YMCA membership- worth it?

[kellia]

We are thinking of getting a membership to the YMCA that is about 15 minutes away from us. We are a family of 5 (kids are 14, 6, 6), it costs $63/mo for a family after a $175 enrollment. It is nice, with lots of exercise equipment and the exercise classes, swim lessons, childcare, etc, would be free. Basketball and a couple other sports have a $20/child fee. The equivilent would be about $60/class through our community ed.

Any input? Did you have one and like it, not to mention actually use it? Did your kids enjoy going? Just wondering if it would be worth the money.

 

[keywestbride]

We're new members and like it. DS attends the PMO program there as well, and the membership gets us a nice discount.

 

[afeld111781]

if you wait they almost always have free enrollment around the holidays so that 175 would be waived.

 

[delmar411]

we use ours almost every day. The boys go to preschool there, the 3 younger take swim lessons, the 3 younger go to child watch while I work out, my younger DD is starting cheer and my older DD and 5yr old DS are starting basketball. Plus they like to play on the playground and in the indoor tunnels/playarea.

In the summer we use the outdoor pools a lot too.

Ours is $100 join fee, although they have free times to join a lot plus $75/month for a family membership. Although both those things as well as all class fees go on a sliding scale based on income.

Ours is also a 15min drive from the house.

 

[Danemom]

We love our Y membership. Ours adjoins our neighborhood so the kids can walk there.
All YMCAs seem to be run a little different but here are a couple money saving ideas for the join fee. Check with your employer. We get a discount on the join fee. Also, our Y always donates a free months membership, including the join fee, for all the local schools' fall festivals. I've seen some great bargains on those so you might check that out.

 

[clarabelle]

I work for our local family Y.
We offer no membership fee in January every year.

We also offer a military discount on the joiners fee.

 

[ajk912]

Swim lessons are free?!? I think it's worth it just for that!! I pay an arm and a leg for swimming lessons..even group lessons are about $10 per kid per lesson, so to pay $60ish a month JUST for swim lessons for your kids is a steal itself!

 

[nuke]

Wait until they have free enrollment. We joined this past May and use it 5-6 days a week. It's totally worth the $60 a month.

Swim lessons are not free here but they are discounted.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Our YMCA has only once offered no joining fee and it was one day only. That was on January 1, 2009. My husband and I are going this morning. I go to the Y everyday and my daughter is on the swim team there. This Friday the swim team will be tie dying shirts. About a 100 people will be involved in this activity. So my answer is a yes, we love our YMCA.

 

[delmar411]

swim lessons are also not free here. We pay $23 per 6(7?)wk session per child.
That's for 1x/wk.

 

[NicRI]

Our Y has just announced new membership for $3.50 through the end of October.

Not all Y's are the same... there is on closer to our house, we don't attend that one because of how much it costs.

 

[mjkacmom]

Around here, that would be an amazing deal! Family membership costs over $600 for the year, and things like swim lessons are discounted, but still about $60 for an 8 week session, per child. Childcare also cost extra.

 

[UCFALUM]

YES!!! We moved to an area where there is NOT one and really, really miss it. The kids and I went 3 days a week at least and a special treat was DH and I would work out together (alone) on Saturdays. Almost a "date night" lol!

 

[kellia]

Thanks for the replies!! I'm glad I posted, I called and asked about new members and through the end of the month it is only $50/family to register! I was going to wait until next month to sign up until I saw some of the posts and called! Thanks, that saved us $125!