Obviously you have never met Tony Crocker as evidence by your surprise at his number preciseness.
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Poll 2017-18 $kiing Budget
- Thread starter Philpug
- Start date
Obviously you have never met Tony Crocker as evidence by your surprise at his number preciseness.
My husband seems to be like that. He's always telling me how much some cheese cost. I know exactly how much I spend on skiing because for the first ten years here I had no income to speak of, so I was watching every nickel. Tony is an actuary, of course he counts things. I think his numbers are pretty loosey-goosey myself.
In general I'm not in favor of deliberate ignorance. Obviously knowing the cost of skiing has not slowed me down. I could slash living and skiing costs a lot by selling the house, moving to Salt Lake and buying an AltaBird pass. But we both like the travel variety (not only skiing, see below) and there are other reasons to stay in SoCal for the time being. This year my 40% share of Dodger season tickets is one of those reasons. Liz lived in Manhattan for 27 years, and so far L.A. has enough of the city attractions she likes that she does not miss NYC.
Data collection can be a time suck. I spend a lot of time in May every year e-mailing and calling ski areas to get the past season's snow data. The twice-a-month in-season reports on my website take at least 3 hours to collect new data and update. Tracking expenses is fairly easy by comparison. Put as much as possible on credit cards (which I do anyway to stay in Delta's Silver or Gold status), then go through the card statements and check registers once or twice a year. I know how much I take from checking in cash but it's not worth the trouble to track how that is spent. All of this is trivial vs. the time spent collecting ski data. You have to make the collection process efficient relative to what you get out of it. Since I'm a ski junkie, that's where I'm willing to expend the most effort in data collection and analysis.
I don't view these expense numbers as being precise. But I want to have a general idea.
Liz and I met online in 2010 via common interest in skiing and total solar eclipses. After the July 11, 2010 eclipse when she was on Easter Island she skied in Chile. I was on a cruise ship off Tahiti and then skied in New Zealand. Liz and I have been to the last 4 total solar eclipses together. I saw 6 and she saw 4 before we met.
The upcoming total solar eclipse is the first in the continental US since 1979, total in the white strip on the map above. It is a bucket list event. I don't advocate exotic travel just for an eclipse unless it's to someplace you want to go anyway. But the investment of time and $$ to get from places like Tahoe, Utah or Colorado to the August 21 path is absurdly cheap vs. any other eclipse in our likely lifetimes. Do not think you can stay home and see most of the show at 90%. A 99% eclipse is still 4,000x as bright as totality; thus you don't see the solar corona, flares, etc.
http://americaneclipseusa.com/generation-eclipse-9-99-percent/
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The expense numbers are loosey-goosey. I strive for more precision in the ski/snow numbers.
You and mary want to adopt a 48 yr old, his lovely wife and a couple of grandkids? I'm kind of obnoxious but the wife and kids are great . . .
I was shoveling snow during that 1979 one. Stopped to watch it (through a photo negative of course). I remember at the time them saying the next would be (in 2017 apparently) and thinking that was SOOOOOOOO far in the future I couldn't wrap my head around it . . . .
Thats kind of creepy. Was there anything else you did that he tracked?
He only tracked it because I'm THAT neighbor. You know the trashy one who never mows his grass, I quit watering it so it wouldn't grow so I wouldn't have to mow it and it would still get 8" between mowings. I have no use for nice yards, none whatsoever. I feel for my neighbors, not enough to change my behavior, mind you, but I do see empathize. I would never buy a home with covenants.....NEVER.
$10,000-$15000
Five one-week trips. Mountain collective pass covers the majority of lift tickets, either free or half-price. Utah in Dec (Alta, Snowbird, Snowbasin if it's open), Taos Ski Week in Jan, JH in Jan (with steep and deep camp and a day at Targhee for good measure), BC road trip in Feb (Red, Whitewater, Revelstoke), Banff in March with the boys (Sunshine, LL, Norquay, maybe a day at Nakiska).
All of these involve airfare, rental car and lodging. I find myself too old to stay in Motel 6's anymore, so lodging starts to add up. No new gear in the plans, but plans are made to change. Also add the odd day of local skiing here and there for when I get cabin fever sitting inside during the long MN winter.
Five one-week trips. Mountain collective pass covers the majority of lift tickets, either free or half-price. Utah in Dec (Alta, Snowbird, Snowbasin if it's open), Taos Ski Week in Jan, JH in Jan (with steep and deep camp and a day at Targhee for good measure), BC road trip in Feb (Red, Whitewater, Revelstoke), Banff in March with the boys (Sunshine, LL, Norquay, maybe a day at Nakiska).
All of these involve airfare, rental car and lodging. I find myself too old to stay in Motel 6's anymore, so lodging starts to add up. No new gear in the plans, but plans are made to change. Also add the odd day of local skiing here and there for when I get cabin fever sitting inside during the long MN winter.
Partial eclipses are not that uncommon and not that big a deal. In 1979 if you weren't along the ~100 mile wide totality path extending from Portland, Oregon through Yakima, parts of Idaho and Montana (Lonnie Ball saw it from the Ridge at Bridger Bowl) and into Canada including Winnipeg, you saw a partial eclipse.
Partial eclipses must be viewed through safety glasses and photo negative is not dark enough. These days there are lots of certified eclipse shades being sold, typically for a dollar or so, though it will probably be more on the day of the eclipse.
I was not aware of the 1979 eclipse at the time. I was on my first one week ski trip, at Mammoth during a storm cycle and would thus not have seen the 88% partial there in any case.
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I'm in the bottom number on the poll because:
1. Our passes to Vail resorts is free, so I only have to pay for preferred parking.
2. We work at the resort so much we generally don't have time for travel.
3. My only current gear need is for a new recreational ski parka.
4. We love living five minutes from the parking lot.
1. Our passes to Vail resorts is free, so I only have to pay for preferred parking.
2. We work at the resort so much we generally don't have time for travel.
3. My only current gear need is for a new recreational ski parka.
4. We love living five minutes from the parking lot.
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I recall the partial that year while I was skiing in Northern Michigan. Sky became a strange yellow color and the light became very similar to dusk.
Can't answer poll. It's embarrassing, but I don't have much of a clue. I earn the money, but my wife manages it. She gives me a pretty loose leash. We both are inherently quite thrifty in the micro decisions so it seems to work at the macro level.
The only year(s) we ever had in the top range it was my daughter's racing period. I had to stop adding things up. Had to approach it the same way as I do roller coasters. Hang on and keep my eyes shut and pray. Glad that's in the past. Would do it again, but...
Right now we have the equivalent with healthcare expenses, waiting for Medicare to start for my husband. His job went to India in February 2015, we've been just watching the money vanish. We'll be fine, but after forty years of saving, it's tough to get used to the funds going the other direction at such a rate.
Right now we have the equivalent with healthcare expenses, waiting for Medicare to start for my husband. His job went to India in February 2015, we've been just watching the money vanish. We'll be fine, but after forty years of saving, it's tough to get used to the funds going the other direction at such a rate.
Some really steep numbers here.
I'm in the $2,501-$,5000 range, hopefully on the lower end. $500 pass, $700 Kastle TX that I bought, probably $500 for bindings that I still haven't purchased. Hoping to take a short ski trip to Colorado somewhere, and maybe buy another pair of skis.
I'm in the $2,501-$,5000 range, hopefully on the lower end. $500 pass, $700 Kastle TX that I bought, probably $500 for bindings that I still haven't purchased. Hoping to take a short ski trip to Colorado somewhere, and maybe buy another pair of skis.
You know what they say....an actuary is someone who finds accountancy too exciting....
Yes. "Regular" bindings are much cheaper.
Even most AT bindings are much cheaper, unless you are going with Kingpin/the new Vipec. Finding speed rads / turns for ~$300 USD isn't that hard.
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