Recently a VP of communications for a big NYC financial services (Wall Street) company was overheard publically saying how difficult it was to live on that salary with the high NYC cost of living.
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| Snowblowing the softball field |
People think you can live cheaper in the far northern part of the Upper Midwest. But here's the one word that will raise the cost of living in the hinterlands: Seasons.
Now is when the snow is starting to shrink and reveal lost items. Every day when I drive in the driveway after work, there are new things revealed sticking out of the snow. I wondered where that blue snow shovel was. Today, a soggy dog bone showed up…eeeewww. So, of course you spend more because you lose a few things that must be replaced. Snow shovels ain't cheap.
And, while parking rates in Manhattan may cost more than my mortgage, nothing is free here in Flyover Land. Consider the expense of this list of must-have provisions due to our unique northern Minnesota seasonal weather conditions:
Home-Related:  |
| Christmasy underwear for a Christmas storm |
v Finn scoop snow “shovel”
v Yard rake for leaves
v Roof rake for snow
v Snowblower or Plow Guy
v Space heater for at least one room
v Air conditioner for at least one room
v Sauna in the basement
v Humidifier for winter
v Dehumidifier for summer
v House insulation
v Window insulation “kits”
v Screens for the windows
Miscellaneous extras:
· Gallons of DEET mosquito dope (forget the citronella and “natural” ones)
· Doctor office co-pay for lyme disease diagnosis
· $200 for emergency vet visit for dog injured in tangling with raccoon in yard
· $5 for essential skunk recipe of Dawn dishwashing detergent, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda
· Possibly a special SAD lamp
Vehicle-related:
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| Should have had 4WD |
o Snow tires, or a 4WD vehicle on which you can use all-season tires (but when you do need one new tire, you need four new tires)
o New brakes every time you turn around due to hilly city
o Emergency car kit so you don’t die if you are stranded, one for each car
o $500 cash for deductible due to deer-vehicle collision
o Back seat mat for muddy dog paws
o A million car washes to keep road salt off
o Cash for body work when the road salt creates rust anyway
o Seasonal oil change
Clothing:
§ Waterproof boots for soggy snow
§ For women, Ugg or Ugg knock-off sheepskin boots for real cold
§ If you are female, a pair of leather fashion boots for places Uggs won’t go
§ Mud shoes for Mud Season (possibly all or part of March April and May)
§ Down or very warm jacket
§ Wool dress coat
§ Mittens/gloves for slight cold (30s and 40s), medium cold (20s above to zero) and serious cold, and one pair of “dress” gloves (below zero and/or windchill)
§ Snow pants (yes, even for adults)
§ Long underwear
§ If children are involved, twice as many as above, so they can have a change if one is wet
§ If children of divorced parents are involved, four times as many, two for each household
§ Sheepskin slippers or those slippers you heat up in the microwave
So, you may be asking, why do we do it?
Because it builds character. We are hardier and stronger for it.
Because while there are “bad guys” everywhere, many of go to milder climes for year ‘round crime. They don’t generally perform home invasions when it’s 40 below. Our kids ride bikes and swim in the area streams and lakes without bodyguards.
And because there is nothing like:
o sitting on the dock or a deck on a warm summer night, watching fireflies or shooting stars
o walking the dog in one of those snow globe-like fluffy snows that coat the trees, and doing it with as big of a chance of flushing a deer as running into other people and dogs
o putting on sunglasses because the fall colors (that means “leaves”) are so bright you need them
o watching a gale-force storm on the world’s largest freshwater lake whip up immense waves
o swimming in that same crystal clear lake on a burning hot summer day
o drinking the purest water on earth straight out of the tap for pennies a day.
Because instead of getting on the subway and pushing and shoving to start our slavin' job to earn our pay, this is gorgeous country and we are lucky to spend our days here.
Priceless.
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