How To Save Money On Races & Gear!
It’s National Savings Day! There’s a day for everything is seems! However, this is one that I’m totally for. As someone who LOVES to create a budget and going through line by line, finding ways to save money is huge. Even though running seems like a relatively cheap sport, it adds up fast. Here are a few way that I save money on races and gear!
Tip #1 – Run Local Races
Depending on where you live, you can see race entry fees ranging from $35 to $135. Some of my favorite races are the no frills races run in by small towns and usually have high school students as the volunteers. Sure these races may not have the biggest medals (if they even have any) but the race tends to support a local group. Filling up your calendar with local races and then one big race is a great way to save money while still getting the race experience!
Tip #2 – Race Discounts
For some of the bigger races, if you sign up way ahead of time you tend to get a discount. This can be kind of a gamble as you may not even know that you’ll want to run this year again in a year but it can help cut costs! There are also certain race series that have brand ambassadors with coupon codes. Now these codes can range from a small discount to some swag so it’s something to look out for!
Tip #3 – Look for old shoe/gear models
My local running store puts out a huge social media blast when the new shoe models get delivered. They also share that any of the older models will get sold at a discount. You’ll have to time the shoe drops but they tend to happen multiple times throughout the year. Buying an older shoe model is a guaranteed way to save money. Sure it’s the newest shoe on the street but it is still a new shoe and is just as good! Reach out to your local running store and they can let you know when they put their older models on sale. This is also true for running watches so if you’re looking for a new one, take a look at older models and see if there’s a price difference!
Tip #4 – Avoid the big brand names
This one takes some practice as not everything type of clothing out there is great to run in. However there are many middle sized brands that are super affordable and are half the price of Lululemon, Athleta, Gym Shark. One of my favorite brands is Baleaf! You can find their clothes on Amazon and they have great workout shorts. The shorts are so comfortable and super affordable. Old Navy Activewear is also a great way to save money. They have redone their activewear and the quality is great. They have many online sales which can get you some of their workout pieces at 50% off! Choosing some smaller brand names can help you save money.
These are just a few of my tips to help you save. Running is a sport that can get expensive really quickly! Taking the time to look at what’s out there can help you get your bang for your buck!
Do you have any tips you can share to help others save money?
