If you could have a dream season, how much would it cost

**AdironRider** · 09-27-2006, 09:32 PM

So yes Im a JONG, but I lurked here for a long ass time and have read pretty much every thread on bumming it I could find, but I havent found one that quite fits this question, so I post it here. Flame away if you must.

I graduate college from SLU in the spring, and Im pretty dead set on going to Jackson. Although I did just watch Hot Dog today and Squaw seems pretty badass. Either way Ill say Jackson because it sounds like the more expensive of the two, and this is mainly a money question thread.

My dream season would be to work my ass off the summer after I graduate for 4 months, June through September, then just pack it up and move out. Id have a tent to live in till I could find a place. Now for the meat of my question, how much would a 6 month stay set me back? Ill more than likely have a bud or two coming with me to split costs, but the goal is to have enough saved up from working my ass off all summer to cover everything, and I mean everything. Am I on crack? I want it to be epic, ride everyday it snows, sleep in and ride when it doesnt. Hit the bars at night, and have no tie downs to stop me from just getting in the car and traveling to a place that I know is getting dumped. Looking at the classifieds it seems there are 1 bedrooms to be found furnished with utilities for about 1000-1200. Food could be managed on 200 a month with alot of pb and j and ramen. Gas about the same. Bar tabs adding up to another 300 or so, plus walking around money. What am I looking at realistically? Can it be done on 10 grand, including a pass?

Now that Im all jonged out, let me know what you think.

**slippy** · 09-27-2006, 09:42 PM

That's a lot of gas money, and there is a bus system anyways...if you really want to save money. $500-$600 a month for rent/utilities is more realistic, if you shop around.

**cj001f** · 09-27-2006, 09:44 PM

$200/month w/o booze $300/month w/booze - that's not in the US or Yurp

**TJ.Brk** · 09-27-2006, 09:46 PM

dream season = $0

**kidwoo** · 09-27-2006, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by TJ.Brk

dream season = $0

Yeah no shit.

Mostly I find it amusing that you base your opinion on squaw from hot dog.

Don't get me wrong, everyone loves a good chinese downhill but the truth is........they just aren't what they used to be.

Just sell coke to supu on the lift a few times a week. He may want to rail it off your ass though. Just go with it.

**AdironRider** · 09-27-2006, 10:01 PM

Ive always known Squaw was badass, I just hadnt seen Hot Dog before tonight. Id like to keep it legal as my sources of income are concerned, not that I wont be purchasing. Guess I should add in a greens allowance.

**kidwoo** · 09-27-2006, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by AdironRider

Ive always known Squaw was badass, I just hadnt seen Hot Dog before tonight. Id like to keep it legal as my sources of income are concerned, not that I wont be purchasing. Guess I should add in a greens allowance.

You'll be broke in five days.

Let me help you focus.
You're not looking for a "dream season". You're looking for "inheritance"

**rideit** · 09-27-2006, 10:32 PM

Cougar hunting, young man.
Pearl Street bagels, Wilson.
Every day at ten.

Bring your big gun.

**Droopy** · 09-28-2006, 02:44 AM

It cant be done... I tried to save up 20 grand to take a trip around the world for a year... I ended up in debt...and never left home. Fuck

I think the best thing to do is make as much as you possibly can. Find the cheapest place to stay, eat alot of romen, and save as much as possible durring the first half of the season, so that durring the second half you can go out as much as you want and take road trips till you are out of money. Worst case you have to either A. get a job or B. start using that credit.

**Tuckerman** · 09-28-2006, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by Droopy

It cant be done... I tried to save up 20 grand to take a trip around the world for a year... I ended up in debt...and never left home. Fuck

That sux.

**smmokan** · 09-28-2006, 07:58 AM

I would think $10k would do it for a season. If you've got a couple buddies to split costs... after a pass, that would leave you with $8500- or about $1500/month. As long as you play it cool with your expenses, you shouldn't have any problem doing that.

**AdironRider** · 09-28-2006, 08:03 AM

I figure worse comes to worse I could get a job a couple nights a week to cover the bar tab or something.

**Lawless** · 09-28-2006, 08:12 AM

The rule of thumb that I have been living by out here is about $1,000/month. $550 for rent/utilities, $50 for cell bill, and $100/week of cash expenditures (food/booze).

**iceman** · 09-28-2006, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by Droopy

It cant be done... I tried to save up 20 grand to take a trip around the world for a year... I ended up in debt...and never left home. Fuck

Sounds like there may have been a flaw in your plan.

**jimmy page** · 09-28-2006, 08:25 AM

Good thing you didn't watch "Aspen Extreme".

**Bart** · 09-28-2006, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Lawless

The rule of thumb that I have been living by out here is about $1,000/month. $550 for rent/utilities, $50 for cell bill, and $100/week of cash expenditures (food/booze).

Wow that's so cheap to live on 1grand a month...what about car expenses, health insurance? I wish I could make 100 bucks last a week of food and drinks...wow..

**bagtagley** · 09-28-2006, 08:41 AM

Get a good job, live with your parents and save your ass off. I did almost 4 months bumming around the US and Canada with a buddy. We stayed in a lot of hotel rooms, drove a shit load (gas was cheaper then though) and ate pretty well, all for around 7 grand.

Lift tickets will be your biggest expense.

BLOOD SWEAT STEEL · 09-28-2006, 08:57 AM

Wait.

You mean to tell me they DON'T really have all those naked beer drinking orgy parties at the bar in Olympic Village?

**Lawless** · 09-28-2006, 09:00 AM

I forgot to add that the secret to my cheap living was a breadmaker. For about 15 cents worth of ingredients, you get breakfast and lunch for at least two days.

You don't need to use a car in the winter if you're skiing the village. My first year out here, I filled up the tank in November and didn't put any more gas in it until April. It didn't hurt that it was a POS with no heat or exhaust system so nobody wanted to ride in it. Someone else always volunteered to drive to the pass or the park.

**4matic** · 09-28-2006, 09:06 AM

$2k in gasoline..

That means I drove a lot which means I skied a lot because the conditions were good..

**Dromond** · 09-28-2006, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Lawless

I forgot to add that the secret to my cheap living was a breakmaker. For about 15 cents worth of ingredients, you get breakfast and lunch for at least two days.

breakmaker = breadmaker?

**Lawless** · 09-28-2006, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by Dromond

breakmaker = breadmaker?

Uhh, yeah, fixed. Best investment ever made.

**flatfive40** · 09-28-2006, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by BLOOD SWEAT STEEL

Wait.

You mean to tell me they DON'T really have all those naked beer drinking orgy parties at the bar in Olympic Village?

You heard of the squaw valley prom?

**benDover** · 09-28-2006, 10:06 AM

save as much as you can, but it will never be enough. Put yourself in a nice central location where jobs and money are plentiful. Buck up and get a night job for a cheap season pass deal.

My goal before I did what you are about to embark on was to pay for rent, health insuranse, truck insurance, and truck payments for 8 monthes. Living expenses(lift tickets, food, booze, pot, & gas) I would work minamally for throughout the season. Don't forget the people and experiences you'll miss out on by not working. Some of my best memories were form the people I met working.

Get there early to set yourself up. If you have buddies going with you, then finding a place won't be a problem. If you are figuring $1000 a month per person, you guys will be pimping in a huge house. If you get there early depending on where you go, there's bound to be lots of camping for free untill you find that place. Get there late and you'll be camping in the snow and getting everybodies sloppy seconds for housing.

Working is great for bartering around town. Depending on where you work you'll get hookups in ski tunes, but I would suggest part-time restaurant work b/c your belly will never be rumbling and your pint glass always full!

I lived in Vail and managed to ski somewhere different every weekend. Getting there early is key and it's not the money you'll make working, but the money you'll save. Not to mention the opportunities in meeting some chicky-mamas, b/c that town you move to won't have a girl to guy ratio problem. Any help you get helps when you have to take a number just hit on a girl!

**AdironRider** · 09-28-2006, 10:14 AM

Yeah I was thinking about how Id miss out on meeting people by not working, but at the same time I dont want to be working all the time just to get by.

The plan is starting to change towards working a few nights a week for some walking around money, but have the big bills (rent, food, insurance, pass, etc) paid for before I move out.

At this point Im planning on moving out the first week in October. Is that to early or to late?