I recently started a new job as a government contractor. It’s going really well and I love it, but it’s the first time I’ve worked as a contractor with my own LLC and the first time no one else is taking things like travel expenses or insurance into account on my behalf. I’ve had to become extremely cognizant of tracking my expenses and budgeting my time and money to ensure that I’m making the smartest decisions for my business.
My situation may be personal and unique, but I know I’m not the only one making major changes to the way I spend money these days. A 2024 study by Nasdaq showed that 74% of Americans stick to a budget each month, and a 2025 poll by Statista showed that the most popular 2025 New Year’s resolution was to save more money. The sad thing is that when people start to get serious about budgeting and saving, they sometimes consider their gym membership a variable that’s able to be cut.
Cutting out that monthly membership may save some cash in the short term, but the time and money you save now by cutting the gym out of your monthly spend of time and money is not going to do you any favors in the long run. Another money fact, this time from the CDC, found that 90% of the nation’s $4.5 trillion spent on annual healthcare expenses goes towards treating chronic disease and mental health conditions.
Yes, the gym is an investment of both time and money. But it’s an investment that pays out dividends for years to come. The time and money you’re spending on a month to month gym membership as a preventative measure will be far less than you’ll ever have to pay in the future to compensate for never having stepped foot in a gym.
Why is it so easy for us to schedule in time for meetings, chores like grocery shopping and filling up our gas tanks, and even time for endless doom scrolling, but the minute we get busy, that gym class is so easy to cancel? Why do we make space in our budgets for travel, dining out, and self-care, but the minute we want to save a buck, the gym gets the boot? If anything, we need to be prioritizing space in our budgets (budgets of both time and money!) to place value on our gym membership. Results only come from actually investing. Working on improving our muscular skeletal and cardiovascular systems will help prevent injury and disease as we age. Another thing we all seem to find loads of extra time and money for? Our loved ones. Yet how can we prioritize caring for our loved ones now, and then neglect caring for ourselves, risking not being our best selves for many years to come?
As we rehaul budgets during this season of reflection and resolution, we need to consider the long term and not just the day-to-day quick savings.
- Carve out time in your week and make those gym visits a non-negotiable, the same way you wouldn’t skip a shower or brushing your teeth. It’s part of your day that no one or nothing can get in the way of.
- Remember why you started. Are you committed to getting stronger? Getting leaner? Getting healthier to have many more long years of good health with your loved ones? Continue to focus on the reason why you’re committed to hitting the gym, so you remember its true value.
- Get accountable. Share your goals and challenges with a gym buddy or any coach. It can be immensely helpful for someone to check in on you and make sure you’re coming in when you say you will.
- Focus on the marathon and not the sprint. Yes, you may get a little bit of time and money back for now if you cut the gym out of your budget. But your health and strength are not things that can be negotiated. They won’t wait in healthy maintenance as you put them on hold. The key is longevity, and to earn that, you keep showing up.
It can be uncomfortable when time and money are tight. I personally understand how important it is to track expenses and budget wisely. But the time and money you’re investing in your mental and physical strength now are guaranteed to pay out dividends for years to come.
