I do the WW monthly pass which is $39.99 a month and I get etools with it When I first started the things that really helped me were the complete food list & dining out guide and 3 month journal. You get a points finder with your first weeks materials. Now I don't use either of the books too much but still use the 3 month journal....but I've been with WW for a while.

I use etools a lot too The recipe builder is about my favorite thing on the whole WW site!

Hi there! I go to meetings. I paid a $15.00 registration fee and a fee for the first weigh-in and got the basics (week 1 booklet, week 1 daily tracker). I bought the expanded points book and the restaurant guide and the electronic points calculator. I bought an electronic food scale at Walmart. For me, these are the essentials. I didn't buy the magazine nor the exercise stuff nor the water bottle. This cost me about $100.00 (the electronic scale was a big cost because I wanted a really slick one!). Weigh-ins if you go weekly are around $15.00. All the "info books" come to you every week as does a weekly tracker with your weigh-in.
You can ask at your first weighin for a pass that will let you try out the Online program for two weeks at no cost.

I've done the online program, but found it agonizing to record foods and to use the recipe builder (sorry, Ms RomanceDiva!), so I quit the online program and stick with the meetings.

You might think about just going, signing up, doing week 1, asking for and getting the free online trial pass, and go from there. You might love the meeting and not the online tool, or love the online and hate the meeting, or love both. But this will be the cheapest way to try both out.

Kira

A calculator, get a calculator! will find it a lot easier than pulling out books, sliders, and all the other stuff they give you. better to be able to read packets and do the points thing when shopping
Mary

I also do the $39.99 monthly pass. I think I will actually be saving money though! I used to go to the vending machines at work and spend around $2-3 a day on junk... so, this is much better.
My grocery bill last week was a bit higher than usual because of all the fruits, vegetables, and whole foods but nothing too significant. My first day at WW I bought the pocket calculator which I believe was $10 and a start-up pack which included 3 books, coupons, and a journal. That was $25-30.
I don't use the books as much as I thought I would, but I use the point calculator in the grocery store A LOT! And the journal has been such a great tool.

GOOD LUCK!!! I am just starting week 2 and I am a cheapo... but I think this program is sooo worth it!!

OH! And I'm not too sure if it's still going on, but I know when I joined last Saturday they were doing free registration.

Oh as far as points calculators go I have an app on my iphone that I use a lot esp at the grocery when I see something new I want to get It's not an "official" ww points calc but I've matched it against the one I do have floating around here and it's right on target.

No worries Kira...I didn't take offense! It was confusing at first to me too It's come in handy for some of the traditional New Orleans food that I love too much to give up!

Free registration is going on until 6/6/09! So that is extra money saved

You all are great! Thanks so much for the tips...as far as I can tell,$40 for a month pass/no registration if I get there b4 June(which will be no prob.)and for sure a calculator for the points..so at least $50 there,and another Few $$(?) for the journal etc. I do subscribe to the magazine,and love it. I'll be back and intro.officially once I start. Thanks again..see you all soon,(offically that is~;o)

Awesome! You can do it!!!!
And seriously listen to those fabulous motivational succeedors on this forum like Ms RomanceDiva (just check out here stats! She ROCKS!!!)!
Keep us posted on how you do...
Kira

Okay! Hope to hear from you soon! Good luck!

It's totally up to you girlie....only you know if you are willing to work your new lifestyle on a vacation Considering you could always join before you go and then if not feeling too sure about the food results from your vacation they do give you a weigh in pass for those times you'd just rather not know the results!

Heck I started right before birthday season...in my close family we celebrate 12 birthdays in May so lots and lots of parties

At the end of the day, we aren't talking about a huge amount of cash (I think around $15.00, which is less than a movie and popcorn!). So, do what you think is best. If you really want to start, you can stay on plan during your 4 days away. If this will be too challenging, you could still join and accept the scale numbers as they are.
Either way, it really is what works for you...
Kira

Yes, I paid 13$ for mine!