Ski Towns and Suicide

Benny Profane wrote

Yeah, but, then, I assume, you had the sense to get a real job. There's a lot of traders on Wall Street and bond salesman who have your same memories. But they didn't get seduced to the point that they went beyond the point of no return.

Or did they become seduced to a shitty lifestyle being a trader or bond salesman on Wall Street? Tough sell on that one for me Benny.

Point is, you don't have to go to one extreme or another, you can actually find some nice balance between the two and have some $ and a good mountain town like lifestyle as well.

I couldn't hang in the city doing the rat race thing, that's like a nightmare worse than being a 50 year old ski bum. F- that.

I agree that the life sucks, but, if you play it right, you'll be retired at 50 with a Porsche in the garage and skiing whenever and where ever you want. No worries about food, shelter, and medical care. And old guys with money still get some. So, just sayin.....

Sad - I'm that 55 year old with my own house and a retirement plan in a ski community.
I hang with a ton of people making a living in town.    All super good kids -haven't heard of any suicides...  thankfully..
There are a bunch of jobs up here and more every day..  Just got to be motivated and not doing a ton of drugs..

dmc_hunter wrote

..  Just got to be motivated....

I'm motivated to work for a good salary, but I find it hard to be motivated to make $11 an hour ($22,000 a year for 40 hour weeks).

Tough to fund a retirement plan on that kind of money. Hell, it's tough to pay rent & eat on that salary.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

dmc_hunter wrote

..  Just got to be motivated....

I'm motivated to work for a good salary, but I find it hard to be motivated to make $11 an hour ($22,000 a year for 40 hour weeks).

Tough to fund a retirement plan on that kind of money. Hell, it's tough to pay rent & eat on that salary.

I hear ya...   But you gotta start somewhere...

dmc_hunter wrote

MC2 5678F589 wrote

dmc_hunter wrote

..  Just got to be motivated....

I'm motivated to work for a good salary, but I find it hard to be motivated to make $11 an hour ($22,000 a year for 40 hour weeks).

Tough to fund a retirement plan on that kind of money. Hell, it's tough to pay rent & eat on that salary.

I hear ya...   But you gotta start somewhere...

Most everybody starts there

What do you guys envision for a career path for people in ski towns, if that's how they start?

Toil at the same place and eventually get up to $15 an hour? ($30,000 a year)? Get training as a welder or HVAC installer and get up to $20-$30 an hour? Buy a truck and plow driveways before work?

My general point earlier in this thread was that even if someone works their ass off, they're still losing ground to people who buy a second home (maybe for cash) in a place where locals are struggling to afford a small house or a condo. Sone of the people who buy these second homes make $20k-$30k in dividends every year. They don't have to get up and plow driveways, they can just plow money into stocks.

I'm used to living frugally and not buying stuff, because I'm a cheap bastard, but I'd imagine it must be hard for people who move to ski towns with a dream of jumping into the "scene" when they eventually realize that they have to work 2-3 jobs just to afford basic necessities.

I guess I'm saying I agree with RA that ya gotta find a balance. Whether the balance is working 3 jobs in a ski town to "live the dream", making a bunch of money then being an old part-time stoner ski bum like Benny, or having a decent job but living 2 hours away from skiing, it's an individual decision.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

 
I guess I'm saying I agree with RA that ya gotta find a balance. Whether the balance is working 3 jobs in a ski town to "live the dream", making a bunch of money then being an old part-time stoner ski bum like Benny, or having a decent job but living 2 hours away from skiing, it's an individual decision.

I think you just answered your own question. It's different for everyone and there isn't a bad choice.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

What do you guys envision for a career path for people in ski towns, if that's how they start?
 

Just about everyone I know that lives in a ski town - hustles...
Hunter is no exception.    Lot's of my friends have decent jobs working around town.  But most work multiple jobs..
Rent isn't too bad here..  But I suspect the Air BnB market will change this a bit..

dmc_hunter wrote

MC2 5678F589 wrote

dmc_hunter wrote

..  Just got to be motivated....

I'm motivated to work for a good salary, but I find it hard to be motivated to make $11 an hour ($22,000 a year for 40 hour weeks).

Tough to fund a retirement plan on that kind of money. Hell, it's tough to pay rent & eat on that salary.

I hear ya...   But you gotta start somewhere...

Problem is, that's where a lot end up at 55. With no savings and health insurance. Ski patrollers are easily replaced.

They know that going into it so it's no surprise when it happens.

Benny Profane wrote

dmc_hunter wrote

MC2 5678F589 wrote

dmc_hunter wrote

..  Just got to be motivated....

I'm motivated to work for a good salary, but I find it hard to be motivated to make $11 an hour ($22,000 a year for 40 hour weeks).

Tough to fund a retirement plan on that kind of money. Hell, it's tough to pay rent & eat on that salary.

I hear ya...   But you gotta start somewhere...

Problem is, that's where a lot end up at 55. With no savings and health insurance. Ski patrollers are easily replaced.

I can see that happening a lot for sure.
The weekend volunteers have it right. Good benefits on the hill for the family - other things...

MC2 5678F589 wrote

What do you guys envision for a career path for people in ski towns, if that's how they start?

Real estate sales. And then owning rental property.

👨‍🍳  🍪

Resort rental property is a loser. The only guys making our are the developers, particularly in the NE.

In the NE, for retirees, if you need to subsidize your lift ticket, stuffing butts in chairs on the weekends for free weekday skiing isnt so bad.

If you want to make a “living” at it, for the most part your screwed. Maybe ORDA offers some benies, I don’t know. Just like anything else, you need to offer a product that people are willing to pay for.

My suggestion is to get a good education, work you ass off both in the office and out (meaning stay fit), and maybe when you are 50 you can kick back and have a great time.

What most type A people find out is that the dream is nothing like the reality.

Agree in your career work hard,  save agressively and invest well , live below your means but not like an ascetic .

Then you can cut loose in your early fifties .

You need to be disciplined in both your financial life and your physical conditioning and then you have your next 25 plus yrs to play and ,enjoy the fruits of your work , achieve a pretty nice exiistance and beat the rat race . You then can get busy making a life not simply a living . But as others have stated you need to be intellectually engaged even after you leave  the rat race in the rear view mirror

PeeTex wrote

Resort rental property is a loser. The only guys making our are the developers, particularly in the NE.

In the NE, for retirees, if you need to subsidize your lift ticket, stuffing butts in chairs on the weekends for free weekday skiing isnt so bad.

If you want to make a “living” at it, for the most part your screwed. Maybe ORDA offers some benies, I don’t know. Just like anything else, you need to offer a product that people are willing to pay for.

My suggestion is to get a good education, work you ass off both in the office and out (meaning stay fit), and maybe when you are 50 you can kick back and have a great time.

What most type A people find out is that the dream is nothing like the reality.

NE rental market sucks, not much in summer and fall, Spring is for flying bugs. But some markets out west are almost year round.