Category: Budget

Happy groundhog day 2/2/2023

I work as a crochet instructor in Brooklyn on Thursdays. So I was planning to take a hot yoga class after work at the Y7 Williamsburg location.

Even just a crochet class, there are some dramas.

Some students feel sad, and inferior, for … all the reasons they are of course entitled to have. Apparently, one student made a comment to someone last week, and one participant got upset and made some requests.. so the management came in and announced and requested certain manners from all the participants.

Now, this is a relaxed adult class, so they often don’t come in on time. There were only 2 participants. I wished they did not announce such a sensitive thing to a class of only 2 people… Later the class had more than 10, but the announcement was not repeated… I mean… what is the point of learning how to crochet…if you have to feel stressed about it? I feel like taking everyone to a yoga class. lol

I was motivated to go to the yoga class… but after the class and a lot of thought exchanges, and somehow the team got busy and could not come to help cleaning up the class…. I was again being behind the schedule… I… I just did not feel like going there rushing again.

I must have known that I may not go because I did not reserve the class yet.

So I came home, and tried to study a little, then the next thing I noticed was my old best friend. The sauvignon blanc spritzer in my favorite wine glass.

Yup.

1/30/2023 DOUBLE DOWN! Y7 and Physical Equilibrium

I ran…. ran to the Y7 upper east side location to take the 9:30am class for 4 credits. and I made it. It was a rainy morning and my usual donation-based park Zumba was canceled. I was still feeling guilty from my laziness from yesterday…

I made it a few min. before the class. OMG. Thank you the 4 train conductor who opened the once-closed-door for me as I was running in to the subway… Thanks to you, I made it to the class just a few min. before the start.

Now I never recommend this to anyone… rushing to and out of a yoga class is such a sad thing. Still better than never making it to the class though. Please avoid it if you can.

Still, I felt so happy, I made it to the class. Hooray.

I took a shower at the location, and… THE WATER WAS NOT HOT!

So this is the only reason why I would not go back to this location unless you live next to this location. The class was good, maybe the sequence felt a bit unnatural for me to remember… (Y7 goes through the same sequence 3 times and the 3rd time is on our own,… oh and in the dark.) I would still go back IF shower was working…

I came out of the shower feeling cold… and realized most people left.

I guess they all live around here. Upper West Siders. and they don’t need to take shower here… good for you… because this is torture.

and everyone disappeared. It feels so uncomfortable to be the LAST one who is holding all the staff back from taking their break.

Anyway, I was done with the morning hot yoga, walking back to the station, and saw another hot yoga place called bode and the soul cycle in one building and I know they were listed in the ClassPass. It is good to know where the studios are prior to visiting for the first time… I don’t know somehow it makes me feel more comfortable visiting there.

I had a problem though… I forgot to cancel the physical Equilibrium 6:30pm reservation… that means I have to double today… or pay the cancellation fee.

Of course I made it. Because I did not want to pay, and because I have the monthly MetroCard!

It was a great refresher class. I recommend it to anyone who wants to start lifting weights… the only con would be it requires more points (20credits) normally. I used 5.

1/29/2023 … in denial

Grrrr 😖 I couldn’t win against the lazy me. I just didn’t want to go and take a class and I let myself follow that feeling.

Next thing I noticed, I had a glass of Sauvignon blanc in one hand and chilling with a comedy skit by Jimmy O Yang on YouTube… of course laying on my couch horizontally.

I have been fixated on the ClassPass… but I still am studying online and working (for myself…).

So not only I am being wrong about not taking a class but also I am being wrong with not studying or working or doing something to improve myself.

Thinking, and knowing so… I continued laying around and sipping my sauvignon blanc… oh did I mention, it was actually a spritzer?

Let’s just say I am in a total denial…

I am NOT lazy!

I am just economically conscious (frugal).

I bought myself a monthly MetroCard… and since then I am going everywhere! Booking classes and officially I must be one of those annoying trial subscribers of ClassPass 😍😍😍👏👏👏 and taking advantage of the trial month!

1/28/2023 I took a Heated vinyasa flow at Yoga Spa Lounge 1881 for 2 credits.

It was not heated to 95F for sure but the class was legit and I was glad I made it.
I Google mapped the direction but missed the connection E train. I almost missed the class but I made it… I hate rushing to a yoga class…

Being economically conscious my a**… I forgot to bring my water bottle…Ka-Ching $3 gone.. grrr I am so mad at myself.

It is something about taking a yoga class… it gives me such a sense of accomplishment and self-improvement… I always forget how I try to resist the desire to be just laying on my couch prior to getting to the class and how many creative excuses for not being able to take the class I came up with prior to the class… After taking the class, I feel motivated and wanting to take more classes.

I have 46 credits left… Am I able to use all the credits??

ClassPass Trial Week 2: Jan 27th, 2023: Sonic Yoga

I did not know how commitment shy I became… Especially kinda losing a regular job and freelancing for the last few years… and working from home most of the time. Just having to be somewhere physically by a specific time feels like a tremendous commitment.


ClassPass penalizes you for making a no-show. I mean. It is only fair. We must commit to canceling our spot 12 hours before class time if we cannot make it.
12 hours. I know it is very reasonable.


I KNOW…


still, I feel hesitant to commit to something 13 hours before. I could be changing my mind by then. What if the weather is not great?
Anyway, I gave in and bought myself a monthly MetroCard yesterday. I am determined to take a hot yoga class! I was aiming for 12 pm Y7 yoga in the east village.


I left my apartment around 11 am. Thinking I have enough time… yet…
On my way to the station, google Maps told me I would arrive at the studio at 11:58 or 12:04 …


em…


that’s…


TOO. LATE.


Ok, I have not been outing in Manhattan, I thought with the metro system we have in NYC, 1 hour to get anywhere is reasonable. BUT not today…
I was encouraged by the monthly MetroCard and got on the subway anyway.
AND my frantic search for a ClassPass schedule began.


Too far, too soon, too late, grrrrrr


I found Open Flow 60 at Sonic Yoga. This was a studio I always wanted to try…
According to Google Maps, I would get there by 11:40sh… em… that’s too early…
but I did not find any other classes I wanted to take so I was heading to the studio… STILL not signing up. Why? What am I thinking? I was already laughing at myself at a thought of me just taking a ride on the NY subway just because I have a monthly MetroCard.


I got off a stop before because I had time. And for the first time in a long time, I walked by Central Park. Oh, how I missed thee.


A few blocks away from the studio, I finally signed up for the class.
Confirmed! for Jan/27th/2023 12:30 pm Open Level 60. at Sonic Yoga!
I took a class. It was a nice class and was a perfect choice for someone who is getting back to yoga.


I am so proud of Sonic Yoga for surviving the pandemic… So many studios closed but this one survived.


It is located near central park south… pretty wealthy area. But the studio has an earthy and small boutique studio vibe of NOT VERY manhattan in a good way. I could see many participants have a strong practice. Also, the male-female ratio is almost 50-50. Guys (males)! you are not a super minority anymore at this yoga studio! Rock your yoga pants and hit the mat there without feeling too special!


I would like to go back. Though with my 8 credits, I am not sure if I could afford to. I would still recommend it to those who are interested in taking a yoga class there!

I stopped by Whole Foods after the class at Columbus circle…


I felt a bit out of place walking on Central Park south… It is a really posh area of NYC, where doormen’s costumes (uniforms) make you feel like you are in an amusement park in a castle setting… carrying my groceries MYSELF omg… On this street, I passed by somethings that do not usually exist in my daily life… doormen, chauffeurs, horse carriages… for me Uber is already feeling a super luxury. Never mind a horse carriage.

ClassPass trial month: I am just lazy

Ok. This is my 2nd week of class pass trial. You know what… I am sorry I made it look like I am a super motivated athletic type of girl who could take advantage of this great ClassPass deal…

No. I don’t feel like doing anything… I do enjoy browsing through the app to see which class I could take… I make a reservation and then cancel 13 hours before. Repeat…

I am just a lazy person who wants to lay on my couch and snack pop corners. (The best chips by the way).

But you know what I still did the Intro HIIT on demand 3 times so far. (20min work out video, and still, I cut 3rd time short. )

One of my biggest excuses of not going out to take a class is the pay per ride subway payment.

Is it really a reason? Yes I am on budget but my health should be important… Maybe I should give myself a chance and buy myself a monthly metro card..

Am I ready? Should I do it?

Grouponing & ClassPass

Sh*t… I forgot about Groupon…

I used to be a Groupon queen… I have taken many different types of fitness classes on Groupon prior to the pandemic.

The fun of Grouponing was literally diminished during the pandemic as most in person classes in NYC were cancelled. Many of my favorite studios even closed permanently.

So I lost my habit of looking at the Groupon deals as I am not really interested in buying a cheap dress from an oversea company that takes 1-2 months to arrive and often looking very different from the pictures.

But my coupon angel told me to check the Groupon. I love hot yoga… but wow, the price went up so much and a lot of studios were closed… and on the ClassPass I could only visit each studio only once during my trial period.

I have been eyeing Spirit Lab yoga studio in midtown Manhattan. It seemed to be my future go-to hot yoga place because I could take the class for 4 credits if I am careful with the timing. (so if I go into 8 credits plan, I could take 2 classes there.)

BUT I saw the studio being listed on Groupon!! Wow, it feels like a Groupon Renaissance.

AND since I was not shopping for a while on the site, they gave me a $20 off coupon.

So the promo code made my price for $41 for 2 weeks! and I can take hot yoga classes every day for 14 days!

I wanted to buy it.. but something told me to wait …

A few days later… just before my extra $20 off coupon expires…

the price went down!!

so now, with my coupon 2 weeks is $28 and a full whole month is $58.40!

I went ahead and bought the Groupon by logging in from my airline-affiliated shopping site (so I also got miles) just before midnight! I was so sure I got the best deal in the world!!

… a few hours later in the morning…

I was checking my ClassPass app to plan my move for the week… then casually checked the Groupon deal again.

and they had another coupon for me… Extra 30% off. That means the deal would have been $23.52 less.

I hate it when this happens… the best deal I thought I had was not the best.

I missed to save $3.52…

That is a subway ride in NYC! That would buy me an extra credit in ClassPass! or a yoga mat rental.

Anyway… I could not get my money back, but I exchanged to Groupon Bucks and then get the deal again. So I have this random $3.52 credit on my Groupon floating around… still I feel better this way.

My point is, I could go to take unlimited hot yoga classes for 1month for less than $55.

But I have to be careful not to go to the studio with my ClassPass trial, as they only honor Groupon for the 1st timer in 365 days.

So now, it is one less studio I could go during the ClassPass trial period…

and doing all this, and on a rainy Monday… I missed using ClassPass. lol

… Fast-forward to the next day 1/24/2023…

The Groupon is giving me another bigger promotion. 50% off… Are you serious?

Now the same deal is $49.50… that is $8.90 less than I originally believed it was the lowest price.

I had to repeat the trade-in steps again…

$8.90 less than the price I originally agreed to pay!? That is now like 3 subway rides!!

We cannot relax with Groupon… Let me know if you scored this deal better than this!

Speaking of the subway rides… I should have remembered the subway cost if I want to take the class… $127 for a 3o day pass.

It’s a steep expense… but still, I am tired of being out of shape.

For me, couponing is like a sport… and I did a lot of couponing activities today… but you might have already noticed… I did not actually use my ClassPass to take an actual class. omg…

ClassPass Trial: 1/22/2023 Sun.

HIIT on demand. 0 credit.

Happy lunar new year!

I tried Ben Wegman’s HIIT 1 again this morning. I really like this workout. It is not intimidating and a perfect intensity for people who is… kind of out of shape. (me)

It is easy to fit into your busy or not so busy or completely not busy schedule, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Plus, I feel it is a perfect way to be ready for an in-person class!

Class Pass Trial month: Week 1

I have to be honest.

It took me some time to get used to ClassPass system.

And some studios do not participate in the trial month, and all studios let us take only one class during the trial period.

This completely threw me off my original plan!!
So I had to take my time to study and plan my trial month move!

I would recommend people to sign up a day or two before you want to take the first class.

Also, in the beginning, the app did not work so great. I am not sure if it was just mine, but it just did not work. After a day or so, the app works seamlessly. So just in case, try to give yourself a little time before the first class, (but of course not so much as we only have a limited time for the trial.)

I joined ClassPass on January 16th, 2023.

My first class was on January 17th, 2023 Hot We Flow at the Performance Lab in Long Island City.

For the trial month, the ClassPass offers a really great deal. The class usually charges 13 credits, but for me, it was offered for 4 credits.

It was not that great and I would not go back for 13 credits in the future. The locker room situation was confusing and the class was just ok.

I contacted the YogaPass email support and chat to see how I could use my credits for the spa services… well… I found out that WE CANNOT USE our promotional credits for the spa options. Well.. it sucks.

Also, if we do not do anything, the membership will continue with the 43 credits per month option for $89.

I knew they had a $19 per month option for 8 credits, and I was thinking of MAYBE taking that 8 credits plan.

Though on the app, I could not see the option. It turned out that in order to sign up for the cheapest plan, we must contact customer service.

I am not sure why, but oh well… I changed it to the $19 per month plan so I will not automatically go into the $89 per month plan… for $19 per month 8 credits, I could be taking 2 hot yoga classes if I am careful with the time and place! That’s not bad.

The second class I took was Hot Vinyasa 60 at the Hot Yoga Chelsea NYC for 4 credits. (Usually 14 credits) on Jan. 18th 2023.

The class was great, but they try to sell their package very strongly after the class, and it was a little overwhelming for someone who just got an intense hot yoga experience and a yoga brain because of it… As a result, I left my yoga mat there.

When I called in to see if my mat was there, they try to sell me the package again. The class was great, and I am interested in taking the class there again. But I feel a bit pressured to hear the sales pitch again. The package price was great, but I just joined ClassPass. (Well… for free now…) It just does not make sense to buy a package from a yoga studio at this point… I wished they did not do pitch the sales to ClassPass trial people so strongly…

I took a break the next day and went back to practice on January 20th, 2023 WeFlowHard Vinyasa at Y7 Studio in Flatiron district for 4 credits (usually 14 credits). OMG, I LOVED IT! I would love to go back… but 14 credits is a fancy category… in the future.

The locker room situation was a little confusing as it was in the open space, but the class was great, the place was clean, and NO SALES PITCH!!

I went to pick up my yoga mat after taking the class at the Hot Yoga Chelsea, and they tried to sell me their class again… I mean… I really liked the class… but now I am scared to step into the studio because I cannot afford multiple yoga studio memberships right now!!

January 21st, 2023. It’s Saturday… I went back and forth about taking a class today…. but living in Queens I really did not want to deal with the weekend subway and bus situation to Manhattan. So I decided to try their digital class option.

I took the HIIT 1 with Ben Wegman, in the Intro Series! and it was so perfect!! Not too short, not too long. it is 20 min workout but it was great for someone who is … kind of … a beginner in working out… ( and out of shape).

I think these on-demand workouts are free for the subscriber. I now have hope for my $19 per month class passer future!

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