I'm not usually one to make split-second decisions, but sometimes I surprise myself. Yesterday I was working out in the morning like I normally do, and one of the normal morning crew workout guys told me that yesterday was the last day of an amazing membership deal at another gym in the neighborhood. This gym had just recently reopened after a big renovation, and it is really nice and new and a whole lot better equipped than my current gym. I stopped by on my way to work, got a tour, and told the administrator that I really liked the place and would like to join but didn't have the money for the year-long membership with me at the moment. The whole sum for a year is 8,000 rubles ($250). Fortunately, I have been able to save a fair amount of my paychecks for the last few months, so I had that amount in cash in my apartment (Russia is very much a cash economy). So, today I stopped by and bought my new membership. The advantages are hard to ignore: 8,000 rubles there versus 18,000 for a year at my current gym. Also, while this new place is no RPAC (the insanely monsterous recreation center at Ohio State--one of four rec. centers there actually), it has more than everything I need, and it has air conditioning, which is a rare luxury here in Russia. Here's a link to its website--check out what $250 can get you in the world of Russian gyms: 

http://planet33.ru/formula-zdorovia (in English, the gym is called Formula of Health)