We all know I’m a cheap-ass.  I’ve talked about being cheap, and I even gave you a list of signs that I’m cheap.  No where is this more true than the realm of fitness.  The healthy (if somewhat thick) and fit blogger you are reading about today was not always so.  At one point he was pushing 250 lbs and had the self-esteem of an emo kid starting out in a new school.

I took matters into my own hands and lost a bunch of weight.  Sadly though, like the unlimited pancakes at IHOP, unless I stick to a strict fitness program the bulk of me returns.  I have to walk/run 20+ miles a week just to keep the weight from coming back.  Now mind you I enjoy a piece of candy and a beer like the rest of us, but cutting that out would only mean I have to cover 15 miles a week.  Not worth it.

Which brings me back to being cheap.  After college was over I had to face the reality of no longer having a free membership to the gym.  Gym memberships are quite expensive, somewhere between $10-$50 a month.  While I think $20 a month for a membership is money well spent, I’m too cheap to actually do it.  So I took up running.

In the years since school ended I’ve covered a few thousand miles and competed in some 5k and 10k races.  This requires some good running shoes.  My first pair of dedicated running shoes were some Asics, which worked quite well.  But then I got on board with the Nike+ iPod program.  This system uses a sensor in the shoe and receiver in your iPod Nano to track your running.  It’s very accurate and quite cheap.  This means though that I must use Nike shoes.  I went through a few pairs of the Nike 180s which are more popular as casual shoes, but the air bubble provided the cushioning I needed.

Sadly the 180 isn’t being made anymore in the variation I prefer, so it was time to move on.  Meet the Nike Air Max Moto 6+

I received these shoes last week and have been putting them through the break-in period.  So far I’m impressed.  They are a cheaper shoe than the 180, but still provide the same cushioning I need.  As a bonus, they are lighter, which is a feature I’ve been missing with the 180.

Of course being a cheap-ass I refuse to pay the full price for shoes.  I’m a big fan of sales and/or coupons.  Here are some tips when shopping online:

• Use Google’s product search.  Just search for the product and click the top results with prices.  Refine and sort until you find a good deal.  In my case I found Nordstrom had the shoe for much cheaper than anyone else out there, but they were out of my size when I ordered.

• Avoid stores with a physical store in your state.  If they have one in your state they must charge you sales tax, if your state has it.  Yes I know you’re supposed to report purchases that don’t charge sales tax, but only my dad does that.

• Don’t stick to one coupon site when searching.  Stores will often do exclusive codes with one site over another.  Do a Google search for coupons for the same store.  Check all the top results and even the Google ads as they are often relevant.
• Check the competition’s coupons.  I found one coupon that would save 20%, but then found another that saved $20 for the same shoe at a different store.  Since my order was less than $100, the $20 off was the better deal.

• Using coupons online will often void any other deals going on.  In my case, using a coupon to save $20 nixed the free shipping that came with all orders over $50, so the savings was closer to $13.  In case you’re wondering the same thing happened at the 20% store.

• Check the manufacturer site.  Since they sell the product at wholesale to other stores and list it retail on their site, they often have better coupons.  This was the case when I ordered Crocs for The Sheconomist and myself at Christmas.

That’s all for this week.  I’m hitting the pavement.

By The Weakonomist

The Weakonomist is the founder of Weakonomics. Clicking the picture of the puppy will tell you more about him. If you like what you're reading consider subscribing to the blog, following him on Twitter, and checking out the related posts below. Please consider a donation if you really enjoy Weakonomics. Also keep in mind that nothing I say can be construed as financial advice.

categories: personal, weakend