I see gyms as necessary in the way they were in the day, where people after specialised results( say bodybuilding or whatever) need the range of specialised and expensive equipment.
People going to these flashy new lifestyle gyms just to lose weight nowadays are basically saying I can't get off my ass or control my eating and need someone to transfer their overhead business costs to me whilst I still have to get off my ass and learn to control my eating myself anyway.
My advice for low level gym use is stay at home and occasionally: Walk. Run. Jump Rope. Hike. Pedal a bike. buy second hand weights. Or even lift a 20lb rock in your garden up and down. You put ten dollars in your pocket every workout and I guarantee that ten dollars will still be right there at the end. Its real mandrake the magician level stuff. Especially for millenials- how to get results without losing money.
