Musings on Snow Removal

Free Money Finance had a pretty interesting article breaking down the economics of snow removal. I know a lot of you chuckle when I mention our snow amounts. Trust me, this time of year I am about ready to have some 60 or 70 degree weather

Last year, I was very tempted to buy a snow blower. We didn’t end up getting one. A snow blower would have come in handy this year. We have already received over 200 inches!

We’ve thought about hiring someone to plow our driveway but in the end we decided against it. We’ve also thought about getting a front end loader to come out to remove some of the huge snowpiles. But again we decided against it. Both of those options cost money that could be put towards our debt reduction.

It’s snow. It will melt in a few months. It’s a little inconvenient because we have no yard and we sometimes feel trapped because we are surrounded by snow. But we’ve survived over 8 winters with only our shovels so what’s another year.

Once our debt is paid off, maybe then we’ll think about getting one

Posted by Tricia on February 27, 2008 at 10:00 PM in Saving Money | 12 Comments »
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Jeremy responded:
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
I know we talked about this a bit last winter, but we also struggle with the idea of buying a snow blower. We decided against it again this year and I figured I could shovel it all away. Hard labor, yes, but it is good exercise and free.

But today, I think I may have offset any cost of buying a snowblower and more. While shoveling, at some point my wedding ring fell off. I wasn’t wearing gloves and was out shoveling the 6 fresh inches that had fallen while I was at work, and as soon as I walked inside the house, I noticed I didn’t have a ring on my finger. So I frantically ran outside and searched the driveway, but no sign of it.

I really hope that in a month or two when all of this snow melts I’ll be able to find it, but I’m not holding my breath.
Tricia responded:
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
What a bummer! Maybe that’s a reason to get a metal detector? If I lost my ring, I think that’s the first idea that would pop into my head. Then again, I’ve always wanted one to take to the beach to search for treasures.

I hope you find it!
Jeremy responded:
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I had a metal detector as a kid, but I called my parents and they no longer have it. But it is something that I would probably use more than once, so that isn’t a bad idea.
Maria responded:
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Tricia: I’m sure you probably thought of this, but I’ll mention it anyway. We also live in a cold, snowy area (New England) and here many people “share” snow blowers. So, for example, one of our neighbors already owns one and he will loan it to the others to clear their driveways after a storm. The rest of us chip in for maintainance/repairs so the cost of ownership is lower for him. Works great, encourages neighborly contact and saves everyone involved $$!
Jim responded:
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 10:46 am
I don’t need to buy a snow blower because I (over)pay my homeowners association to clear the roads, driveways, and sidewalks. From time to time I will shovel out my drive a little just to get my car out.

Jeremy I would suggest renting a metal detector so you can scan the piles of snow. My BIL lost his ring 4 wheeling and spent a few hours scanning around the area they were at and found his ring. Hope you’ll be able to find it.
Mark responded:
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
WARNING ABOUT SNOW SHOVELING.

My father just had heart surgery, and the surgeon mentioned that NO ONE over the age of 45 should ever shovel snow manually. He says the risk of heart attack in that age group in cold weather is astronomical compared to averages, and the extra stress of shoveling puts if over the edge.

He also discourages smokers from shoveling snow as well. He says the blood vessels constrict in cold weather making any blockages smaller, and smoking also constricts your blood vessels, so you are doubling your risk.

SPEND THE MONEY, GET A SNOW BLOWER. IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.
Matt responded:
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Not to mention shoveling a little snow is good exercise! Its funny but I really like shoveling snow… but make me mow the lawn and I’d rather pay someone to do it.
Loren@SaneAtHomeMom responded:
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
That’s interesting on the age for shoveling snow. I guess it would also depend on the state of your health too.

I do sort of laugh when I read the posts on snow! It may be excruciatingly hot sometimes here in Texas (REALLY nice weather right now, btw), but we never have to SHOVEL HUMIDITY out of our driveways!!

LOL
Erin responded:
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Ohhhh, I too am losing my love of the winter in Northern Michigan. Do keep eyes open for snowbirds selling their snowblowers. Totally a great way to get a relatively new one from people who have decided to head south each winter. (That’s how we got ours)
Tim responded:
Posted: February 29th, 2008 at 7:02 am
isn’t this the reason why people have kids? at least this is what my parents felt. then again, kids are probably more expensive than a snowblower. we also had a neighborhood deal, where someone would snowblow all the driveways. or you could get some kid to do the shoveling…see another benefit of having kids.
FMF responded:
Posted: February 29th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Thanks for highlighting my piece! It’s snowing here today, and we’re now well over 90 inches of snow for the season!
FMF responded:
Posted: February 29th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Thanks for highlighting my post! It’s snowing here today, so we’re now well over 90 inches for the season!