There are no two ways about it; Skiing is expensive! Prices in resorts always seem to be inflated. Ski passes are costly, accommodation is expensive, renting gear is expensive, and food prices continue to be inflated. It’s easy to blow your budget very quickly in a ski resort but don’t worry, The Hoodie Co has your back, and we are going to reveal some of the best ways to hit the slopes on a budget.

If you follow these ten tips and tricks to skiing on a budget, then you will be able to ski more often and for longer:

1. Choose a cheap resort

The first thing to do is try and pick a cheap resort. For example, the resorts in Japan and Canada have lower costs all-round than resorts in Europe, Australia and the USA. There are stacks of options. Some of the bigger more frequented resorts are Niseko and Hakuba in Japan or Whistler Blackcomb in Canada. Don’t discount the small and medium resorts as they will blow your mind and often can have cheaper accommodation, season passes and overall living costs. A few of the other Japanese resorts worth looking into are Nozawaonsen, Furano, Myoko and Rusutsu. Some of the other resorts in Canada are Big White, Silver Star, Sunshine, Fernie, Sun Peaks, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Panorama, Red Mountain, Lake Louise, Apex, Cypress and White Water near Nelson. There are many more as well.

2. Organize your accommodation early

The early bird gets the worm and so if you want cheap accommodation, then you need to book it early in the year. The best thing to do is contact hostels, which must have a kitchen, and ask them for their best price for the season. Most places are willing to negotiate with you if you are booking early and are flexible with the dates you visit.

3. Invest in a season pass

If you are willing to book early then you can get some great deals on season passes. All resorts offer season passes and if you are going to ski for more than two weeks, then a season pass is usually worth the money. Early bird deals often finish months before the season starting so it’s worth looking into sooner rather than later.

4. Spring skiing deals – Buy weekly or monthly lift tickets or half-day tickets and don’t forget your student ID.

If you are not willing to stay in a resort for the whole snow season then another excellent way to save money while enjoying the snow is to by buying a weekly ticket or half day tickets. Often the resorts offer big discounts toward the end of the season. Sometimes you can buy a month pass for only a few hundred dollars. If you like spring conditions this is a really good way of saving money. You will usually get an additional discount if you are a student.

5. Bring your gear and save big bucks.

Bringing your gear is a must! By the time you rent equipment for a week or two, you could have bought yourself a whole new set. For cheap snowboard boots, bindings, snowboards ski’s, thermals, jackets, pants, gloves, socks, goggles, hoodies, spray jackets, coaches jackets and apparel you will find the best cheap deals online outside of the winter season. Don’t be afraid to look for cheap deals online. You could look into buying a second-hand pair of skies or board too. Or purchasing last season’s models can save you 40 – 70% off RRP.
Also make sure you order your wholesale custom hoodie or jacket before you head off – contact us for custom designs and prints.

6. Pack your lunch and snacks

Restaurants are a rip-off on the slopes, that’s no secrete. Eating out is going to cost you at least $40 a day. So why not save this money by going to the supermarket and buying the ingredients to make sandwiches for lunch. Then just order a coffee at any cafeteria and eat your sandwich in comfort.

7. Cook at home

Always make sure that your accommodation has a kitchen that you can use. Buying at supermarkets and cooking at home saves a lot of money. Cook breakfast and dinner at home and make a packed lunch. You can even make a large batch for dinner and have it for lunch the next day.

8. Always pre-drink

Going out on the town and want to have a little fun? Drinking is expensive, especially in ski towns. You can easily blow $100 or more a round-buying drinks for you and your mates. Some pre-going out drinks will help save you a lot of money. Pre-drink at home before hitting the hot spots.

9. Share, share share!

Going skiing with a group it will easily cut costs. You can share accommodation, alcohol, grocery shopping, cooking time and even gear if you need to. So try to get a group together because its always more fun that way anyway. Organise your group a Tall hoodie and score a free one for yourself with The Hoodie Co.

give yourself the elite title of ‘Season Bum’

10. Consider working the season

By far the cheapest option to go skiing or boarding is to fulfil that dream and go for the whole season at a resort, and an even cheaper option is to stay and work in the local town just a bit further away. Most resorts provide their workers with shared accommodation and a season pass. Or buy that early bird season pass and rent a room for the season. The cost per day will come right down and you can even give yourself the elite title of ‘Season Bum’ If you work it well you will get some income at the same time and be able to enjoy the slopes in your downtime. If you are lucky, you may even break even. Ahhh that’s the life of a ski bum!