warm up for the gym by running to the subway, surfing the subway (crouch low and ride without holding onto anything), and running from the station to the gym. Walk right in ready to go, and start lifting.
Yeah I agree, though I don't do it. In my defense, I keep some clothes in my car and my gym's everywhere, so when I go it's usually because I have some time to kill and would rather get a quick workout in. My work pays for my gym membership, otherwise I wouldn't have one as I prefer to just go for walks or run outside.
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Yeah I agree, though I don't do it. In my defense, I keep some clothes in my car and my gym's everywhere, so when I go it's usually because I have some time to kill and would rather get a quick workout in. My work pays for my gym membership, otherwise I wouldn't have one as I prefer to just go for walks or run outside.
Mine is in the same building as my office, so I don't have the dilemma to begin with. If I'm just doing weights I may just change my shirt and go half-business. Talk about lazy.
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Planet Fitness is just about a mile from my house, so when I belonged to them I'd walk there, workout, then walk home. It would have taken me longer to drive, plus I would have missed out on meeting some great folks in the neighborhood.
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The Wall Street Journal has a Tuesday feature called "What's Your Workout?" and it usually features someone along these lines, an executive or entrepreneur, usually from NYC (of course), and they break down what they spend on classes, trainers, equipment. It's staggering.
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Its non-traditional conspicuous consumption. Its an "experience", healthy, good for your body, etc. The point is to show off your wealth but not directly, just to show that you can afford "the best" of something.
Yep, this is the new trend in urban circles. Facebook and other social media has made "activities" into something you can show to your friends to improve your social status.
Yeah, I have noticed this as well and as a result I have reduced posting anything on FB. In addition, I've made a conscious effort not to check what other people are doing on FB.
This explains the growth of themed races. How else to explain people spending $75 to walk 5K and get doused in colored powder. Or $100-plus to crawl in the mud. Back in 2011, Tough Mudder actually was Facebook's largest advertiser ($10 million-plus).
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As White Goodman says, "Here at Globo Gym, we understand that "Ugliness" and "Fatness" are genetic disorders, much like baldness or necrophilia, and it's only your fault if you don't hate yourself enough to do something about it. Here at Globo Gym we're better than you, and we know it."
I wonder what our grandparents would say about the current American culture. We spend more money on paying a gym to have people yell at us while we lift iron things than they made in a year. They sewed their own clothes because their banks failed during the great depression, and we buy $450 t-shirts and lululemon things. We spend $4 on a single serving of juice or coffee and throw the plastic cup away, and this makes us happy. We do this because we have designed machines to do all of the real work so we have to invent fake activities like shooting guns, sports and working out to get out our all naturally evolved aggression and to fill up our days.
I think my grandpa would punch these sukka consumers in the face. It is amazing to me how entitled gym-goers are and how much of a meat-head they are, and the rationalizations they make in their mind. They could accomplish the same amount of aerobic / muscle building energy if they walked / biked everywhere, scrubbed their dishes by hand, did their own yard work, and did some pushups during commercial breaks. I have more fun chopping down a tree in my back yard last year than any gym could ever supply, and we gave this up because we make so much money that acquiring lumber to build things can be done by carpenters and contractors.
You gave up chopping wood because you could afford to pay someone to do it? What do you do for exercise now, go to the gym?
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All these girls better have amazing bodies spending that kind of loot every month.
Their bodies should be so tight that they should just quit their jobs and take up stripping. They'll make a ton more money. $$$ yeee
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You gave up chopping wood because you could afford to pay someone to do it? What do you do for exercise now, go to the gym?
I read that as a continuation of the things "we" (our nation) have given up as part of our shift from DIY and self-sufficiency to luxury addiction.
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Ah, I misread that part.
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wow.
For 700 a month I could REALLY indulge in bike hoarding ....that would even pay for an air conditioned storage locker. Must be nice to have that kind of money to burn. ( I can't drop a bike off at the shop without ogling another one)
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For $700 a month, you'd almost think that you could pay someone to work out for you and somehow get the benefits...
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I think its a great example of "yuccie" behavior (see http://mashable.com/2015/06/09/post-hipster-yuccie/ (http://mashable.com/2015/06/09/post-hipster-yuccie/)). Its non-traditional conspicuous consumption. Its an "experience", healthy, good for your body, etc. The point is to show off your wealth but not directly, just to show that you can afford "the best" of something.
LOL, this is what I got:
Wow! You are not at all a yuccie. Or perhaps you are so dead set on not being a yuccie that you have rigged this quiz to give yourself some level of comfort. You hate the Internet and you hate made up terms.
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For $700 a month, you'd almost think that you could pay someone to work out for you and somehow get the benefits...
I just saw this last night:
http://31.media.tumblr.com/d3a52417d09fa6ba51fe3417186676ef/tumblr_mm6us51xo91qgtdxso3_250.gif
SLEEP GYM!
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I live in Manhattan and walk past Soul Cycle everyday on the way to my "discount" gym and see about 5 cabs pull up when it's time for classes. In all the time I've walked past I don't think I've seen a single physique I've actually been impressed by.
Not only do you have to pay for the classes it also seems borderline mandatory you outfit a while wardrobe of their dumb clothes to let everyone know how you live the fit lifestyle since they couldn't tell otherwise
Equinox is also ridiculous at about $200/mo minimum
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For $700 a month, you'd almost think that you could pay someone to work out for you and somehow get the benefits...
I just saw this last night:
http://31.media.tumblr.com/d3a52417d09fa6ba51fe3417186676ef/tumblr_mm6us51xo91qgtdxso3_250.gif
SLEEP GYM!
I was half expecting something along the lines of, "In Soviet Russia, gym exercise you!"
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I live in Manhattan and walk past Soul Cycle everyday on the way to my "discount" gym and see about 5 cabs pull up when it's time for classes. In all the time I've walked past I don't think I've seen a single physique I've actually been impressed by.
Was curious, so found this:
(http://i.imgur.com/8HDC2Bb.jpg?1)