 Poster: A snowHead
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Lizzard, can you tell me where abouts in WesTaylor, post is the 'answer'???
He simply states that he has got 12k and is 19 years old, works for 5 months - thats £2400 a month put away in savings....
I go back to my original post in this topic - about the standard of living in order to facilitate such a level of savings.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
I go back to my original post in this topic - about the standard of living in order to facilitate such a level of savings.
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Minimal, obviously. Didn't we already establish that? 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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aldoyle, the younger generations of seasonnaires probably live low-rent or even rent-free with family during their working months in the UK. When I did a season, I'd just finished Uni, had to give up my student bedsit and was sleeping on my sister's sofa whilst job hunting. Escaping all that stress for 4-5 months seemed like a great idea at the time. OK it wasn't enough of an income to make a dent in my graduate debt but my TO job included food and lodgings plus season lift pass and a little bit of spending money.
The older generations of seasonnaires are probably on a very high income or have paid off their UK mortgages. I think it would be extremely difficult for anyone who is on a moderate income with a mortgage. For most people, getting that sort of time off work would be impossible too, so it would mean leaving their job, and then finding another when they return. All a bit unrealistic. But someone who is self-employed might manage to make enough money during the off-season to fund a non-working season if they worked every day in a high-fee industry.
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aldoyle, Why does the money needed to do a season have to be generated in one year. Could 'you' not save over two or three years. Or am I missing something?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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of course cad99uk, and i again state, this isnt about me...... if I wanted to go and do a season, I'd be able to go and do it no problems. I was simply intrigued by how many people seem to find it realistic to talk of such numbers between 10-14k been saved in 7 months and the like.
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aldoyle, the post I was responding to was implying - I thought - that anyone who can spend a season in the mountains was probably born with a silver spoon, or "lucky" and that you weren't either. Sorry if I misinterpreted.
For many people (as Kel has explained) getting the time off work might be the biggest problem - if they are not prepared to take the risk on finding a job afterwards which for people with family responsibilities is a big issue (I wouldn't have done it either). The money, for many people, is probably less of a hurdle, given that spending four months in the mountains is not something you'd expect to do every year.
As for saving, I entirely agree that few people could save £14K in 7 months - and that not many young people have that cash "sloshing around". Nobody has claimed that they do, as far as I can see, though many people who have been saving for a while have investments (ISAs etc) of at least that kind of value. There are thousands of people who go every year on cruises costing that kind of money. I think they're bonkers, when they could do a season in the Alps instead.
But for someone with no commitments earning more than twice the starting salary of a qualified midwife in the NHS, it should be eminently possible to save it in a year. The secret is to spend less. 
Frosty, Marcellus when we have friends and relatives to stay I have learnt to establish right up front that we can't afford to subsidise people's holidays, and that they'll need to contribute £X to stay and eat with us for the week or £Y if they want me to pick them up from Geneva airport. We don't eat out on the mountain very often - we make that 100% clear too. They're mostly in the "soup and a bread roll" category anyway - and if they want to eat out in the evening, they generally invite us too, and they pay. If they're the "young and in love" kind we generally suggest they might want to eat out "a deux" one evening and advise them which are the best restaurants. I have even been known to pick them up and drive them home. But I'm always happy to cook in the evenings if, as is usually the case, they're young, in love and poor.
People always offer to help, but I have a small kitchen and I can't stand people faffing round getting in my way. Competent cooks who offer to plan, shop and produce a complete meal are most welcome!
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hmmmm, soup in a bread roll 
Me and the mrs are planning getting a season or two in without returning in the summertime. Never really works out as a viable or sensible choice but thats not the point is it, I`d rather die happier than live longer and wealthier.
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kill_reign, I really like that idea, coming home to work my proverbial butt off for the summer and leaving the alps behind doesn't appeal.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hmmm, how do I afford to do this?
Rent mid- Nov to end of April - $2750
Utilities, same - $750
Food, maximum - $100 per week so $2400
Car tax, insurance for the year - $1000
So that cost would be $6900 (did I add it correctly?) That's US dollars.
Add another $1000 or so for other stuff including storage for the summer for my car, and replacing equipment. So about $8000 at the moment.
Flights from the UK - £470
Insurance - £656
So I have to allow about $10000 for my season, which is less than I make while working - and I haven't added the cost of training and clinics for examinations. 
Could I save £2000 a month for 7 months - yes, easily if I actually had work full-time. Do I save that much? No, but that's due to the current economy.
I've now been doing this for 5 years - working in Europe in the summer and over here in the winter - so far I have managed to save money every year and will probably do so again this year, even though I only had 6 1/2 weeks of work from May 1st until now - which was absolutely awful. 
It all depends on what you want out of life - I love what I do, but I miss out on other parts of life, and I put up with a lot of other stuff so that I can do this!
And I'm not partcularily young!
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Peter Leuzzi, 2 gammy knees, one hell of a panda tan and a couple of inches round the midriff from all the beer and fondue....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| aldoyle wrote: |
seriously. as someone has kind of mentioned above....
who the feck has 14k sitting around? let alone 5k!?
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I do /did - I do jack all when I've got home cos I stole loads of money from the banks... makes a change from them stealing it from us.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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bertie bassett, wow, you sound like an amazing person.
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| aldoyle wrote: |
| bertie bassett, wow, you sound like an amazing person. |
I am mate, but stupid comments deserve stupid responses....
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You know it makes sense.
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I spent three years saving for my season and its three years that have not gone into the pension. Who knows if it was the eright thing to do but it was certainly the very best thing I ever did in my whole life. Just getting off the mouse wheel for a while was great, if you've got no kids I really don't see why most people could not do what they do here somewhere in the mountains or at least in a neighboring city
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Frosty wrote: |
| I spent three years saving for my season and its three years that have not gone into the pension. Who knows if it was the eright thing to do but it was certainly the very best thing I ever did in my whole life. Just getting off the mouse wheel for a while was great, if you've got no kids I really don't see why most people could not do what they do here somewhere in the mountains or at least in a neighboring city |
Well said.
I took the quicker route - get made redundant and blow the payoff
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Poster: A snowHead
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It would cost me my marriage, job, house, car ............... looks like a fair trade but I would miss my car.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Was about a maximum of £ 15 000 for nearly a season in Verbier.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Frosty,
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Who knows if it was the eright thing to do
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is answered pretty well by
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it was certainly the very best thing I ever did in my whole life
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Anyone can do it, it's just about priorities. If you don't want to give up your job and/or sell your house it just means you have different priorities from those who do or did, it's not right or wrong either way. Anyway the less people doing it the more snow for me.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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bertie bassett, explain which of my comments were 'stupid'.....?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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aldoyle, I will do it on his behalf. Anyone who cracks on to earning £50k a year and has no commitments other than rent and running a car. If said person does not have a very lavish lifestyle and cannot raise £14k, indeed does not have this amount and more stashed away, then this person IMHO is talking utter cr@p. I mean the cost of rent and general living cost's in Preston aern't exactly excessive are they, I do know I live about 15 miles away.
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come on guys don`t turn it into a flame fest, was quite an interesting thread to begin with. Still got some interesting comments too I believe, but i`m gonna stop reading if it turns into just poo-poo flinging.
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haha they auto-block sware words.
lady's front bottom
back bottom
poo-poo
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hahahaha
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Kel, as ive already pointed out, the amount you'd need to put away per month in order to save 14k is rather high against 50k salary. A lavish lifestyle? How would you define a lavish lifestyle? I wouldnt say that I have such a thing, as mentioned previously. There is obviously some mystification as to how much a 50k salary actually is!
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Kel, if I had as many holidays as you do, and money was not too much of an issue, I think I'd consider renting somewhere for the season, buying a season pass, booking off a selection of Mondays and Fridays throughout the season, plus a few full weeks and booking cheap flights as soon as they are released. You could fit in a huge number of days skiing for less than the cost of a full season, and no need to take a sabbatical from work.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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aldoyle, why do you think we are mystified as to what a 50K salary is? I expect quite a few of us know perfectly well, though probably few of us earned it at a young age, with no dependents, so we could spend it all on ourselves every month. Or others maybe earning considerably less, but still managing to save.
OK, no problem, you don't want to do a ski season enough to save up for it. That's your decision. It just irritating when you somehow seem to think that you're missing out because others are luckier, born with a silver spoon, or not telling you about the stash of used £10 notes they found in an old shed at the bottom of the garden.
As I pointed out earlier, you earn more than twice the starting salary of a qualified midwife in the NHS. I know one (girlfriend of my nephew). Lovely girl, lives a perfectly OK lifestyle, goes snowboarding, works very hard. Don't suppose she saves much, at all. But you could, should you choose to do so. We don't know what you spend your money on - do you want to share your budget and we could maybe make some suggestions?
You don't have to save it all up in a year - frosty took three.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| aldoyle wrote: |
seriously. as someone has kind of mentioned above....
who the feck has 14k sitting around? let alone 5k!?
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This was the comment I referred to as stupid - I'd be surprised if a good proportion of Snowheads didnd't have 5K tucked away in a savings account somewhere. Whether they choose spend it on a season or not is their decision. As others have said above it's not impossible to save that kind of money over a given period provided that you are paid enough to have disposable income and work on reducing your costs so that you can put money away at the end of the month. If you're on 50K you're taking home £2,900 per month give or take (ref: http://www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk/salary.php) - on that take home pay I'd be disappointed if I wasn't saving £500 per month myself without wife/kids/mortgage - 1 year later you've got 6K, 2 years you've got 12K which we all seem to agree is enough to do the season in some style.
I know of some salespeople who have earned 5K in commissions in one month when they've signed a good deal for their company. Other ways of making that money include getting made redundant and getting a payout in lieu of notice - this also removes the worry about quitting your job and I'm sure there are many other ways of making 5K
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Swirly, well you right of course but I may well spend my retirement in poverty but with some good memories. Mind you there's a lot to be said for "bouncing your last cheque"...
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You know it makes sense.
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aldoyle, if I'd earned £50,000 for the past year I'd have £25,000 sitting in the bank at this very minute. As it is I earn bog all and still have enough lying about to fund a season without working (not that I'm about to blow it all on that particular project right this minute). What on earth are you doing with it all? 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Anyone with £25k in a bank account at todays rate of interest needs to get out more
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Poster: A snowHead
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They also advise you should have the equivalent of 3 months' income tucked away for use in a rainy day (particularly at the moment).
Maybe aldoyle, has large loan repayments from student days? That could take up a big chunk of income, and of course you should pay debts off first before saving.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| kill_reign wrote: |
| come on guys don`t turn it into a flame fest, was quite an interesting thread to begin with. Still got some interesting comments too I believe, but i`m gonna stop reading if it turns into just poo-poo flinging. |
oh well there goes the neighbourhood.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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When I started this thread I had a feeling this would provoke thought and comment. Frankly, how someone spends, saves or makes their own money is down to them. Some people are born into it (not a choice) some people make career choices whioch prove fruitful and some people make do. Its horses for courses. Shame that there have been a few "pops" thrown in by people. Its not really neccessary is it?
Anyway. I am not a 20 something with a few savings, and no committments. I'm a late 30 something (my passport suggest early 40's ) and I made very risky career choices several years ago. I am lucky they came off and I don't need to worry about where I will get the money. I was not born with a silver spoon, I have working stock parents who guided me well. I have two kids under 10 and am really happy with my life. I was lucky enough to do a full summer surfing in the mid 90's in south-west France, Spain and Portugal and it remains the best experience of my life. I would love to do it in the snow but as you can see I have some hard core constraints. Or do I? What you think?
BTW. I love the sound of
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I think I'd consider renting somewhere for the season, buying a season pass, booking off a selection of Mondays and Fridays throughout the season, plus a few full weeks and booking cheap flights as soon as they are released. You could fit in a huge number of days skiing for less than the cost of a full season, and no need to take a sabbatical from work.
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Anyone want to help me put a figure on that one? Suppose you could sub-let to friends and family too?
What do you think?
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I've just done the last 4 FULL seasons in Tignes (end of Nov to 2nd week of May ie 24 weeks), staying in le Lac or Lavachet, and not working a single day out there. Travelling both ways by car, parking up in the free car parks.
Based on 2 sharing a 4 person appartment, you should be able to do a season without scrimping (ie eat properly, got out for a drink when you want) for £7,500.
This includes accommodation, travel there & back, lift-pass, full season insurance (inc off-piste cover), Carte Neige, food, drink, the odd day out to other resorts, phone, replacing skis in the end of season sales and a safety net of funds.
And the number of days on the mountain in a season - between 151 and 164 (OK, on that one I went out a week early!).
Stop finding excuses & go do it.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Kenzie, nice one. What are your personal circumstances, if I may ask ie marital status, off-spring, job? In other words, how do you make it work?
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Go now! Before the schools pile on the pressure of GCSE's on to you
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Mrs L is a bigger pressure there. She is an absolute stickler for not taking them out of school, maintaining stability etc, whereas I'd like to think of it as a life experience. Alas, the boss is The Boss (fortunately she looks nowt like Bruce Springsteen)
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Peter Leuzzi, someone on here did a season with their son last winter, think it was Anniepen but I'm really bad at remembering names.
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| beanie1 wrote: |
| Kel, if I had as many holidays as you do, and money was not too much of an issue, I think I'd consider renting somewhere for the season, buying a season pass, booking off a selection of Mondays and Fridays throughout the season, plus a few full weeks and booking cheap flights as soon as they are released. You could fit in a huge number of days skiing for less than the cost of a full season, and no need to take a sabbatical from work. |
That is something I have considered, indeed now the kids are more or less off our hands, I have a friend in a similar situation who I could share a studio with. Makes sense.
I also know someone who is semi retired, who has a fantastic winterised Hymer motorhome does a few weeks parks up at a compound near Geneva, goes home for a few weeks then returns. He also does the same for the Summer, his only regret is He didn't purchase a LH drive model as He was expecting to spend as time over here. All pre-planned, simple I just haven't got the spare £80k his motorhome cost him.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Peter Leuzzi, someone on here did a season with their son last winter, think it was Anniepen but I'm really bad at remembering names.
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Close Swirly,
Do it, do it, do it, do it do it! Am I making myself clear!?
150% no regrets having done it last year with The Bogee then 11 - He had an amazing time which I've no doubt will stay with him for life. He's streets ahead in ALL languages at his new secondary school, maintains contact with friends he made out there, has a much broader perspective than most of his classmates, has grown ten fold in confidence and for the benefit of Mrs L, slotted straight back into his old class as though he'd never been away. He also skis reasonably well!!!!
Probably cost us around £13k, a big chunk of which was offset by renting our house out here. It was more than worth every penny!
If you want any of the 'details' just ask.
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FAQ
