Fitness Club Fees

One of the advantages of working for a large corporation are the substantial corporate discounts that employees receive on a variety of products and services, including cell phone plans and gym memberships. A local fitness chain in Chicago just opened a club in my neighborhood, and they're running a special for corporate employees - no enrollment fees, free parking and savings of up to 43 percent off the regular club rates. Several of my friends belong to that particular club, and I'd been toying with the idea of joining the club for a few months on a trial basis. It'd be nice to have some accountability, to be able to work out with friends, and take some classes (e.g., pilates or running). But since I have a small workout room in my condo building, I'm not sure the benefits offered by the club would offset the cost. Even with the corporate discount, my guess is that the monthly fees would still be more than I'd be willing to pay. And now that the days are getting longer and warmer, I've been doing a lot more walking and biking. Sigh. Decisions, decisions.