This is a mistake that results from trying to make your home gym look like one you might join. There's nothing wrong with wanting that kind of equipment, so long as you are sure you will really get good use out of it.

For the rest of us, a simpler home gym is more affordable, more fun and more likely to be used.

A exercise ball, for example, can be kept in the living room, and used as you watch television. If you have kids you don't have to worry about it pinching fingers, and they'll probably think it is loads of fun to play with. And if it's just you at home, you don't have to worry about it attracting clutter. A ball is a terrible place to store things.

Dumbbells and resistance bands are also great alternatives for your home gym. These are quite inexpensive, and you can have a small selection without taking up a ton of space. But if you don't want to buy weights, you can find things to lift around the house. They may not be perfectly designed for your routine, however, and experimentation may be required to get things going at the level you would like to work out at.

You can often find perfectly good home gym equipment at garage sales. This is great if you do want to have a larger piece of equipment. You can buy them new if you like, but since many people fail to make good use of the equipment they buy, you can often find it in excellent condition for far less.

If you enjoy aerobics, an aerobic step can be a great investment. It's easy to put away under a bed, and a great way to make your aerobic workout more challenging.

A mini stair stepper can be a good choice, so long as you get a good quality one. Many come with handles so that you can involve your entire body, not just your legs. Once again, these are generally small enough you can store them out of the way with ease, or have them in whichever part of the house you would like to workout in on a particular day.

The key to a successful home gym is that it works with what you will do for exercise. If you aren't really going to use it, even cheap exercise equipment probably isn't worth the money. Take your time and be sure.