Anyone a YMCA member?
Jan 27th 2013, 2:14 pm
#16
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
What's the point of that then?
Just looking into it and locally at least, it's $1200 a year, but $100 sign up fee on top if you don't pay in full and go for the monthly fee.
Thing is, it doesn't include anything.
Free swim session is x2 hours, 3 times a week.
All the classes are $30-50, with a $10 members discount.
The kids jungle gym play area is for 6 year olds plus, so our kids can't even use that either.
The rock wall, which is pretty cool is about $20 a person, a go.
It just looks like a keeping up with Jones thing to say you're a member and having a local social area to hang out that isn't the library.
So what exactly is the point and benefit of being a member?
Local gym is $20 a month membership and another one is doing a $5 a month for 6 months on signing up for a year. So errr....
Just looking into it and locally at least, it's $1200 a year, but $100 sign up fee on top if you don't pay in full and go for the monthly fee.
Thing is, it doesn't include anything.
Free swim session is x2 hours, 3 times a week.
All the classes are $30-50, with a $10 members discount.
The kids jungle gym play area is for 6 year olds plus, so our kids can't even use that either.
The rock wall, which is pretty cool is about $20 a person, a go.
It just looks like a keeping up with Jones thing to say you're a member and having a local social area to hang out that isn't the library.
So what exactly is the point and benefit of being a member?
Local gym is $20 a month membership and another one is doing a $5 a month for 6 months on signing up for a year. So errr....
Jan 27th 2013, 2:20 pm
#17
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Aye, that's what I thought from folks else where saying and even the one where we used to live was a lot better with sliding scale, but our current one, in a very swanky area doesn't, but then again to qualify for the low income housing in the town still costs you $1600 a month for a 2 bed apartment, which anyones household earning less than $35K for a 4 person family simply just couldn't afford :/
Jan 27th 2013, 2:23 pm
#18
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Yeah, sub zero temps and no pavements put paid to that idea...plus it's more of a family thing, where you can drop the kids off to do their own thing while you do yours was the benefit of the Y. Except at our local one :/
Jan 27th 2013, 2:28 pm
#19
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Buy the kids a PS3 with CoD4 and Grand Theft Auto and you won't hear from them the rest of the day- better than any babysitter. Save yourself a small fortune as well.
Jan 27th 2013, 2:32 pm
#20
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Jan 27th 2013, 2:32 pm
#21
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Aye, that's what I thought from folks else where saying and even the one where we used to live was a lot better with sliding scale, but our current one, in a very swanky area doesn't, but then again to qualify for the low income housing in the town still costs you $1600 a month for a 2 bed apartment, which anyones household earning less than $35K for a 4 person family simply just couldn't afford :/
That's pretty expensive rent. Where I live we are lucky, in that the place has all income levels from very wealthy to very poor, so the Y is well-supported and can and does support the low income. Rents are also all over the map,depending which part of the town you live in. The Y has also been here for a long, long time so it has big facilities and is very well-established.
Have you got a good park district where you are? They sometimes have good facilities for less money.
Jan 27th 2013, 3:07 pm
#22
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
My Y membership is $40 a month and includes free group fitness classes. I think it was perhaps $99 to join. I thought it was reasonable.
Jan 27th 2013, 3:13 pm
#23
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
The Y near me is super expensive. We were members for a while but had to give it up.
They're currently building a Planet Fitness 1.4 miles from my house. Sign up deal is $1 sign up, $10/month and $29 annual fee. Comes to $150 a year, which is exactly what my health insurance will give me for a fitness fees. A coincidence, I think not
Works well for me. Basically free.
They're currently building a Planet Fitness 1.4 miles from my house. Sign up deal is $1 sign up, $10/month and $29 annual fee. Comes to $150 a year, which is exactly what my health insurance will give me for a fitness fees. A coincidence, I think not
Works well for me. Basically free.
Jan 28th 2013, 12:50 am
#24
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Neighbouring town does have a pool too, with a none resident daily rate that we've only just discovered.
Some towns around here are great, some not so much....but in most of them, there's not so much to do in winter....though there is free skating in two neighbouring towns, one turns a paddling pool into a rink and another just floods the baseball field, but need your own skates and haven't been able to borrow any for the kids to give them a shot.
Jan 28th 2013, 1:04 am
#25
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Our town, not so much. Neighbouring towns are pretty good though, but they're mostly reserved for residents of their towns and then open up any open spaces afterwards.
Neighbouring town does have a pool too, with a none resident daily rate that we've only just discovered.
Some towns around here are great, some not so much....but in most of them, there's not so much to do in winter....though there is free skating in two neighbouring towns, one turns a paddling pool into a rink and another just floods the baseball field, but need your own skates and haven't been able to borrow any for the kids to give them a shot.
Neighbouring town does have a pool too, with a none resident daily rate that we've only just discovered.
Some towns around here are great, some not so much....but in most of them, there's not so much to do in winter....though there is free skating in two neighbouring towns, one turns a paddling pool into a rink and another just floods the baseball field, but need your own skates and haven't been able to borrow any for the kids to give them a shot.
Jan 28th 2013, 2:59 am
#26
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Try Craig's List and look for sporting goods stores that sell used equipment It's common to find skates there. Also, if your school has an email group, send out a request there for used skates. Children's feet grow so fast that there are often barely used skates about that people are glad to sell to help fund the next pair.
Plenty of stakes for ice hockey though, but they're a bit different.
It's no big deal, but just something we're passively keeping an eye out for
Jan 28th 2013, 3:33 am
#27
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Ours is cheaper than Bob's, but the cost of membership is heavily skewed towards families - a regular gym membership would be cheaper for a couple, but add children to the equation and it starts to make a lot of sense.
The flip side to the Y v gym balance is that US has way too many people trying to run them to make money, so they are going bust and sold for a pittance on a regular basis, or being bought out before they go bust, and the competition for paying customers is intense. It used to be $25-$30 per month round here to join a gym, but over the past 10 years the rates, at least the introductory ones have collapsed with $5 and $10 rates being commonplace, and no doubt people skipping from gym to gym to take advantage.
The flip side to the Y v gym balance is that US has way too many people trying to run them to make money, so they are going bust and sold for a pittance on a regular basis, or being bought out before they go bust, and the competition for paying customers is intense. It used to be $25-$30 per month round here to join a gym, but over the past 10 years the rates, at least the introductory ones have collapsed with $5 and $10 rates being commonplace, and no doubt people skipping from gym to gym to take advantage.
Jan 28th 2013, 2:44 pm
#28
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
I have a different perspective, $1,200 a year for a family gym membership seems pretty reasonable to me. Even my local park district gym charges that much.
My local YMCA is $79-$91/mo for a family and $54/mo for a single adult.
In comparison, we (family of 4) pay $200+ a month for our local private gym. Of course, this is a tennis club and family tennis memberships are expensive anywhere you go. Also, we basically live at the club.
Our Y's pricing is a bit cheaper than other gyms with pools and the facility is very nice for the money. The only reason we don't belong to our local Y is that they don't offer tennis.
You want to see expensive, try joining a gym in Manhattan.
My local YMCA is $79-$91/mo for a family and $54/mo for a single adult.
In comparison, we (family of 4) pay $200+ a month for our local private gym. Of course, this is a tennis club and family tennis memberships are expensive anywhere you go. Also, we basically live at the club.
Our Y's pricing is a bit cheaper than other gyms with pools and the facility is very nice for the money. The only reason we don't belong to our local Y is that they don't offer tennis.
You want to see expensive, try joining a gym in Manhattan.
Jan 28th 2013, 2:54 pm
#29
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
Is your local Freecycle active? We always post our kids soccer boots and ballet shoes on there when they grow out of them, and they normally get taken. I've also posted "wanteds" for props and costumes for School plays and projects, and its surprising what folk can come up with.
Jan 28th 2013, 2:55 pm
#30
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Re: Anyone a YMCA member?
I've already replied on Facebook but thought I would add on here too.
The one I go to all the classes are included in the cost and they run from all day from around 5am to 8pm with 3-4 classes going on at the same time. This week I've done a U-Jam class which was an aerobic dance thing and Body Pump which was an aerobic weight class thing. Didn't manage the cardio-kickbox class this week, which is my favorite.
The kid drop off is cool, but can be a bit dull for my daughter now she is 10. They do have wii's, basketball and kids bike and running machines though.
She also does the summer camps that are run through the Y, for this we get around $30 per week discount and more for the week long sleepover camp she attends with them.
By the time I have taken my discount for the camps into account the cost is around $500 for the year.
I like the fact that all ages, shapes and sizes use the Y I go to, the classes never feel intimidating and the instructors are generally very good helping to correct where you are going wrong...
The one I go to all the classes are included in the cost and they run from all day from around 5am to 8pm with 3-4 classes going on at the same time. This week I've done a U-Jam class which was an aerobic dance thing and Body Pump which was an aerobic weight class thing. Didn't manage the cardio-kickbox class this week, which is my favorite.
The kid drop off is cool, but can be a bit dull for my daughter now she is 10. They do have wii's, basketball and kids bike and running machines though.
She also does the summer camps that are run through the Y, for this we get around $30 per week discount and more for the week long sleepover camp she attends with them.
By the time I have taken my discount for the camps into account the cost is around $500 for the year.
I like the fact that all ages, shapes and sizes use the Y I go to, the classes never feel intimidating and the instructors are generally very good helping to correct where you are going wrong...
The one I go to includes all the classes, even though I'm not currently using any of them, at no additional charge. I use their facilities 4-5 days a week.
Also, free daycare for little bitty kids, and free classes for the bigger kids.
The only thing that I'm aware that they charge for is the personal trainers and that's standard in any gym situation. I'm sure there's other chargeable stuff but I don't know off-hand what it would be, nothing I've ever checked into carried extra cost.
They also give "scholarships" to people who can't afford the membership.
I like the fact that it's geared toward "normal" people and not meat-market-hard-bodies.