Costs of living in the cold climes

[sesfw]

I also live in the Phoenix area, NE of the valley, and my biggest gripe is scorpions. Nasty little critters. A pest control company comes by every two months just to keep them out. We also fight with javelinas; they love my desert plants in the front yard.

We have solar water heating and this home is total electric.. Electric bill is $200+ during summer with A/C, and $100 in winter. Property taxes are the big thing. Living in Michigan the taxes were high enough so we downsized and moved. Taxes here are 1/4 the amount.

[Deleted]

The cold climate actually saves on housing and realestate. It is considered a less desirable place to live. COL where I live is much lower than California. If we were judging just by weather and geography I would probably prefer to live in a warmer place. But my friends and life are here and so I don't want to move at this time.

[Urban Chicago]

Actually, I have never bought a coat for my kids. My relatives are always looking for stuff to buy them anyway, and even if they didn't you can get coats (usually look like they've been worn one time, if at all) for very little money at used baby stores.

[The J]

Feb 3, 2011 10:27:44 GMT -5 @justaposter said:

The cold climate actually saves on housing and realestate. It is considered a less desirable place to live. COL where I live is much lower than California. If we were judging just by weather and geography I would probably prefer to live in a warmer place. But my friends and life are here and so I don't want to move at this time.

Depends on where the cold climate is. The cold climate by me in NY is more expensive than the vast majority of warm climates.

[Angel!]

Feb 2, 2011 12:28:22 GMT -5 Kung Fu Panda said:

From Houston perspective: Electric bill is $90 in the "Winter" - Spring and then up to 300 in the summer. I have Gas heat, which is about $50 in the cold months. I would think that the NE would have Gas bills in Hundreds in the winter, yet nobody is mentioning that? We have Hurricanes in the gulf south, but they only hit where you live 1 in 3 years or so..

A lot of that depends on rates in your area. I pay about $25 for gas in the summer and a little over $100 in the winter, although I am guessing this month will be quite a bit higher than my usual winter average.

As far as bugs - wasps & bees can survive, they just go dormant in the cold weather. I'm not sure how much of it is because of the cold & how much of it is because of the elevation (~6000 ft), but we have no fleas, no roaches, & no termites around here. We still get mosquitos in some areas, but they aren't nearly the problem they are in some areas of the country. We do have a lot of big, nasty spiders though.

[runewell]

Feb 1, 2011 18:09:50 GMT -5 @daphne87 said:

Snow blower -- $800
3 shovels -- $50
Roof rake -- $40
Dirt and sand for driveway + walkway -- $50/season
Gas for snow blower -- $50/season

Plus two - four hours per snowstorm snow blowing and shoveling.

Where do you live?!? I'm in Des Moines
I get a big bag of salt at walmart for $10, lasts all winter to do the walkway to our door.
$50 in gas? That's like 15+ gallons! I'm thinking more like $10, possibly more if there were extra snow. I have a 2-car driveway and my snowblower isn't that fast and I can clean it up in about twenty minutes. You must have a quarter-mile driveway or something.

[hcj]

Feb 2, 2011 12:22:30 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

I agree with upstatemom.

We don't own a snowblower -- we have teenage boys who help us with the shoveling. But even if we did use a snowblower and the related gas, it's a wash with the continued lawn mowing and trimming in warmer climes!

My front yard is all native plants, so no mowing and very minimal pruning and practically zero water requirement. I have an herb and vegetable garden year round. We're foodies so the fresh herbs save a lot as well as the veggies. I was thinking about what to make for dinner tonight and I don't want to go the store. I will pick some fresh arugula for a salad and I have sauce I canned this summer for pasta. The garden makes me so happy

Yes, there is the occasional ice dam, but that pales in comparison to the damage hurricanes bring.

Yes, we have to pay for heat, but we are hardy types who keep the thermostat low, put on sweaters, and keep moving. I think the cost to heat during winter is, at the very least, a wash with the cost of air conditioning (and heat, sometimes!) in southern climes.

We don't have air conditioning. Less than 10% of the homes here do because there are really only two or three days a year that you would turn it on if you had it

Yes, I have to buy boots and snowpants and winter jackets for my kids. But, those are things that can be bought at the end of the season on sale in the next size up (or two) and then generally be handed down so the expense is minimal. I'd be buying more sneakers, sandals, flip flops, and shorts if I lived in a warmer climate all year round. In my experience, those clothing items take more of a beating and can't usually be handed down to the younger kids so the expense is greater.

I do live in flip flops, but good quality reefs last for years. One pair I've had for 6 years and this is probably the last year I'll get out of them and the other pair are 5 years old

We also spend less on sunscreen.
If you are outside, regardless of whether it is cold or not, you should still wear sunscreen, at least on your face

Personally, I prefer the variety around me inside and out that the 4 distinct seasons bring.

[stillontheroad]

I love Phoenix - no snow, no hurricanes, no tornados. The worst weather we get only lasts a couple hours - so we are never stranded inside for days on end. We can party outside 12 months a year.

I love Arizona, but I really have to dispute that last bit. You guys can party outside in the summer like we can party outside when it's 30 degrees out (yeah, technically you can, but it's miserable). We were in Tucson for a wedding last Labor Day and it isn't much fun being outside when it's 100+ degrees and the sun is beating down.

That said, I don't know if it's really worse. I hate both extremely hot and extremely cold weather, but if I had to pick I think I'd move to Arizona and endure the heat. My wife's uncle (who grew up in Chicago and now lives in Arizona) says it's really not that different in either place: there are a few months out of the year where you try really hard not to have to go outside, and then the rest of the year is pretty nice.

[TheOtherMe]

I am in NE Iowa. I hire my lawn and snow done for $15 each time. Because this last storm was so bad, I'm paying them extra. In the summer, I know it's $15 a week. In the winter, it's hard to budget. We've had over 52 inches of snow already this season compared to over 29 inches last winter.

My coats last me several years also. I don't have children, so I don't have to worry about their clothes.

I could not live in Phoenix or Vegas. Much too hot for me. I've been in Vegas when it's over 100 degrees at midnight.

[upstatemom]

Feb 1, 2011 19:01:35 GMT -5 @xmascookie said:

The cost is not monetary. It's your mental health.

Then you need to get outside and enjoy the snow. My family ski's and my DH and DS's camp in the winter. They made snow caves a few weeks ago and slept in them with the Boy Scouts and they enjoyed it.

[kristi28]

The problem here in MO with the snowstorm is that we got as much snow on Tuesday/Wednesday as we usually get for the entire year.

We do pay somewhat more for heat in the winter, but our top bill was about $200. Living in Texas, I paid that much for air in the summer. We pay some for air in the summer, but we don't need yearly pest control, which we did in Texas. In my experience, the cost is similar.

[vonnie6200]

Feb 1, 2011 17:21:21 GMT -5 ihearyou2 said:

I also hear that home maintenance is more expensive due to the freeze and thaw that goes on. I hear roofs are typically replaced or rrepaired much more frequently in cold locales.

Well maybe - but no hurricanes

[vonnie6200]

Feb 1, 2011 18:56:43 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

If I moved to snow country, I'd probably need to buy a coat. And boots. And snow tires. And (as I understand it) I'd also be required to rush to the store to buy milk and bread and eggs everytime it snows.!

LOL - not really - just beer or wine

[thyme4change]

I love Arizona, but I really have to dispute that last bit. You guys can party outside in the summer like we can party outside when it's 30 degrees out (yeah, technically you can, but it's miserable).

We have a pool and a patio evap cooler. We spend a lot of time outside in the summer. Although I do agree, we try to wait until 5 or 6 pm to go outside. After the sun goes down the temp drops to be in the 80's many nights. It is nice. It is only 100+ during the sunshine hours.

[Deleted]

Feb 3, 2011 10:58:32 GMT -5 The J said:

Feb 3, 2011 10:27:44 GMT -5 @justaposter said:

The cold climate actually saves on housing and realestate. It is considered a less desirable place to live. COL where I live is much lower than California. If we were judging just by weather and geography I would probably prefer to live in a warmer place. But my friends and life are here and so I don't want to move at this time.

Depends on where the cold climate is. The cold climate by me in NY is more expensive than the vast majority of warm climates.

That's true.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

It's a wash for us on utilities. Gas is high in the summer but electric is as low as $40. Electric goes up in the summer when we turn on the central air but gas goes down to $25 matience fee since the only thing that uses gas in our house is the furnance.

[TrixAre4Kids]

I'm a Seattle native, and today it's rainy and grey. After hearing all of your horror stories I know I should be happy but honestly as the years pass I get more and more pissed off at the grey skies. I hope to move east of the Cascades when I retire, where the sun actually shines most of the time. My taxes here are astronomical, $4000 in 2010 for my condo. A nice condo, but jeez!