Just Ask Jenna Looks At Gym Memberships

by Jenna C, ’26

Dear Jenna, 

I have had the same gym membership for years, but I hardly ever go anymore. I feel strange canceling it because I already spent so much money on it over time. Should I keep it or finally let it go?

From, 

Wondering What’s Worth It

Dear Wondering What’s Worth It, 

This is a great question. A gym membership can feel like something you should hold onto because it has been a part of your routine for so long. When you used it often, it made sense. But now that you don’t really go anymore, your needs are different. 

In economics, this relates to the idea of sunk costs, Sunk costs are expenses that have already been paid and cannot be recovered. It is easy to think you should keep something because of the money you spent in the past, but that money is gone no matter what you decide today. The real question is whether the gym membership will bring value in the future. If the honest answer is no, keeping it only adds more cost without giving anything back. It is similar to someone finishing a book they do not like simply because they already read half of it. Continuing will not bring back the time they spent. 

Canceling the membership does not mean the past spending was wasted. It means you are choosing what actually makes sense for the present. 

Best of luck!

Jenna

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