When I started out on my fitness journey with Mamavation, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. In fact, I worked hard to focus on at-home exercises I could do for FREE!
As I grew stronger, though, my canned good weights weren’t really doing anything. So, a set of hand weights was the first thing I needed to buy. I shopped around, as always, to find the best place to buy them and still didn’t find anything within my budget. Then, the hubby asked if I had checked Goodwill.
Well, duh.
How many times have we donated neglected fitness equipment to Goodwill ourselves? This is the sort of item that ends up being donated in nearly new condition—because the original purchaser just didn’t use it as often as they had hoped. So, I checked it out and found a ton of fitness & sporting goods. They had exercise videos, As Seen on TV equipment, golf clubs—you name it! Except, hand weights.
That’s when I remembered Play It Again Sports in the next town. They sell nothing but secondhand sporting goods. In fact, my store has an entire wall dedicated to hand weights! I found everything I needed, at about half the price. Sure, they don’t match—but I’m okay with that! Because, they still do the job. I’m building muscle, losing weight and keeping my budget under control.
I also found a valuable resource—the guys who worked there were super helpful, incredibly encouraging and wished me luck in my weight loss journey as I left with my weights. So, I’ll definitely be back as we work additional equipment into our budget & fitness routines. And, it isn’t the first time I’ve bought this type of thing secondhand—I almost always buy the girls’ sports equipment at a children’s resale shop. I just picked up a couple pair of cleats for our attempt at baseball this spring.
They get worn for a single season before they’re outgrown or unwanted&and often by a child who simply stood on the field in a uniform. They’re in great shape, at about a quarter the price. Happy kids, happy Momma. Then I got to thinking about all the other places I’ve seen used equipment—yard sales, auctions, Craigslist, eBay! I’ve sold my own items at yard sales & on Craigslist! And, eBay is a great source for all kinds of fitness equipment.
The next time you want to try out an exercise DVD, add to your home gym or take up a new sport, check out the variety of resale options available to you and save a bundle!
Justin @ MoneyIsTheRoot says
Play It Again Sports has lots of cheap equipment, its used, but you can be assured it’s in good working order!
Jason says
Never buy anything new. Ever.
Edwin @ Cash The Checks says
Video games (on the wii / xbox kinect) are a great way to exercise and have fun at the same time.