Running on a Budget: Tips to make it Affordable

There's no doubt that running can be an expensive hobby. Today I want to encourage you with a few tips to make it more affordable. My first tip is to Pray about what you need. God cares and He knows. I can tell you that He answers prayers in the most incredible ways. Here are a few more tips:

Fees • There are registration fees for races , Running Club Fees among other things. One way to approach annual fees is to make a decision ahead of time and save for those. Instead of paying a lot you can save a little each month. Another way to make it affordable is to find sponsorship. There are a million blog posts about how to do that and without being an elite runner. When it comes to running groups, there are free running groups meeting everywhere. Another smart thing to do is to get some of these fees cared for during your birthday. Instead of gifts your loved ones could give you money to fund your passion for running. No matter what you are trying to fund, be positive and a creative solution will come to you.

Clothes • Running Clothes can be expensive and you do not want to buy them used. What I do is to go to buy them from consignment stores (I look for the ones still with the tag in them) or I buy them from Ross or other discount stores. Because not everyone who wants to exercise in January follows up with their resolutions, some of these folks donate their nice new clothes. Now that I have a few years in my pocket I know exactly what kind of running clothes work for me which is the "dry-fit" kind that wicks away the sweat to keep me more comfortable. I used to wear cotton all the time but now I know better.

Got this shirt at the Goodwill. It was brand new!

Running Shoes • I consider running shoes a great investment. It's important to get good ones to run safer and with more comfort. I recommend every new runner to go to a running store and get fit for running shoes. If you know exactly what kind of shoes you need (size, width, brand, etc), there are some great places online to get deals such as Holabird Sports, 6pm.com and Eastbay. Another great place to find affordable running shoes is the marathon Expo. My husband found a great deal for his shoes during the Houston Marathon Expo. As a member of my running club I get a great discount at one of our local running stores, which helps a lot when it comes to running merchandise. I see my running shoes as my personal tires. It's unsafe to get out there with old tires so I try to get new ones when they expire.

Got a great deal at Holabird Sports

Everything Else • if there's a product I'm interested in, I try to get a sample of it before I commit to it such as electrolyte tablets. I was really interested in a new nutrition drink but it was $60 so I just kept waiting out. I found something similar for $16 dollar locally. I was interested in compression socks last season and they were way out of my budget. I found compression sleeves locally and with my running club discount they became more affordable.

If you are passionate about running, please don't stay away due to the cost. I believe that there are creative solutions to make it more affordable.
QUESTION: What are some creative ways you run on a budget?