Budget ski tips

Everyone knows that skiing is an expensive sport but there are ways to cost the costs and make your euro, francs and dollars stretch further.
 
 
MadDogClub
Another good way to save money is to look out for offers and discounts. Sign up as a member of  MadDogClub on the home page and we‘ll email you with offers and news on deals. You are also automatically entered into our regular prize draws.
 
In the meantime, we asked the mad dog team for some of their top tips for saving money:
 
Go native like the French and take your food with you on the mountain. If you grab a cheeky sandwich on a lift, not only do you save money but you also get the slopes to yourself through the quiet lunchtime. If the weather drives you inside then look for fixed price menus – usually a great deal. Alan
 
Don’t think you have to avoid après ski (god forbid) but do check who is doing happy hour deals and which ones include snacks as well. And sticking to beer and wine is usually a lot cheaper than spirits. Kate
 
Book flights early and accommodation late. Use our great flight planner to see where you can fly to and the most accessible resorts once you’re there. Liz
 
Barter, barter, barter. Lose your Brit reticence and ask for discounts on accommodation and ski hire. Groups often have better bargaining power so haggle for those free places and last minute deals. Tory

And some of the best ones we have from our friends:
 

• Check out any lift pass deals - Tignes sometimes throws in a free apartment when you buy four lift passes.
• Failing that, the High Street often sells adequate kit at a fraction of the price of the big outdoor retailers. TK Maxx is our favourite.
• If you're self-catering, booking a private transfer and getting them to stop at a supermarket on the way is a good way to avoid resort supermarket high altitude prices. Make sure you request this beforehand so they can work out the cost for the stop but it usually pays for itself.
• For an 'all inclusive' approach where you shouldn't get stung with any nasty extra costs, stay in a catered chalet. There are often last minute deals to be had here too.
• Make a packed lunch each day so that you don’t have to buy food from the exorbitant mountain restaurants. A flask of coffee, a fresh baguette filled with local cheeses and meats can make for a lovely piste-side picnic. Your chalet host will often make lunches for a small fee.
• If you're after some ski lessons but don't fancy the large ski school groups, book a private lesson with a group of like-minded people.

 
Our competition with Bmibaby threw up some surprising ideas from our entrants - from the expected to the bizarre - could you really wear your ski boots on the plane to save on baggage weight ? would you really leave your wife so you didn't have to take her ?
Here are the top 5 you chose:
•    Find the nearest local supermarket and make yourself a packed lunch to save money on eating out•    Travel and stay mid-week as it’s usually less expensive•    If you plan on renting your equipment rather than buying it, pre-book it online•    eBay any old ski equipment and clothing and put the money towards new items•    Buy beers/wine to take to your chalet - ski bars can be shockingly expensiveCheck out the bmibaby website find out more information on some of your favourite ski destinations and how to holiday on a budget.
 
Competition terms and conditions apply.