Do you have a weight loss goal but don’t want to spend vast amounts of cash to get there? Many of us are tightening budgets due to the current economy. Still, that shouldn’t be a reason to compromise your health.
The Weight Watchers (WW) program is a science-based membership that offers flexibility for people’s lifestyle needs. The system guides members to reduce calories and make healthy food choices. While enrollment fees are involved, here are top tips for saving money on Weight Watchers costs.
What Does Weight Watchers Membership Cost?
Prices vary based on where you live and the program you choose. Depending on location and selected program features, membership costs range from $10 to $50 per month.
In addition to the monthly membership, WW charges a starter fee. There is no fixed membership period, so you can enroll anytime and cancel at any point.
How To Save On Weight Watchers Cost
Here are some easy ways to save money on Weight Watchers pricing.
Buy a Membership Package
WW allows you to purchase their program monthly or in packages of three or six months at a time. The six-month package is the best value at around $10 per month in many areas.
The downside to the three and six-month packages is that you get locked in, and while you can cancel anytime, you will be charged for the whole period.
Buy With a Special Offer
Join Weight Watchers with one of their membership specials and save money on your weight loss journey. Watch for specials from January through March, when people are especially interested in weight loss goals for the new year.
The program also provides special offers before they release a new food plan, typically every two years in the fall. In November of 2022, WW surprised members by rolling out a new program after only one year.
Coupon codes are occasionally available for membership, although the company often offers discount codes for its food and kitchen products. Groupon periodically offers specials on WW membership as well.
WW will often waive the enrollment fee as part of their special offers. If this is not currently offered, call the Weight Watchers Inc. toll-free number and request that they remove the starter fee. You will likely get the fee waived.
You can find Weight Watchers products at other retailers for a discount. Weight Watchers products like cookbooks and food scales are available on Amazon, where mark-downs are common. Prime members also receive free shipping. Watch for sales and coupons at your local grocery store, which carries Weight Watchers snacks and frozen foods.
Buy Digital Membership
The WW plan includes various program options with features you may or may not need. Save money by choosing the plan that fits your lifestyle, and only pay for services you will use.
The Core Plan is Weight Watchers’ digital program. Members who choose the Core Plan have access to the WW smartphone app, recipe database, and virtual meetings held many times per day, seven days a week.
The Premium Plan offers the same features as the Core Plan, plus in-person meetings (called Workshops) and personalized nutrition support.
Choose the Core Plan and follow the program digitally to save the most money.
Weight Watchers Workshops, both in-personal and virtual, are led by coaches. All coaches are members who have reached their goal weight. Access to 24/7 coach chat is available with the Core and Premium Plans.
Become a Lifetime Member
Did you know that members who reach their goal weight get their program for free? This is a massive perk of Weight Watchers membership. When you achieve your weight loss goal, you get to continue with a free membership called Lifetime.
Lifetime membership is an excellent motivation to work hard to lose weight and keep it off. Not only will you be more healthy, but you will save money with a free program too.
Once members achieve Lifetime status, they must weigh in at a WW workshop once a month. Their membership continues at no cost as long as their weight is within their healthy weight range. If they regain weight, they are charged the program fee until the weight is lost again.
Use Weight Watchers at Home
While it’s impossible to follow the same WW program on your own, you can still use the principles of Weight Watchers for free by following similar methods at home.
WW does not offer a free trial, but you can join for a limited time (one to three months) and continue using the meals and WW meal plans you enjoyed.
To continue Weight Watchers at home, consider these questions when you join:
- What was your favorite breakfast on Weight Watchers?
- Did you find some great Weight Watchers recipes you and your family loved?
- What habit changes led to your weight loss success?
Keep the success going after your WW membership expires by doing what you did while you were a member. (Your body doesn’t know the difference.)
Many people use a free app called Healthie (formerly called ‘Itrackbites’) with plans very similar to the current and previous WW plans.
How Weight Watchers Works for Weight Loss
Weight Watchers guides members to lower calories using a points system. Each food is assigned a points value based on the protein, fat, fiber, and sugar in that food. Foods with more sugar and fat have a high points value, while foods with protein and fiber are lower in points.
Weight Watchers also has a list of zero-point foods, which includes foods that are high in nutrition and difficult to overeat, leading to natural portion control. The WW zero-point foods benefit people who want to lose weight without hunger.
Each member is assigned a set number of points per day. They also receive a weekly flexible points allowance, which is optional. A member’s daily points value is based on age, sex, height, and current body weight.
The WW system sounds complex, but the app makes it easy to follow whether you want to lose a few pounds after the holidays or have 100 pounds to lose or more.
Weight Watchers: A Trusted Diet Program
Weight Watchers was founded in 1961 by Jean Nidetch. It has 4.6 million members worldwide, is ranked number five in overall diets in the United States, and was ranked highly in other categories in a recent review of diet plans published in October 2022 by US News and World Reports.
New in 2021, WW introduced a diabetic program for the unique needs of people who have diabetes. It is a healthy diet plan to balance blood sugar and reduce carbs.
For those who find value in WW, reducing the program’s cost can make all the difference to their weight-loss journey.
This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geek and has been republished with permission by Mama Say What?!
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock /Jonathan Weiss
