It’s New Year’s resolution time and for many people, that means deciding to join a gym and lose weight. However, since gym memberships can be expensive and often require a one-year to two-year commitment, it’s important to spend some time finding the right one for you. Let’s look at a few easy ways to save money when signing up for a gym membership:

Look for free trials

Most gyms offer free trials that let you stop by and workout like a member for a limited period of time – typically one day to one week. If you don’t yet know which gym is the right one for you, consider taking advantage of several of these trial memberships. Not only will they allow you to experience each gym first-hand and decide which one is the best fit for you, you could get a month or more of free membership privileges before you even sign a contract!

Watch for specials

Gyms – like most other retail businesses – offer periodic sales and discounts. For example, a gym may offer a limited-time, free-enrollment special to sign up lots of new members in a short period of time. You can find out about these specials through advertisements, including TV, radio, and print messages. Keep your eyes and ears open and you could wind up saving lots of money on your gym membership.

Talk to your friends

Gyms and other fitness facilities are always looking for new members, and one of the easiest ways for them to meet their recruitment goals is by turning their existing members into a mobile sales force. To encourage their members to sign up friends and relatives, many gyms offer referral bonuses, both for the referrer and the referred. For example, if you mention a friend’s name when signing up for a membership at his or her gym, you both could qualify for discounted rates or even free months of membership.

Work your connections

Are you a student, teacher or employee of a school or university? If so, many of these institutions have fitness facilities which you can use for free or at a significantly discounted rate. If you’re a member of a professional group or health insurance plan, or simply the lucky employee of a company with health club perks, talk to the gym you’re thinking about joining – you may qualify for cheaper rates or discounts on your enrollment fees.

Check into health insurance reimbursements

One of the newest trends for health insurance companies is to offer  “good health” rebates to members who take part in healthy activities, like quitting smoking, losing weight, or joining a fitness facility. The specific amount of your rebate and the conditions you’ll have to meet to earn it vary depending on your insurer, but in most cases, you can earn $100-200 for joining and actively participating in a gym. Your company’s HR department or representatives at your health insurance carrier can tell you what kind of rebates you’re eligible for and what you need to do to earn them.

I know that my spending habits have changed in the last couple of years. Yours likely have too. This change is the result of job cuts, lower pay and the overall financial downturn. We all need the economy to recover and getting out there and spending some money would certainly help turn things around, but few people can afford to do that at this point. We are basically just spending money on the essentials these days, and even that spending has changed somewhat.

Where is Money being Spent?

According to a recent article on the U.S.News site, market research is showing some definite trends in how and where Americans are spending their hard earned money. One noticeable shift is in the amount of debt that most of us are willing to carry at this point. Before the recession people were more likely to buy on credit and to spend money on large items that were not essential. Nowadays consumers are sticking much more to the basics and trying to pay in cash as much as possible, sometimes taking short term loans when necessary.

Thinking Outside the Box

Tough times often inspire more creativity. People do not want to completely give up the pleasures in life. Dinners out with friends, family trips, fancy coffees and home renovations are all things that can be altered to fit a more frugal lifestyle. Organizing rotating potluck dinners at friends’ houses can replace dinners out. Camping or visiting local attractions can substitute for larger family trips. Buying some quality coffee beans, a grinder and a milk frother will allow you to create specialty coffee at home each morning. Doing basic home updates yourself such as painting, can really save money.

Labels No Longer Matter

There was a time when name brand products were king. This way of thinking has all but disappeared in recent years. Particularly when it comes to food items, many people have turned to no name and store brand products instead of the pricier name brands. There are many great-quality products in this category, some of which are even made in the same factories, right alongside the name brand products. Many consumers are finding that saving a few cents on each item really adds up and, with the quality being surprisingly good, they will continue to buy the lesser known brands in the future.

Removing the Temptation

Another finding is that consumers are spending far less time casually browsing stores. They now tend to go to the stores only when there is something they truly need. On the same note, if there is a larger item you need, such as furniture or appliances you can often find used ones for a lot less online or in the classified section of your newspaper. Conversely, if you have items that you no longer need you can make some extra cash by selling them off and you will be de-cluttering your house at the same time.

A Little Extra Help

We are all doing what we can to save money and get by from one payday to the next. Unfortunately, sometimes unexpected costs arise before payday. In these instances you may want to consider a payday or installment loan. Both are quick and easy to apply for online and can offer you a way to get through the rough patch.