Is the economy affecting your fitness purchases?

[SharonNYC]

I certainly wouldn't consider a series purchase and no gadgets. I recently splurged on a mini backbender and a yoga chair (neither was that expensive though) in part because I'll have to cut down on yoga classes and workshops. So even more energy will go into my home practice. I rarely buy videos these days.

Right now, all the gadgets and hard sell seem in kind of bad taste.

We live on Social Security and small pensions (state pension plan). The real security of either of those supports is a little ambiguous right now I think.

[Pat58]

I voted "other" because I'd already seriously curtailed spending a couple of years ago. I will still buy an occasional treat, but do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions first - and then it has to be the right price. No $65.00 videos for me. The library has been my best friend the past couple of years.

I quit weekly reformer classes at a studio last winter to keep up with home heating oil bills and never went back. I stretch every yoga class card as thin as possible with mostly home practices. I had planned to take lots of yoga studio workshops but am passing them up, along with the Svaroopa teacher training I'd planned. At this point, I'm grappling with quitting my $35 monthly gym membership. The deciding factor will be this Wednesday when my husband finds out if his job has been eliminated.

[PhyllisG]

I wanted to add that I had been planning to buy Cathe's weighted vest, weighted gloves and fitness gloves. I passed on all 3. I have weight training gloves that are old but will do for now. Let's see what happens after the new year and a new administration.

[KathAL79]

I voted that so far it has had no more than a small effect on my spending. I'm lucky to be where I am with my personal finances (young, no debt, just rent, have some savings), so I hope dh will let me keep my small fun money allowance for a little longer, especially if gas keeps hovering around $3 rather than $4 a gallon. I don't normally buy big items or series, but I certainly don't plan to do that now. I've become savvier over the years of fitness video buying, so I have a good enough collection right now plus an affordable gym membership. The reluctance I have to buy workouts on my wish list is mainly due to that, although with a new pet I have even less incentive to treat myself so often because I know there's not enough to treat both of us all of the time.
One way the economy may affect me fairly soon is my occasional selling of items online, which I use to supplement my fun money allowance, may dry up as people tighten their budgets and start buying fewer non-essentials.

[SharonNYC]

Originally Posted by Pat58

I voted "other" because I'd already seriously curtailed spending a couple of years ago. I will still buy an occasional treat, but do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions first - and then it has to be the right price. No $65.00 videos for me. The library has been my best friend the past couple of years.

I quit weekly reformer classes at a studio last winter to keep up with home heating oil bills and never went back. I stretch every yoga class card as thin as possible with mostly home practices. I had planned to take lots of yoga studio workshops but am surpassing them and the Svaroopa teacher training I'd planned, too. At this point, I'm grappling with quitting my $35 monthly gym membership.

Pat, I feel lucky that class cards at my studio have no expiration date so I can stretch a 20 class card for a long time. And if things get worse I can do studio cleanup duty for work study. That's my only regular expense in that area.

One of the reasons I picked up a few additional props lately is so that I can do more and more of my practice at home.

Me too on the workshops -- no more of those for a while until we see what's out there. I'm glad I got my teacher training in a few years ago. No way could I afford that now. Jonathan's doing a continuing ed that I'd love to take, but no way.

It's not that we have less income right now -- it's that it's reasonable to expect that we'll peobably have less in the future. Hard when you're already on fixed income.

[a_real_twit]

I voted that it only had a slight effect on my buying because I had to cut way way back on buying about 8 months ago. Now I have to try to limit my spending money to what I earn from selling online, consider purchases carefully, catch sales, trade, etc.

This time last year, I would have bought all four Force DVD's without a second thought. Not anymore. I am seeing what I can sell to earn enough $$$ to buy maybe two of them.

I'm still very blessed.

[DBW]

It hasn't affected my purchasing because I've always been pretty selective about what I buy. I don't buy something unless I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it and I wait for prices to come down, not because I have to but because that is just the way I've always been.

[Jacqi A]

Erica, sorry to hear about your DH. I hope he finds something good soon.

[Usia]

The economy has definitely affected my purchases. While I can't say that I stopped buying all fitness DVDs....I spend a lot more time weighing pros and cons of each purchase, and most of the time decide against spending the money. I have well over 300 workouts, and don't really NEED any more. Unfortunately, I often WANT the new workouts, and sometimes I give in to temptation but definitely not as easily as a year or two ago. I also work 2 jobs nowadays to make ends meet.....I'm lucky to have both jobs nowadays.

Erica, I hope your DH finds a job quickly and I wish you and your family the best.

[lfcjasp]

Erica, in fact anyone thrown out of work, you have my prayers and my sympathy. I told someone I was happy to be keeping my job and when they gave me an odd look, I was frankly confused:confused!!! I hate job hunting when the pickings are good!!!

I voted the economy has caused me to buy nothing, though I'm sure I'll pick up something somewhere; but actually the economy caused me to slow way down a long time ago. No raises for us this year and maybe next year But as noted, just keeping your job is good in times like these And I already have a pretty good-sized collection...could even afford to sell off or share-the-wealth of some...