Hello all -- just wondering if someone could help me with a question. I can't decide what will be more cost effective for me --- weight watchers at home (you get a fair amount of products for the standard $99 kit -- getting started guide, food companion/dining out companion, calculator, 1 yr subscription, journal and a pocket guide) or the monthly pass.

What materials do you get at the first meeting?

For me it is At home. Got my materials off Ebay, did not know about the WW package. You can always go to a meeting for free and see if you like it. As far as cost effective no doubt at home.

If you have an Anroid phone even better they have apps that are as good or better than WW online for less than 5 bucks. I am not a meetings gal and find plenty of support online with various forums.

Outside of the at home kit you get weekly newsletter that has coupons and a recipe, a weigh in and group support.

Only you know yourself well enough to know if you can be accountable to yourself or an online forum, or need real people. Best of luck on your journey whichever you choose.

The monthly pass is a recurring fee that gives you access to everything online and access to attending meetings.

Probably the cheapest option is to join WW in person and pay the registration fee and first meeting fee. That is cheaper than the $99. You get all the materials at the first meeting nowadays (didn't use to be that way). Sometimes they have specials and you don't have to pay the registration fee and just have to pay the first meeting fee.

Having said that there are 2 points:

1. Many, many, many people will be far more successful attending meetings. The accountability and group and leader support really do make a difference. However, there are people who can do fine without it. (I found that I do better with it).

2. WW usually puts out their annual program tweaks in early December. If you were only going to go to one meeting to get materials, I would personally wait until the program tweaks come out in December.

Koshka brings up some very good points.

If money is your issue, you can always join and pay for one meeting (they often have free registration promotions going on, but I'm not sure if one is going on now), get all the materials you need, stay for the meeting to learn from the leader how the plan works, and then have everything you need.

That is probably the cheapest way to get what you need in as far as materials is concerned.

I thought of that, but didn't know what materials I would receive at the first meeting. I know I'll get the "Getting Started" guide, but what about the food companion/eating out companion or even the digital points calculator. I remember when I did WW in 2004, I had to pay separately for these items. I have an email out to WW to ask them what is included as far as materials go when you buy the monthly pass vs the at home option. I'm still leaning towards the at home option as I don't have a lot of free time with working part-time and taking care of a 6 month old.

Thanks for everyone's response. I really appreciate it.

Schultzn -- if you are looking to do it cheaply -- the monthly pass is a recurring charge of about $40 a month (it is about to go up btw). The cheapest way would be to just go to a meeting, join and pay for a week and get the materials. Ideally, at a time when they have free registration going on. Bear in mind that new materials will be coming out in early December so I would recommend waiting if you only want to go once.

When you join at a meeting or have monthly pass you get the program materials. It does not include optional materials like the food companion or dining out companion or the points calculator.

When new materials come out in December they usually have a special where you can get these for less than the cost of buying them together. Last December there was an offer at the meeting that had a zippered holder, the food companion and dining out book, the calculator and a couple of other things. I don't remember exactly how much it was...I think around $40. That said, if I was doing it again I would probably only buy the calculator. I don't really ever use the companions. Usually foods have their current nutritional info on them so I just use that to calculate points. Also for dining out I usually go to the web site of the restaurant to get current numbers and just calculate points. The calculator was I think $5 if you just got it and there was a coupon where you could get $2 off that. It is typical that in December they give specials at the meeting for these kinds of things.