Mike is dead on, and I’m glad somebody said it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A

1. 1 Pair of running shoes ($80)
2. No iPod
3. The great outdoors

If you like to replace your running shoes at around 400 miles, you’re paying $.20/mile. So if you like to go on 5 mile runs, it costs $1. Pretty cheap.

And congrats J.D. I just started a new iGoogle page yesterday to compile the blogs / sites I go to, and your’s came up automatically when I added a finance tab… pretty impressive.

If you want a pool for swimming, you might look for Masters swim teams in your area (www.usms.org). Don’t let the name Masters scare you, it’s an organization of adult swim teams nationwide and you don’t have to be a pro to join. I’ve made many friends through my local swim team, it’s a cheap way to get access to the pool, and swimming with people is just more fun anyways(in my opinion ).

This usually works particularly well when you are getting served by an assistant manager or manager at somewhere like a sporting goods store. I wouldn’t recommend it on small purchases, but for things like a bike or set of golf clubs, definitely do it, it doesn’t hurt to ask politely “Is there anything you can do on the price?”

http://chinoandfriends.blogspot.com

My fitness program costs around $700 a year in food & vet bills, but it doubles as personal trainer, security system, and will even heat my bed if I let it.

I went for a free gym trial week over a year ago, and it reaffirmed the reasons I don’t like gyms. Plus their kickboxing class was a joke. (Why are people wearing wraps if they are only punching the air?)

So with an upcoming wedding and a mom who lives next door and needed to lose some weight for her health, I started working out with her five days a week. We walk our street, then lift weights, then I jump rope while she works out on a no-frills, inexpensive elliptical. We use the weight workouts from the book 5-Factor Fitness. I dropped a dress size for the wedding, mom has dropped a couple, and we’ve kept this up for over a year. I’ve never had visable abs like I do now.

I also added in a yoga session once a week that they offer here at work for $28/mo. I’m checking out yoga videos through Netflix, as well.

I LOVE working out at home, but I would like access to a pool. My husband has a gym membership because he enjoys playing basketball for cardio, and he can always join a game when he goes to the gym.

I keep noticing Bank of America buying up all these other failed enterprises, with the biggest two being Countrywide and now Merrill Lynch. What is Bank of America doing so correctly that they seem to have money to spare these days while the others are going belly-up? Seems their investment strategies might be more sound than Wall Street’s trendy hype and hoopla. I heard once, back when the subprime crisis was just starting, that Bank of America would emerge unscathed because they were still tightwads about underwriting mortgages even when the buying frenzy was at its peak. Even when you could get a NINJA loan (no income, no job, no assets) with a mediocre credit rating and everyone and their dog was buying a 4,000-sq-ft box in the suburbs, Bank of America was sticking to the 20%-down, FHA, and VA loan applicants, fundamentally sounder loans to make. Well, here we are in late 2008, and I think the scoreboard says it all.

Disclosure: I have no affiliation with any company mentioned here or anywhere. I’m a legal analyst for the state government.

This was at staples. They were asking $699 for the laptop, but the one sitting out was the only one left. I asked politely if we could have a discount since it was technically a “floor model”.

The manager took 10% off (around $70) just for asking, and then the sales clerk said “why don’t we just give it to you for $500. They also threw in a 4 year warranty. Ultimately we left with a $900 retail value computer for $500 + tax.

This is the exception, but little discounts happen all the time, and add up over time. As long as you’re polite and don’t argue if they say “no”, I think nothing could be more American.

Oh, but that’s the thing. My fitness and health are improving. And I’m way more motivated than if I was doing this alone. The trainers also help keep me from injuring myself, since they emphasize form over speed or weight.

So, do I mind that I’ve been spending $200 to $320 a month on exercise lately? Not one bit. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent. Moreover, I think it will save me money in the long run, since my health care costs should look better as I age.

Details are here…
http://hundredpushups.com/

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1559877&vid=149800

i also have a weight training regimen at home using strictly dumbells.. i’m only a week into it though

i made it a priority to lose 15 lbs by november.. i have 10 more lbs. to go

i actually do have a gym membership (i pay yearly).. but i haven’t gone in over a year lol.. i promised myself i will start going back again

You should check out Yoga Today. Everyday they feature a new 1 hour yoga session, free of charge. The address is http://www.yogatoday.com/

I’ve been lurking here for sometime now and I’m really amazed at the success of your site. 63K readers is just mind-boggling.

Anyway, I just started my own personal finance blog. Hope you find it interesting enough to include in your list.

Wonder, Wealth & Wisdom

Thanks for your kind consideration.

Rgds