Start January right: Get cheap fitness gear at Goodwill

Written by guest blogger Sarah Carlson of Real Housewives of Minnesota

January is a crazy-busy time; namely to keep those resolutions to get fit or lose weight. Besides the cost of a gym membership, many people start their journey to reaching their goals by purchasing new gear. These costs can really add up!

What is my secret to getting these items for less? Well, if you’ve read any of my previous articles, you know that I get pretty much anything I need (within reason, since they don’t sell groceries!) at Goodwill. That’s my big secret, easy as that!

You won’t just find old t-shirts. Many varieties of modern, moisture-wicking, tees and long-sleeve shirts are usually found at Goodwill, looking for a new home.

First, let’s narrow down what exactly you need and want when it comes to fitness ‘gear’. It can mean workout clothes, shoes, weights, juicing machines, blenders, or a variety of other things. Retail costs of these items are nuts, you can spend anywhere from $50 and upwards of $300 –$400!

Look at all these colors! You certainly won’t have a hard time finding a tee that’s your color of choice at Goodwill.

I’ve found fitness apparel at Goodwill many times. Brand new, tags still attached. Sometimes people get the wrong size and don’t return it, or they buy a size too small hoping they’ll lose weight. No matter what the reason, their loss is your gain! So instead of spending $30 – $100 on a pair of workout pants, you typically spend about $4.99 – $8.99 on the same pair at Goodwill. Those are serious savings!

Workout pants at Goodwill can save you 90% off retail. Instead of $40 for a pair of wind pants/warm-up pants you can often find them for $2.99 or $3.99!

Maybe you want to skip the gym membership all together. You can grab free weights, and yoga equipment at Goodwill too. They have a variety of sports equipment as well, if you decide to take up a new hobby to help you reach your goals. Everything from tennis, hockey, skating, basketball, soccer, karate, and more; I’ve seen it all there.

Weights at Goodwill? You bet! We often see anything from older, heavily used, weights to more modern plastic-coated dumbbells and kettlebells.

As far as nutritional gear, you can find juicers, blenders, and food processors at Goodwill. I’ve seen juicers there brand new, in the box, unopened! When we bought our juicer a few years ago (before I knew that I’d be able to thrift one) we spent well over $150! You can grab one for 10% of that price at Goodwill! Same goes for blenders for your protein shakes. It really is a great deal.

Needless to say, I won’t be paying full price when it comes to getting new workout gear this year. Which is good, I have better things to spend that money on! How about you?