Here’s what a ‘$10 a month’ gym membership actually costs:

We’ve all seen the viral ads for Planet Fitness that claim you can get a gym membership for $10 a month with no strings attached. That sounds really good, right?

Well, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And a $10 a month gym membership definitely falls into that category.

A $59 “startup fee” will be charged immediately.

Be prepared to pay a whopping $59 in “start-up fees” before you start receiving monthly fees. This is a one-time cost at the start of the contract; one The $59 fee is too much.

Assuming you maintain your membership for a year, that’s effectively an extra $5 per month. Worse, your fee will not be refunded if you do not stay.

Planet Fitness seems to have fairly regular deals with lower startup costs. You can also find a referral code that lowers the fee to $1. However, there is a cost to not going through this extra process.

The annual fee results in an effective cost of $14 per month.

Assuming you can afford the startup costs, you’re not paying $10 a month for a membership. The reason is also at Planet Fitness. yearly Fee – A whopping $49 per year.

Dividing this over a year adds up to $4.08 per month. This brings your total monthly cost to $14.08.

In other words, even if you don’t pay start-up costs, you only have to pay the annual fee. In reality, you’ll pay 40% more than the advertised rate of $10.

Whether or not you think $14 a month is a fair price for a basic gym membership, advertising rates that are so much lower than the actual cost certainly feels a little fraudulent.

Oh, and this is for “classic” members only. This gives you access to only one Planet Fitness location and does not provide guest access or additional benefits. If you want to visit multiple locations, use the massage chair or tanning bed, or invite guests, you’ll need to upgrade to the $24.99 per month Black Card. (Yes, the annual fee is still $49.)

How to Reduce Your Gym Costs

The surest way to get a good price on a gym membership is to get lucky and sign up during a sale. Most large chains offer discounts on a regular basis, and even smaller gyms may occasionally offer discounts when membership numbers are slow.

If you don’t want to wait for a deal, you can try these tips to work out for less.

go as a guest

If you know someone who already has a Planet Fitness Black Card membership, tag them as their guest. You won’t be able to use the Black Card exclusive perks, but you will have access to the rest of the gym.

Sign up using our referral code

Some gyms may offer discounts to people referred by current members. For big brand gyms, these referral links/codes can be found fairly easily online. You can also ask friends or family members who are already members if they can send a referral your way. In most cases, the referrer will also receive some kind of bonus, such as a free month of membership.

Use a rewards credit card

I have rewards credit cards for just about everything, including gym memberships. If you choose the right card, you can get up to 5% cashback on your membership fee. Even a flat-rate cash-back rewards card will get you 2% back on your monthly gym bill.

Building a basic home gym

If all else fails, you can skip the gym membership entirely and DIY your own workout space at home. You can set up a surprisingly good home gym in a surprisingly small space and on a shoestring budget. A jump rope, a set of resistance bands and a few free weights is enough to get started and it won’t ruin your personal finances.

Not a bad cost but bad advertising

Sure, paying $14 a month for a gym membership doesn’t seem like a bad idea. It would be nice if the company didn’t disguise its true costs with hidden fees and fine print.

Planet Fitness may be a “judgment free zone,” but I’m definitely judging their advertising choices.

WARNING: The highest cash back card we’ve ever seen has a 0% introductory APR until 2025.

This credit card isn’t just good. It is very special as it is used personally by professionals. This card offers 0% APR for new signups for 15 months, up to 5% cashback, and no annual fee!

Click here to read the full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

Read reviews for free