Love boutique fitness, but don’t love the price tag that comes along with it? We totallllly feel you. Before we started SATC, we found ourselves constantly looking for ways to save money on this healthy, yet expensive habit. At this point, we feel we’ve gotten a pretty good handle on how to navigate the boutique fitness scene without draining your bank account, so we’re dishing our best money saving hacks!
First time deals:
Take advantage of these! You’ll be surprised to find that most studios have them! Off the top of our heads: Solidcore has an awesome introduction package of 3 classes for $79, Rumble has a BYGO first time deal, and CorePower even gives your entire first WEEK for free. Make it a goal to try a new studio or two every month – trust us when we say you will save a lot of money (and you might just be pleasantly surprised by how much you enjoy the variety).
Community Classes:
It’s shocking how many people aren’t aware of community classes! These classes are taught by new instructors or instructors-in-training, available at serious discounts or even for FREE. We’ve seen studios like The Class by Taryn Toomey, SLT, SoulCycle and 305 Fitness offer them. Try looking through the schedules at your favorite studios, and look for “Community Class”!
ClassPass Hacks:
We know ClassPass is NOT the free for all that it used to be – we, too are mourning the loss of the days where UNLIMITED classes were only $99. However, we’re still big users of the platform, as classes generally work out to be about $12-$16 each (in NYC). And yes – there are ways to maximize your credits! Go on off-peak times (if possible) and put your credits towards studios where classes cost more ($), this way the ClassPass discount you’re receicing is more valuable. For example, we hardly ever see deals on Flywheel Sports’ website, so it’s a worthy use of your credits. It’s worthwhile to do your research and cross check your favorite ClassPass studios with their individual websites.
Local Deal Sites:
We’ve seen SO many amazing studios like P.Volve, ModelFit, Bar Method, 305 Fitness, 100’s Pilates, Pop Physique, Exhale and more on Gilt City and Groupon. Bonus: these flash sale sites often have site wide sales as well, so stock up when this happens! Sometimes you can get classes for as low as $8 each … that’s cheaper than your Uber Pool to and from class.
Holiday Sales:
Around Christmas time, Black Friday, July 4th, and other major holidays, many studios offer promotions. Barry’s sells their packages for 25% off during Christmas and their credits dont expire for a year and Core Power Yoga does $100 worth of classes for $80 … $20 off doesn’t suck!
Boutique Studio Memberships:
FitHouse: have you heard about this boutique fitness gym yet? They are rapidly growing in NYC … and for good reason. FitHouse offers amazing package deals, as well as unlimited fitness classes at their studios (and you can cancel at anytime!) There’s no workout they don’t cover: HIIT, Barre, Yoga, Trampoline Cardio and Sculpting classes are all available. They also have top notch trainers like one of our all-time favorites: Isaac Boots.
STREAMING!:
Streaming options are getting better by the DAY. We’re talking live streaming with personal trainers, on-demand classes from our favorite studios, fitness tracking apps … you name it! Working out at home is an amazing way to fill the gaps between your IRL classes, and also saves a ton of time. Our personal favorite is OBE Fitness: they offer LIVE streaming classes every day, as well as on-demand classes. Everything from abs focused workouts to HIIT, to dance cardio and yoga is offered. One of our absolute faves instructors, Megan Roup, leads workouts on OBE – and we find it to be SUCH an incredible at-home option. You can sign up for OBE here and stream from anywhere in the world. It’s now available to purchase in the US + Canada. Use code: “SWEATS30” to receive 30% off!
Don’t cancel!:
This one might be a no brainer, but flaking on your classes can really add up. Ever look at your credit card statement and feel a little shook by how many classes you bailed on that month? We know cancellations are sometimes inevitable, but try to be more aware of this!
Say NO to the money grabbers:
We used to spend $2 on water and $3 on spinning shoes every time we went to SoulCycle. Five dollars seems like nothing, but if you go once a week it’s costing you over $250 a year … and that doesn’t even include the class itself! Our go-to spin shoes are TIEM – they’re designed for indoor cycling, compatible with SPD cleats and are fashionable + functional. Not to mention, much more hygienic to bring your own shoes! (use code: “SWEATSANDTHECITY” for $10 off!).
Working the front desk:
This is great for students or those with flexible work schedules. Some studios only require you work the front desk a few hours a week for free classes (or seriously discounted rates!) Call up your favorite studios and see what they’ll offer.
Activity Swaps:
Ok, this isn’t anything we don’t know, but let’s be real: most of the plans we make with friends involve spending money. It is scarily easy how fast you can drop drop $80 on a couple of drinks and/or dinner in NYC. And don’t get us wrong, we are all about a night out, but see where you can swap some of these dates for a workout, walk, manicure or lunch at Sweetgreen instead! You’ll be seriously be shocked by the money you save, and, you’ll kill two birds with one stone. Also – some studios give out credit when you bring a friend for their first time!
What NOT to do:
Create multiple accounts to receive first-timer deals. This can be risky, as we’ve heard several embarrassing stories of friends who tried to fake a new name only to get caught at the front desk (… talk about shame). And while you may think you’ve gotten away with it, many studios just try to save you the embarrassment and instead write it in your account notes. Big no-no!
We hope you enjoyed our boutique-fitness money saving tips! What are your best tips?
