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Comment by DaveZale

5 days ago

Living in So CO, I smh at what's going on up there. The cost of living elsewhere in the state can be 1/3 to 1/2 the price. The govt and corporate employers could easily decentralize and stay in CO.

12 comments

DaveZale

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at-fates-hands  5 days ago

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.

  • scblock  5 days 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  5 days 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  4 days 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  5 days 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.