4 ms·

How far south are you? I lived in Colorado Springs for a few years as a ski bum and all my friends in Denver used to mock me driving back and forth, but my rent

How far south are you? I lived in Colorado Springs for a few years as a ski bum and all my friends in Denver used to mock me driving back and forth, but my rent was almost $500 cheaper living in Springs. You're 100% right though.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
scblock 1y ago
Commuting from the Springs to Denver every day, so 22-23 days a month, 60-70 miles one way... Is that worth $500? Quick math: $4/gallon, 35 mpg, 120 miles a day, so $14/day in gas, plus extra maintenance, and the 3 hours a day of your life you'll never get back. Couldn't claim with a straight face myself that the math works.
- throaway920181 1y ago
  If he was a "ski bum" I'm guessing he wasn't commuting to Denver, but to get to the mountains up there he'd have to drive the extra distance sometimes.
- at-fates-hands 1y ago
  For me, I just saw it as disposable income. I was making good money at the time and it never really occurred to me it might not be a great deal. I just figured I had $500 more to do what I wanted. And caveat, I wasn't going every day, A lot of the back and forth was variable depending on weather and conditions. The sad part is you can't either these days thanks to Vail. Also, gas was a LOT cheaper back then - it was hovering around $1.75 if I remember correctly so the math works a little better, but not really ideal.
DaveZale 1y ago
just a little west of Pueblo. We're about 1/3 of the cost of living in the Denver area. We get plenty of migrants from the Denver area and elsewhere. Of course, the sales tax and other taxes are going up. Probably heading to a truly rural area with a nice community soon. I lived in many big cities over the years. They are toxic and unsafe. I know that because I worked in public health. If you look at the morbidity and mortality by zip code, you'll see yourself. Affordable city living has a dark side. Not to say that city life isn't great when you're in your 20s or 30s. It is fun and jobs are everywhere. But I've seen enough fatal car crashes for a lifetime.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- soared 1y ago
  Healthcare and schools in that part of the state are so bad that it doesn’t make sense for young families and older people.
  - at-fates-hands 1y ago
    As I get older, this is a constant concern. I'm like OP and just want to pull the chute and move out to somewhere in Wyoming or Idaho up in the mountains and not worry. Then I think, "Bro, you're getting older, you have a heart attack or something worse and you'll be dead by the time the ambulance gets to your place." So I'm back to trying to find a state and city that has good access to healthcare. We're a year from being empty nesters with both kids off to college so education isn't important. But I very much have the same reasoning.
    - soared 1y ago
      It’s tough - people from all the states around CO drive to uc health for things like cancer/etc. Risk/reward I suppose.
- rsync 1y ago
  “just a little west of Pueblo …” Canon City in the house.
  - DaveZale 1y ago
    Greybar Hotels! The Supermax... some bad hombres

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

scblock 1y ago

Commuting from the Springs to Denver every day, so 22-23 days a month, 60-70 miles one way... Is that worth $500? Quick math: $4/gallon, 35 mpg, 120 miles a day, so $14/day in gas, plus extra maintenance, and the 3 hours a day of your life you'll never get back. Couldn't claim with a straight face myself that the math works.

throaway920181 1y ago
If he was a "ski bum" I'm guessing he wasn't commuting to Denver, but to get to the mountains up there he'd have to drive the extra distance sometimes.
at-fates-hands 1y ago
For me, I just saw it as disposable income. I was making good money at the time and it never really occurred to me it might not be a great deal. I just figured I had $500 more to do what I wanted. And caveat, I wasn't going every day, A lot of the back and forth was variable depending on weather and conditions. The sad part is you can't either these days thanks to Vail. Also, gas was a LOT cheaper back then - it was hovering around $1.75 if I remember correctly so the math works a little better, but not really ideal.

DaveZale 1y ago

just a little west of Pueblo. We're about 1/3 of the cost of living in the Denver area. We get plenty of migrants from the Denver area and elsewhere. Of course, the sales tax and other taxes are going up. Probably heading to a truly rural area with a nice community soon. I lived in many big cities over the years. They are toxic and unsafe. I know that because I worked in public health. If you look at the morbidity and mortality by zip code, you'll see yourself. Affordable city living has a dark side. Not to say that city life isn't great when you're in your 20s or 30s. It is fun and jobs are everywhere. But I've seen enough fatal car crashes for a lifetime.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
soared 1y ago
Healthcare and schools in that part of the state are so bad that it doesn’t make sense for young families and older people.
- at-fates-hands 1y ago
  As I get older, this is a constant concern. I'm like OP and just want to pull the chute and move out to somewhere in Wyoming or Idaho up in the mountains and not worry. Then I think, "Bro, you're getting older, you have a heart attack or something worse and you'll be dead by the time the ambulance gets to your place." So I'm back to trying to find a state and city that has good access to healthcare. We're a year from being empty nesters with both kids off to college so education isn't important. But I very much have the same reasoning.
  - soared 1y ago
    It’s tough - people from all the states around CO drive to uc health for things like cancer/etc. Risk/reward I suppose.
rsync 1y ago
“just a little west of Pueblo …” Canon City in the house.
- DaveZale 1y ago
  Greybar Hotels! The Supermax... some bad hombres