Winter Months

[Elliott]

Well, you can always use the trailer that came with it - take a trip(s) to warm weather/water during the winter.

 

[Enduro900]

I dont want to advocate for irresponsible spending, but I also know of no one that ever said on their death bed “I wish I would have saved more”

I am also sure a lot of people die wishing they would have spent more time with their families........

A household budget should always be done. if there is money available for boats, etc that could be found consider it. If the monthly outlay will keep you up at night/take food off the table, maybe find a way to open up the funds elsewhere (cut the cord, look for lower cost cell service, etc). I opened up $200 a month by just doing those 2 things.....also spend the time to look at all insurances (house, cars, life, etc) and see if there are less expensive companies. We dropped the auto insurance costs about $150 a month finding a different company and pre-paying every six months instead of a monthly payment.

I will also look at the longest terms/lowest payments available. Terrible financial strategy....yet less stress for my “life tax” strategy. I never end up going full term anyway, and that gives me the opportunity to get what I want now to use now. I bought my winter stuff 4 years ago knowing my financial position was going to change in the future and went with my lowest payment option. My future is now as all my kids are now on their own for car and insurance costs, other costs, etc, which has now opened up about $1k per month in our budget we didn’t have 4 years ago. So I can pay off the winter stuff much faster (double/triple payments) and hopefully we can get a boat in the next 2 seasons.

 

[Yambers]

I love all the replies about skiing, hunting, snowmobiling, etc. All of them are great activities. But they all have 1 flaw.. As @anmut put it, "I f'ing hate cold weather". lol

Ok. Ok. cold weather ins't that bad, except for boating. I agree with "making memories". I agree with budgets. I agree with accepting that you have to make the payment, insurance, etc.. I agree with all of that. I guess more of my point is directed at the fact that I would probably obsess about getting it out. I would probably drive the wife and kids crazy. Like in my original post, I would be the guy sitting in the boat in January dreaming about being on the water..

You have all given me ideas to occupy my time though. I'm not a big hunter, but I love things with motors. I bet I can convince the wife that quads are a good year round investment. lol

 

[Yambers]

Well, you can always use the trailer that came with it - take a trip(s) to warm weather/water during the winter.

I have already informed the family that all future vacations will encompass the boat. No question. haha

 

[Yambers]

I dont want to advocate for irresponsible spending, but I also know of no one that ever said on their death bed “I wish I would have saved more”

I am also sure a lot of people die wishing they would have spent more time with their families........

A household budget should always be done. if there is money available for boats, etc that could be found consider it. If the monthly outlay will keep you up at night/take food off the table, maybe find a way to open up the funds elsewhere (cut the cord, look for lower cost cell service, etc). I opened up $200 a month by just doing those 2 things.....also spend the time to look at all insurances (house, cars, life, etc) and see if there are less expensive companies. We dropped the auto insurance costs about $150 a month finding a different company and pre-paying every six months instead of a monthly payment.

I will also look at the longest terms/lowest payments available. Terrible financial strategy....yet less stress for my “life tax” strategy. I never end up going full term anyway, and that gives me the opportunity to get what I want now to use now. I bought my winter stuff 4 years ago knowing my financial position was going to change in the future and went with my lowest payment option. My future is now as all my kids are now on their own for car and insurance costs, other costs, etc, which has now opened up about $1k per month in our budget we didn’t have 4 years ago. So I can pay off the winter stuff much faster (double/triple payments) and hopefully we can get a boat in the next 2 seasons.

Completely agree with budgeting, and pretty much everything else you said.. I am in the same boat (pun intended) as you. I recently found myself with disposable cash I didn't have prior. Invest some, pay off other bills, add more to 401k, save some, and spend some..

 

[Enduro900]

I love all the replies about skiing, hunting, snowmobiling, etc. All of them are great activities. But they all have 1 flaw.. As @anmut put it, "I f'ing hate cold weather". lol

Ok. Ok. cold weather ins't that bad, except for boating. I agree with "making memories". I agree with budgets. I agree with accepting that you have to make the payment, insurance, etc.. I agree with all of that. I guess more of my point is directed at the fact that I would probably obsess about getting it out. I would probably drive the wife and kids crazy. Like in my original post, I would be the guy sitting in the boat in January dreaming about being on the water..

You have all given me ideas to occupy my time though. I'm not a big hunter, but I love things with motors. I bet I can convince the wife that quads are a good year round investment. lol

One other thing....and some of our 12-month warm weather area brothers may disagree....BUT I believe having shorter seasons allows for you to never get quite enough.....and then the excitement when “x season” is about to start.

In other words, because the snowmobiling season is so short, I never get enough, and therefore yes I actually get excited for winter. If I didn’t ride (or ski) I would HATE winter......

And now I want to add a boat into the mix myself....so I can “enjoy” the heat of summer more.....

 

[Yambers]

One other thing....and some of our 12-month warm weather area brothers may disagree....BUT I believe having shorter seasons allows for you to never get quite enough.....and then the excitement when “x season” is about to start.

In other words, because the snowmobiling season is so short, I never get enough, and therefore yes I actually get excited for winter. If I didn’t ride (or ski) I would HATE winter......

And now I want to add a boat into the mix myself....so I can “enjoy” the heat of summer more.....

Well said. Maybe my "anxiety" is better put as "excitement". Squeeze out every bit you can while you can.

With that said, what other hobbies does everyone have for the off season?

 

[Joshua Miller]

Well said. Maybe my "anxiety" is better put as "excitement". Squeeze out every bit you can while you can.

With that said, what other hobbies does everyone have for the off season?

Off season is my “mod” season. That’s usually when all the group buys are anyway so I save a little money and take my time with the seadek and audio install and then Shazam it’s like I have a brand new boat come spring!

 

[viper15]

There are tons of people here in central WI that absolutely hate winter ... I am certainly not one of them. I love living here. But what I have noticed about that group is that they don't do anything in the winter. They huddle up inside their house and bitch until spring comes. If you live in a cold weather state, the best thing you can do is get outside and find something (ANYTHING) to do. Hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, bowling league, snow shoeing, skating, pool league, cross country skiing, etc. etc. There really are tons of great stuff to do in the winter and many don't cost a whole lot of money. What speaks to you is something only you can figure out.

 

[WiskyDan]

I’m an avid snowboarder - been riding for 20+ years. If you live in Wisconsin and don’t have a reason to look forward to the cold and snow the winter seems to last forever.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

Another year and a half and I'll be using mine all summer in the WV hills and all winter in the FL sun. Life is good!

Eastern Panhandle here. Where are you? Funny, my plan is the same, substitute SC for FLA.

 

[Noko]

I'm going to retire to northern Wis from Alaska. I love northern Wis. Last year people were complaining about all the snow, I was laughing. Snowmobiling is just awesome.

 

[Enduro900]

Here is my son from our last trip in March:

 

[Yambers]

Looks like a blast..

 

[I_squared_r]

My boat sits in a storage yard out of sight out of mind. I Mountain bike through the fall and spring. I go on vacation to hot climates during the winter. Winter is my time to save money and focus on the gym.

The boat payment doesn't bother me because I bought a used 19ft and financed at a low rate. The monthly payment is 5% of my monthly income so I dont sweat it. I parked the money for the boat in CD's giving me 2.8% and my boat loan was 4.84% (used boat) so the interest was minimal.. but the rates dived to 0.5 to 0.8 so now im looking to just pay it off. I dont like the idea of paying nearly $1000 interest for the next 4 years.

 

[ourlee]

May suggest using cash.

 

[biffdotorg]

I love all the replies about skiing, hunting, snowmobiling, etc. All of them are great activities. But they all have 1 flaw.. As @anmut put it, "I f'ing hate cold weather". lol

I happen to work for Microsoft, and am based out of the the second largest campus to Redmond, and most Northern campus here in Fargo, ND. It's an entry point for many young professionals, as they don't consider Fargo a destination resort of course. But they feel it is the proverbial "foot in the door" and they bitch about a week of -20f, or wind that sucks your will to live. They hope to put in their time, just long enough to be transferred to Dublin, Sydney, Redmond, or Dallas area and warmer weather. The rest of us just giggle and and watch them flow through, knowing we are 45 minutes from the Heart of Minnesota lakes.

My first suggestion to these young professionals right out of college making 6-digit salaries, is go buy some clothes. It's that simple. We spend thousands of dollars on good quality clothing that is waterproof but breathes. It's pretty amazing how much of a good time you can have below zero when you are comfortable. There is no reason in the world for someone to hate the cold, other than going outside in crocks a yoga pants like a fool in this weather.

We dress for he occasion, and enjoy what has been given to us. (and taken away every few months)

 

[WiskyDan]

Got heated storage for $96 per month ($4 per linear foot) so $672 for seven months.

Gonna try to get on the lake one time this week (close to 80 tomorrow and Wednesday) and this Saturday which should be in middle 70's.

 

[the MfM]

May suggest using cash.

Makes days like this easier to take when you only have a few bucks into your boat.

 

[Dixie Highway]

Move to the Gulf coast, 9 month season with opportunities all year if the weather is nice a few days. Not going to swim but maybe a cruise in January?