HisHersMoney

Just opened up a bottle Chimay Ale (Red). In case you haven’t heard of it before, Chimay’s origins reside with the Trappist monks of Chimay Belgium. It’s made from historical methods and ingredients even though they use modern technology alongside. Some friends had gotten it when we were out this past week and it was the first time I had tried it. Fairly appalling was the price at the bar. $28 for a 750ML bottle, or roughly double or more the price of a regular beer.

I happened to see it at a wine store this weekend when HERS and I were walking around Annapolis, MD after going for a drive with the top down to enjoy the nice weather. I decided to purchase a bottle after seeing the much more reasonable price of $10.49. For an occasional drink of a special variety for about the price of a bottle of wine, this is good value in my opinion and I’m looking forward to trying more of the Chimay offerings.

So you want to get in shape but also don’t want to kill your budget? Well you have options. There are many different gyms out there, with some much more affordable than others. You also have home gym equipment, your standard plyometrics and running, and home workout videos. What works best for you may not work best for someone else either. It all depends on how you can best stay motivated.

I’ve had gym memberships in the past and never fully utilized them. I hated having to drive to the gym and I never took advantage of the classes offered. So for me it was not worth it. However, if you need that motivation of getting out of the house and being around others while working out, then go for it!

Home gym equipment comes in all shapes and sizes from your boxflexes and treadmills at the high end (ie. expensive) to your pushup bars and workout bands (ie. inexpensive). Again, it depends on your level of motivation and what types of exercises work best for you. If cold/wet weather doesn’t bother you, then why would you spend money on a treadmill when you can run outside for free?

A good compromise can be found by combining some of the cheaper/simpler home gym equipment with a few workout videos. I’ve found that they at least motivate me enough that once I start the workout I tend to complete it. I don’t have to travel to the gym. And it’s reasonably priced compared to a lot of the other options. You can get an entire library of videos and equipment for the same amount of money for a single year membership in most gyms. This is the path that we’re currently taking. I’ve just started the P90X program and HERS is doing the BodyJam program. We’ll let you know the results.