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Lest anyone think that the feedback I receive from you guys is not taken seriously, listen to this:
As some of you might recall, in my last draft budget I allocated $70 a month for gym expenses. A couple of regular readers (Miss Scorpio, Nebula, several Anons) suggested that I cancel my gym membership and focus on alternative exercise methods. Now, you have to understand that I’ve always considered a gym membership to be an absolutely necessary expense. I assumed that I could only get a proper workout at a gym stocked with a variety of free weights and exercise machines. Boy was I wrong. I’ve since fallen in love with these nifty resistance bands:
[photo: leanandfit.com] If used properly, these super cheap bands can give a person a truly awesome workout. And while I’ve already had one break on me, it only took about $12 to get it replaced. And, in the process, I have already cancelled my membership, something that will save me over $800 a year.
Note that I will probably have an updated budget to share sometime next month. It will reflect additional cuts following advice from many of you.
Bottom line, I wanted to thank all of you for your comments, thoughts, criticisms and assorted feedback. It continues to keep me on my toes and challenges me to seek additional simplification where it counts. Thanks everyone.
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12 comments:
You may also want to check out Parkour--or basically navigating your body over obstacles in the city. We have some peope who practice it here in Columbus....google Parkour...it's a great workout.
You're welcome. Will I see a cut of my share of the savings? :)
One thing we do is borrow movies from our public library. They have most of the new movies (the rest are unwatchable anyway), old classics and several foreign films.If that's an option you may not need the Netflix. A lot of people don't even realize they can do that.
you should also consider KETTLEBELLs, an awsome tough workout! you need a 16kg, for most routines
How about cutting the amount of food that goes to waste. Most of us end up throwing away food every week; there was an article last year in the NYT about how much food goes to waste every year http://bit.ly/XvWtd.
I've tried to buy only what I need, and I find that I end up having to throw away less or none at all (which helps protect the environment and saves money.) This way whatever produce I have in my fridge is mostly fresh enough to be really appetizing, so everything gets eaten, and then I get to buy some more of that good stuff again. I no longer have to force myself to cook a yellowing broccoli or have a wrinkled grapefruit for breakfast just because they're there.
Enjoy your hard earned leisure, Jack. Explore. Learn. The world dissolves into chaos around us. The tyrants of Wall Street scheme to mulch the American middle class thru the woodchipper.
OUTRAGE!! CALL TO ACTION!!
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/26793903/the_big_takeover/print
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/28/AR2008122801916.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/28/AR2008122801916.html
Does wrestling with a cast iron transmission in a 1967 Ford four wheel drive while laying on your back on a creeper count as exercise?
I know my back hurts.
http://www.crossfit.com/
You might not have access to all the equipment each day's routine requires, but you'll be able to do most routines. And they're killer.
Best of luck! I just found your blog today via Jennifer F.
This June will mark 5 years of no more "lawyering" for me. Life without a legal career is fantastic! Your blog is just the read I needed today.
@s in Ohio,
Wow. Just checked out Parkour. That is pretty intense stuff! Let me see if I can fit this in between all the biking, regular exercise and yoga I'm doing at the moment.
@Miss Scorpio,
Just let me know where to send the check.
@Srividya,
Good idea. I actually have been doing that for music but didn't think about movies.
@Anonymous,
Woa...that's another thing I'd never heard of. Sounds like you could do some really good cardiovascular.
@OR,
That's also right on. I've already sort of moved to that perspective already, even though I just don't head out to the grocery store enough.
@Bankruptcy,
Thanks for sharing. Looking at those links now.
@Bustednuckles,
I would think so. Just be careful with your back. :)
@Anonymous,
Sweet! This looks pretty cool.
@Abigail,
Thanks for the comment. Glad to have you aboard. I also really love Jennifer's blog.
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