Fitness Budgets, streaming memberships, and Zoom
 

I'm just curious....I used to spend a lot of money on dvds. Now that technology has evolved....what's your limit as far as streaming subscriptions or Zoom classes you're willing to pay for? I think it's interesting what people consider is reasonable vs too expensive or not worth it.

I have 2 memberships that I use regularly; ETV and Ellen Barrett. Considering a third.

I do also Zoom my own classes and other instructors.

I don't stream much because I live in a rural area and have satellite internet, which charges by the gigabyte. When I have some gigabytes to spare at the end of the month, I download workouts from YouTube or Vimeo.

BUT if I lived where cable internet were available, I doubt I would ever spend that much on streaming, anyway. I like owning the workouts, and I try to limit leaks in my budget. I would probably, however, be willing to do the free trials that so many streaming sites offer, but that would be to determine whether or not I ought to buy their workouts.

As for Zoom, I've had to use Zoom several times during lockdown. I don't like it much. It really doesn't replace an in-person experience, at least for me it doesn't. And it uses up gigabytes like mad.

I have two now that together are a little over $200 per year. I don’t like managing monthly charges.

On top of that, I might do an additional sub or purchase for a month or two at a time, every so often. This year, I purchased one weight template during the initial shutdown, and then recently a couple months of another one during a different place.

I do have a no-frills gym subscription, but that is more for my family, for a couple of my kids to keep in shape over breaks or when sports are not happening. I use it a little bit because I have it, but if it were just me I’d do without.

If I had to rely on streaming, I would still treat it as if it were a gym membership. That's how I treat my fitness budget now.

I would try to find subscriptions that filled my needs within that cost. So I would probably want three: 1) essentrics, 2) pilates and then 3) a site that provided cardio/strength.

If I couldn't achieve that within that cost I would opt for cardio/strength and essentrics.

I think I would make do with free resources on YouTube, if I had to :). It's amazing what I would spend monthly on dvds but would balk when it comes to streaming. Maybe it's that feeling of ownership.

I like to keep my streaming subscription limited to 2 sites and I almost always commit to the annual membership because most of the time it's a better deal. I usually do my research before I commit and if I'm not sure, I'll only subscribe for one month. My upper limit for monthly subscription is $19/month. If I buy an annual membership it's about $130/year - but most are cheaper. I wait for specials.

Bubbles, I like free youtube workouts but I hate being constantly interrupted by ads that youtube intersperses within the workout itself. Example: latest Gina B's 80's Retro workout. Ads in the beginning, 8 minutes into it - another ad and that's when I just gave up. Youtube is aggressively pushing paid subscription in my area, and I'm just not going to do it. That's why if I like the instructor, I'm willing to pay for subscription so that I can enjoy my workouts ad-free.

The most I'd spend is $10/monthly for a short-term period of 1-2 months. I'd try a service out then quit it. I neglect any non-entertainment streaming so it's a money waste for me. The streaming services I've tried have been for rut busting when I'm tired of my dvds, which is rare.

I pay $99/year for Beachbody On Demand, and I pay $60/month for a yoga studio membership. Right now, I only use the studio membership for Zoom classes - I have unlimited access to both livestream and recorded classes. I find the livestream experience - especially on Zoom, where we can chat before & after class - to be much more immediate and personal than a recorded class or DVD, but that's probably because it's a small studio and we all know each other.
Back in the before time, I would occasionally go to yoga workshops and retreats. I have an allowance that I used for those expenses plus DVDs and gear, and most of that money is stacking up right now.

Dana I think your monthly upper limit is a good one.

I also agree I'm frustrated with the frequency of the youtube ads. They ruined my pilates challenge experience. :(

Even before the ad in your face campaign, I rarely returned to a workout on YouTube. Couple that with videos randomly disappearing and I just have no desire to subscribe to YouTube.

My income is pretty low and expenses high. I don’t have a gym membership and only stream ETV and Ellen. When I had an additional PT job I did streaming with a yoga studio but had to give that up when Covid hit and lost the job. I know eventually streaming will not be an option for me if I ever retire so I am happy I have all my CS/Essentrics DVDs. But I do love ETV but I have also had issues of the episode freezing or just stopping which then I have to re log in etc.

I would pay for a Zoom class. I have had a few issues with those as well. It’s frustrating to pay $10 for a class and have tech issues. I pay the $14.95 for ETV which I think is pricey. I for sure would not pay more than that. Essentrics IS pretty good with new content. It is bothersome to pay a lot and only get 1 or 2 new classes per month.

I will add this. I respect the work these instructors go through but I don’t need bells and whistles, fancy sets etc. I am happy with their live classes and wish they offered them on DVD or downloads.