If you really can't afford it, you could substitute this place for your meetings. Just make sure you take the time each week to do what you do at meetings: weigh in, share/celebrate your success, seek advice/tips from others, plan for what's ahead.
I go to meetings. I really love my leader. But I'm moving in a few months and if I don't find someone I like as much, then I think I'll save the money and go it alone.

I do Weight Watchers online ($16 a month). I don't go to meetings. Actually, I find the idea of meetings to be a huge turnoff (but that's just me!).

I love WW Online and I highly recommend it. Otherwise, yes, you could just use your tools and do it at home without even paying the online service. I'm actually thinking of canceling my online membership since I've already learned how to do this and keep it going.

I've never been to a meeting for WW. I stole all of my mother's old stuff, learned from her and pulled from this site the rest. I've been successful and don't regret not signing up for meeting.

What I do suggest is having some support in real life. Maybe a friend would be willing to do it with you and you could have a mock meeting once a week.

I've been a WW member at least 4 times in my life. Did the weigh-ins, looked at the leader's "before" and "after" photo, heard the same tips, etc. I panicked at each weigh in, and gave up the minute I tired of keeping tabs of every single point I ate. This time around, being newly unemployed, I bought a journal called "I Will Lose the Weight This Time! Diet Journal" by Alex Lluch. $15.00. I keep track in it, use my apt gym and eat healthy. I have this website to mingle with fellow "losers." No pressure, no $16.00 every week. I still religiously weigh in each Friday morning without seeing my weight first. And in 3 months I've so far lost 23 lbs! I feel like I get just as much doing it this way than with WW. Good luck!

I've never been to a meeting. I couldn't fathom paying that much to have someone weigh me every week and give me a little pep talk. I signed up for weight watchers online about 5 months ago and have lost 40 pounds all by myself. The online tracker is wonderful for me because I'm on my computer all the time and it's full of lists of food and their points values and the recipe builder is fantastic. I think it depends of your personality but it's totally doable online or at home.

You might try going to a TOPS meeting. A lot of people there are following the WW diet. The advantage of it is the group support, and the cost is minimal.
BTW, thanks for posting the question, because I'm torn which way to go. I do know I want to follow the WW diet, and I'll be interested to see others' opinions. I guess it's ultimately up to you and what works for you.

As a Lifetime Member returning to goal, I think it can be done without meetings. I never got much out of the meetings themselves but got to connect with some great people. That can be done online pretty easily. Just make sure you are as accountable to the scale at home as you would be at meetings and keep posting for support!

I'm finding I'm not getting much out of the meetings either. It could be just the area I'm in. But they hand out the books but really don't go over much. They are pretty wham bam thank you mam kind of thing.

I've done WW one time before, on my own. This time, I'm going to meetings. I feel the meetings are helping quite a bit and here's why: it's solid, quantifiable proof that I'm making a commitment to myself. I get in the car and go somewhere - not to pick up my kids, or run an errand for my husband. I go somewhere to work on myself. I am a fairly cynical person; I tend to be a loner. I don't get vocal at meetings or feel I have much in common with folks there, but I obviously share a very fundamental characteristic with these people. So I go and I listen to my leader (it feels so funny to type that, like I'm an alien or under mind control - but really, the leader I lucked into getting is simply amazing to listen to). While driving to the meeting I reflect on how I've done during the week, how I've felt, what I did right and how I could have improved. I leave the meeting feeling I've taken 40 minutes to move forward in my life - not just with weight loss, but in taking time to make things better. I hate to sound sappy. Honestly, I don't even watch Oprah. I hope I'm getting my point across here. Yes, of course you can do it alone, as all the others in this thread mentioned. I just wanted to offer a counterpoint. If you can budget for it, I highly recommend going to meetings. For me, this time, it's what I need psychologically. It's keeping me on track, going forward, thinking about where I am and where I want to be. I think "Momentum" is an apt title for the program. That's exactly what meetings make me feel.

traceriffic - If my meeting was like your I'd probably stick it out. But I live in a back woods country town (but I'm from alot different area), and I'm finding the people are not very informative nor the leader. I may look into other meetings somewhere else.

Ive never gone to a meeting or online, like you I was given the ww information on the banking points system years ago. Each time I have lost weight I have done it without going to meetings. I use information from this site and many others, I stick to my daily point range, and exercise. I keep a journal all of my food, points, workouts, & weight. I have my own official weigh in every saturday morning before my workout.

@ horrorchick..how is it going? i do it at home and save myself $13 a week and come on here for tips and ideas..if your not sure,go to a couple and see if its for you.this month is free registration