People gotta find what kind of vibe/style/arrangement reinforces them getting to the gym regularly. Most people I know who have regular gym memberships are spotty about attendance, and so their health suffers and $$ is wasted. The exceptions are the folks who are really hardcore about their fitness, who are so motivated that they get a workout in whenever they can if schedules change, i.e. getting up early to pump one out when they're leaving town that day, etc.
For my part, I absolutely need to have social scaffolding that encourages my gym attendance. Right now I pay big $ for membership in a small private gym that does personal and semi-personal training with organized warmups and finishers (i.e. you can't just roll in and lift whenever, and you're on a specially designed program and get to know the other clients). The combination of paying a lot and the close-knit atmosphere means that I absolutely don't miss workouts and always go hard. That's what works for me, after a decade of trying different shit. Could I pay less? I'm sure but I wouldn't be as fit. So it's money well spent.
For my part, I absolutely need to have social scaffolding that encourages my gym attendance. Right now I pay big $ for membership in a small private gym that does personal and semi-personal training with organized warmups and finishers (i.e. you can't just roll in and lift whenever, and you're on a specially designed program and get to know the other clients). The combination of paying a lot and the close-knit atmosphere means that I absolutely don't miss workouts and always go hard. That's what works for me, after a decade of trying different shit. Could I pay less? I'm sure but I wouldn't be as fit. So it's money well spent.