Ways To Make Skiing More Affordable

For those who love to ski, but don't love the high prices that are typically associated with it, the quest to find ways to make skiing more affordable is constantly going on. Skiing is great fun, but if you want to get into it on a serious level then you are looking at quite a cost. Along with the equipment itself, you also have to pay lift ticket fees, pay for lodging, and pay to use many of the resort facilities.

However, it is possible to enjoy the great sport of skiing and still practice some level of frugality. Here are some ways that you can make your skiing adventure a bit more affordable:

• Used Equipment: As expensive as the equipment is for skiing, there is a way to go about obtaining all that you need without having to take out a second mortgage on your home; buy used. Many people, who have more money than they know what to do with, will buy skis, boots, and the like, use them for one season and then get rid of them in order to buy the newest ski fashions available. This is great news for you as you can pick up this hardly used ski equipment for a fraction of the cost when compared to new stuff. To find these great bargains start with online outlets such as eBay and conduct a search for "used ski equipment." You will be shocked with what you can pick up for a little bit of money.

• Choose Wisely: Skiing is great at almost any location you choose. It is just a fact that some ski resorts and ski mountains are going to be more expensive than others. If you take your time and choose wisely, you can enjoy an extended stay at a lesser known ski resort or ski mountain for about the same price as one day at a more popular ski resort or ski mountain would cost you.

• Stay Off Site: Staying in one of the lodges right on the ski resort is a great thrill, but it is also one that will cost you. Instead, you can choose to stay at a hotel near the ski resort and save yourself a good deal of money in the process. While you will not be able to wake up and walk right to the lift, you will be able to pocket a good deal of savings and that saving can be used for other necessities of your trip like buying food.

Skiing by and large is a "rich man's" sport, but that doesn't mean that the not-so-rich can't enjoy it as well. While you may not be able to afford a $1,000 a night stay at a top-notch ski resort, you can probably swing $50 a night at the Best Western down the road. When you combine that with your bargain ski equipment as well as your knack for choosing a cost effective ski mountain, you too will be able to enjoy all the best parts of skiing. Best of all, this can be done without having to worry about spending your kid's college savings.