Having just moved to New York with lots and lots of debt (of the student loan and consumer variety) I have been struggling to manage on a budget, but somehow, I'm doing it for the first time in my life. And by "doing it" I mean living paycheck to paycheck as I pay off my debt. So, the settling into my new life has been slow.
One of the things that I was really having a hard time with was not having a gym membership. After belonging to 24 Hour Fitness forever, I was only paying $52 a year (yes, A YEAR) when I moved from Provo to New York. So, you can imagine how disheartening it was to realize that a gym membership was likely out of my financial reach. And while I do like exercising outside, my work hours, daylight hours, and the weather often make that difficult. Not to mention the fact that I started going to a gym when I was 16 and there is something I seriously love about being surrounded by other people who are also working out. (I realize that not everyone feels this way.)
Which brings me to my small miracle, which I will call a tender mercy. While interning in New York last summer (2009), I got a corporate summer membership to NYSC. It was a manageable price for the 3 months I was out here. I considered getting another corporate membership, but at twice the monthly cost of my summer membership, I just couldn't do it. Well, today I got a phone call from a random number. The person left me a voicemail telling me that I had been selected for a special membership rate. No registrations fees. No contract. Just one low (for New York) monthly price for all hours access to all NYSCs.
And the budget was rearranged (cable is going to have to wait) and the gym membership was purchased and the angels did rejoice!
Congrats! NY memberships are outrageous, but I'm not hardcore enough to run in the January ice storm, or the July sauna. It's still hard for me to drag myself to my ridiculously overpriced gym, though :)
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