Public gym ,getting out of the house is good
I have a gym membership, cannot afford a home gym. It's a nice place that open like all the time. I tend to go when it is not crowded. They also have a nice ballet room where I can practice some of my folk dance routines.
I have a home gym, but have had gym memberships more than once. I like both, but prefer the convenience of exercising at home. I get the appeal of going to the gym for many because they NEED to be immersed in that environment as part of their motivation. Also, gym EQ ain't cheap. I have an elliptical I bought new, but got a great deal on it, and I bought a multi-station gym on Craigslist for $500 that does everything I need (only one weight stack though so only one person can use it at a time). If you mainly want to do floor routines or Zumba, and have a nice surround sound system, then DVDs are great.
I agree also with what others have said about crowded gyms. Especially if you go during "rush hour." Early mornings and right after work; fugheddaboutit. I had a 24HR Fitness membership for a long time and used to go in at 3am. It was perfect. LOL!