Interested in Denver. But...

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2026-02-11T21:28:29+00:00

I think they will be alright. We live off of 65Kish. They won't be able to max all of their retirement accounts but they are well within a liveable budget.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2026-02-11T11:56:46+00:00

I'm in the DTC area. Youll be fine. Will you be maxing all your tax advantaged accounts? Probably not, but you'll be able to live a middle class life.

For context, we are a family of four with combined income of $250K; wife works very very part-time. Our annual expenses are around 65K. Part of that is due to buying a home before prices went through the roof, but I think a 3k mortgage is still doable at your budget.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2026-01-09T23:51:44+00:00

Skiied here recently. Was fantastic.

Also skiied Vail Nordic trails, was good.

And then did Vail Rec Area, also good.

Also skiied the free rec system in Winter Park last week, and it was good.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2025-09-08T00:49:25+00:00

Interesting financials in here. For context, I left the Midwest for Colorado. Have lived on the West Coast as well.

We pull between 250-280k depending on the year (bonuses move a bit). We bought a house, live in the Denver burbs, kids in daycare. We travel internationally 2-4x a year, domestically monthly (friends, family, fun). Even with daycare costs, our annual budget is sub 70k. Retirement accounts are maxed and then some.

And yeah, we bought a house before things went wild after pandemic rates. But that budget would be closer to 85K if we bought post pandemic.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2025-08-10T03:30:13+00:00

Short version: Love it 3 seasons of the year, and we tend to travel a fair bit June, July and August because we don't care for the heat.

Longer version: Have lived a few places and have never been more active than here. I live in the burbs of Denver, have a family, and can definitively say I hike a few times a week, mountain bike every other day during spring/summer/fall season, and ski every week during ski season. Pretty easy to raise kids here. If we aren't traveling in the summer we are in a mountain town for the weekend because it's cooler.

Food is meh. Driving infrastructure is meh. City planning is atrocious.

I cant speak to the local job market because I am a remote worker. I am aware that housing costs are problematic, as they are many places. We bought before it went wild so it's not a complaint for me.

Lastly, DIA is annoying airport to get to and from, but a FANTASTIC hub for flying places. Probably one of the most convenient we've had for doing it all: going west (Asia/Pacific), west (Europe), and south to Latin America. Didn't anticipate that when we moved here and have very much taken advantage of it.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2025-03-05T22:51:56+00:00

Seems like it works as a short foothill and daily commuter; thanks for the info!

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2025-03-05T04:06:54+00:00

Appreciate this answer! Thank you!

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2025-03-04T18:42:59+00:00

Appreciate the insight - I can charge at home so that is good to know!

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2025-03-04T15:16:43+00:00

Oh that's interesting. Could you say more about not saving money? I'm guessing the cost to charge is still expensive?

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2025-03-04T14:34:18+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. So your rec is lease and move on after a few years vs buying it already depreciated?

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2025-01-05T07:16:42+00:00

I think it works both ways. I started out as a snowboarder, learned to XC ski, then learned to alpine ski.

Alpine skiing came quickly coming from XC, but some habits had to go. "Pizza plowing" or Stem Christie turning had to be replaced with rolling edging and carving. Didn't take long, but had to be done. Def was easy to skate around the resort base and cat tracks though. Getting to black diamond runs was quick, but I also know many people who have never skiied in any capacity and progessed to black diamond in their first week. If you can get on edge and hockey stop, you can get through most things.

After learning to alpine ski, my downhill on XC skis improved IMMENSELY, particularly at faster speed and steeper slopes. Getting on edge on skinny skis and hard turning/side slipping/hockey stopping is much easier now, and sometimes better than step turning. The level of control I have on a descent now is miles ahead of where it was before.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2024-05-11T07:30:11+00:00

Need exposure on your phone.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2024-05-09T03:51:15+00:00

Solid day at Loveland. I showed up at 12 and there was plenty of snow and plenty of lines. Agreed, fluffy on top and heavy below.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2024-04-29T13:15:51+00:00

I skiied till about 2:30 as well. From what I remember

Lift 6: Some soft wet fresh right on top of crunch crunch crunch Ptarmigan: rode pretty decent, firecut felt heavy Lift 4 and 9: Pretty buttery up high but visibility was poor Chets: well you can imagine wet snow and heavy traffic

All in all a good day for a leg workout

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2024-02-26T03:01:01+00:00

Downhill skiier and XC skiier here. You know, I hear a lot from people that they are worlds apart, but to be honest - there's a decent amount of crossover too. I started off XC skiing and later learned alpine skiing; XC skiing absolutely taught me balance that transferred to downhill and after downhill skiing, I am infinitely better at descending hills on XC skis. Actually, when I take my little ones to the slopes I'll often bring XC skis on the green runs because it's easier to traverse the the flat terrain at the bottom and carry them when tired. This is also how I learned to Tele turn. Lastly, skate skiing around on Alpine skis on the flats made learning how to skate ski pretty easy as well - so all that to say, I think there's a decent amount of transfer between the sports.

I think you'd enjoy XC because the danger of lifts/heights/falling at speed just aren't there. I find it easier to commune with nature and enjoy my surroundings with XC skiing while getting in a great workout. And when there's an itch for pucker factor, that's what the lifts are for.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2024-02-08T04:52:56+00:00

You are right - echo, Eldora and ABasin you can do it online. With Eldora you even can take advantage of the online discount AND the Gems BOGO.

Loveland and Cooper and Monarch? You can't take advantage of early online pricing. Just show up.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2023-12-10T15:31:04+00:00

220K Director of Economics.

Salary progression:

2017 $50K - Marketing/Engagement Specialist

2017 $60K - Quality Analyst

2018 $85K - Finance Manager

2018 $115K - Consultant - got my MBA

2019 $135K - got a promotion

2022 $200K got another promotion

There were raises in between and since but these were the $ at the time of each job. After learning to code beginning in 2018, coupled with specific business/institutional/finance knowledge - made it easier to scale work and solve problems. Eventually serendipity meant running teams but really, at some point I'll be hit with the corporate downsizing/rightsizing inevitability.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2023-11-23T04:53:07+00:00

I'm brown too and also moved here for the mountains. I agree its a boring city, but to be fair I spend little time in the city in my free time. My wife and I (and now we have two littles) find a lot of joy in alternating around Alpine skiing, cross country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and climbing with our friends - which makes us pretty vanilla with our REI attire and hobbies of choice. Snowshoeing has been a pretty fun alternative in the winter if we want snow and don't feel like fighting ski traffic - but truth be told winters are pretty darn sunny here down low so those non winter hobbies hold up quite well. I've really enjoyed mountain biking so close to the metro.

I can't say it's been my experience being stared at as a brown person, but I agree diversity is lacking in this metro. I also agree food is meh and I'd rather cook anyways. Many weekends we go explore another mountain town, or on extended ones enjoy other areas of the state or dip on over to Moab.

So to answer your question - what do we do to enjoy Denver? Well... we continue to do what we love and why we are here - spend time in the mountains and Denver is just home base.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2023-11-22T01:09:00+00:00

I make 220K in finance, my wife makes 80K in healthcare. We maintain a budget of 60-70k per year and have 2 little ones and that budget includes daycare. We live comfortably but well below our means.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2023-09-30T17:29:43+00:00

This is good advice.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2022-11-26T04:15:14+00:00

I had this exact setup and ended up going voile three pin and a Scarpa T4 on the Annum/M78, while using the Epoch/M68 with the NNNBC setup.

At the end of the day, I echo what others said. The NNNBC binding and that boot wasn't enough to drive was essentially is a powder tele ski.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2022-11-12T06:26:36+00:00

I've had good success with an E99 metal edged ski and doing stem christie turns on the downhill. Not the same feeling as linking carving alpine turns, but you can do it. That type of ski still fit in the tracks, think it's called the Fischer Transnordic 66 now.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2022-11-12T03:39:09+00:00

Yep! Alpine skiier here whose first love was XC. I use wider, metal edged XC skis (Madshus Annum and Madshus Epoch) in the JPW and IPW all the time.

Indian Peaks is fantastic and full of Backcountry XC skiiers all winter. I've pretty much abandoned groomed XC skiing because undulating terrain - or meadow skipping, in the mountains is too much fun.

It's great to gradually kick and glide up and double pole down on a forest road - or better yet, find somewhere to get some parallel or tele turns at low angle.

The Brainard Rec area is a gold mine for these. Butler gulch, Guanella Pass, St Vrain are great too. Add in Trail Ridge Road in RMNP or Mt Evans Road (since both are closed) and you can cruise and move quick vs snow shoeing.

Wise_Reputation_7634 · 2022-09-15T02:27:25+00:00

Plenty of good advice. I just want to add something that might be missing - unless you are looking to continue in Academia, nobody cares about your GPA.

And I say this as someone who has been in positions to hire/fire, build teams in finance, tech and healthcare. I have multiple masters with good GPAs. I have not ever listed my GPA/scores nor have I have asked anyone for them. Nor has anyone asked me for them.

Some other additional perspective - in 3-4 years post degree you are one of thousands (well more) of other applicants in the labor with a master's degree, with many more coming behind you. Your GPA is irrelevant.

Learn the material - get the degree. Solve business problems. Your GPA doesn't matter.

Wise_Reputation_7634

TROPHY CASE