Especially one not for work?

I am getting DESPERATE here to find some people who live local to me and who want to take walks around the area. I love walking for exercise, but I hate doing it alone every single day. Some days yes, every day, no.

They start at $12 a month to host a meetup. I know that doesn't sound like much, but... I hate spending money for no reason

Anyone?

or is there another way besides meetup to do this? There are no meetup groups in my area for walking, by the way. I've checked. There was one, but it went defunct.

Hi,

I've never started a meetup group but I have participated in one and I plan to join another. I think yahoo groups has a way to form groups online too.

Good luck!

Amy

Get a dog. Dogs have to be taken for a daily walk.

No. No dogs. We have two cats and when we adopted these from a rescue, it was pretty clearly stated that the she cat didn't get along with dogs.

Plus, the last thing in the world I want is something else to take care of, quite honestly.

craigslist i see a ton of ads for walking partners

No but I've thought about it. Do you live on the East coast, because I'm still looking ...I've checked craigslist but I'm so afraid that the other person will be crazy or a murderer. I'm a worry wart like that...meetup.com is another place to look. They are groups that are already started. Safety in numbers lol

Participated in quite a few meetups already but I'm not in the US. The group that I'm in does gruelling hikes so I really like it.

I'm sure you can find some around your area? I agree that there is no way you can take dogs with you unless you're looking at very casual walks.

Actually, read that you've checked. What about those outside the area that do walks, hikes, activities etc around you? Also, have you googled for groups? There may be others apart from meetups. I know there are some where I'm at.

I haven't looked at Craigslist, so I will - thanks for the suggestion.

And yes, I live on the east coast. There is a hiking group for the state of Maryland that is very active, but that's not what I'm looking for right now. THat might be good to substitute for long walks, but what I want is someone to walk the neighborhoods - the trail systems where I live.

There "was" a group, but they closed the group a few weeks ago.

There is a dog walking group - I don't have a dog and that probably would hardly be for fitness.

There is a mommy's group for those with kids in strollers. Again... I don't have a kid in a stroller.

I'm actually quite surprised there is nothing, but there isn't. I've tried all kinds of search words for this AND for a crafting group (paper crafting). NADA! Well, the latter isn't true... there is one or two but they haven't met in over two years, so they basically don't exist.

starting meetup groups used to be free... not this $144 a year thing.

Ah.... I did a closer look of the hiking group I am part of it. It is so freaking HUGE that I usually just bypass the listings as I'm not up for hiking an hour drive away. I want LOCAL.

But, when I go to their site versus just getting the bombardment of emails (literally there is 8-10 hikes a DAY), I see that there are regulars that walk in the area AND I can add my walks to it too, not just what they have to offer. Basically, I think it's a way to get around a dozen meetup groups having to pay fees and instead just one meetup group that have 30 organizers under the same name of group.

You may want to try your local parks and recreation department. Also, I know that it may not be as nice, but there could be some mall walker groups where you can get started to meet like minded individuals.

I wanted to scream, "NO!!!!!!" My mother in law goes to the mall every single day and "walks". I cannot, will not be a mall walker - no matter what. One, I hate the mall. Two, I do not want to see my mother in law any more than I have to. I live a mile from the mall. I've probably gone 5 times total in 4 years.

BTW, my mother in law lives with us.

LOL, I only meant that you could meet like minded individuals who would love to walk with someone outside! I could never be a long term mall walker myself as i love the outdoors. Recruit for your own meetup!

I've never founded a Meetup, but I am an active organizer of a Meetup group that is an all-ladies backpacking/hiking Meetup. I joined a week after it founded, so I'm familiar with a lot of the ups and downs of it.

Meetups had a way of taking on a life of their own, as the membership grows. The founder is responsible to pay the dues to Meetup but you can set up a donation area on the Meetup site where people can chip in and I don't think it's too awful expensive. I know when our founder asked for help she said she got so many donations that it covered the entire year and then some. You have full control over who joins, and you'll have control over who else can organize Meetups. You can also charge for the meetups themselves. We generally don't, but if there's a permit that has to be bought or other costs, or if you simply want to ensure people show up you can charge a nominal fee.

I saw in our group that the more organizers we had, the more life the group had. There is ALWAYS something going on, and it's not always hiking related. People have set up Meetups for a movie night, REI training classes, we've got a discussion group for new backpackers coming up this Friday that I got roped into speaking for (haha).

I think it's a great way for making adult friends (or at least acquaintances) that have similar interests. I love Meetup, and wish I'd found it sooner.

Starting a meetup group can feel intimidating at first, but it can really build accountability and friendship. The key is keeping it simple and focused so people feel comfortable showing up. Online spaces can connect strangers, but real-world support hits differently. That’s partly why apps like ashley madison https://ashley-madison.pissedconsumer.com/review.html always stir debate — online interaction isn’t the same as genuine in-person community. A local fitness or support meetup could be a great step forward. Even a small group can grow organically over time.