; and even had enough room for my dad to sprawl out in the back seat and nap. It was a great choice for our family of five.
We also filled up the tank with gas twice during our trip. Gas prices were a bit higher in Utah than we are used to, so we spent a total of $85.23 on gas for the SUV. We also paid $9.99 for the EZ Pass toll on the way back to Vegas.
Total for ground transportation: $406.89
Food and snacks
Food can be another budget-buster on a ski trip, especially if you eat on-mountain for every meal. To save money, we brought snacks and breakfast items from home, as well as a few easy-to-make dinners for our hotel room.
At Brian Head, we ate lunch at the mountain on both ski days. The lodge has a cafeteria-style restaurant where you can get burgers, sandwiches, salads, and other standard ski lodge fare. Our total bill for lunch on both days was $67.82 for three people.
For dinner, we went to a local Mexican restaurant in Cedar City called Centro Woodfired Pizzeria. The bill for dinner on both nights was $82.54 for three people, including drinks and dessert.
We also stopped at a local grocery store to stock up on snacks and drinks for the room. We spent $46.28 on snacks, drinks, and breakfast items for the two nights.
Total for food and snacks: $196.64
Miscellaneous expenses
There were a few other expenses that we incurred during our ski trip that didn’t fall neatly into any of the categories above.
We stopped at a local ski shop in Cedar City to buy some sunscreen and lip balm for the mountain. The total for these items was $15.47.
We also bought a souvenir t-shirt for my youngest daughter at the ski resort. The cost of the shirt was $23.99.
Total for miscellaneous expenses: $39.46
Grand total for our ski trip: $1,821.60
In conclusion, our family ski trip to Brian Head in Utah cost us a total of $1,821.60. This included lift tickets, gear rentals, ski lessons, snow tubing, lodging, ground transportation, food, snacks, and miscellaneous expenses.
While this may seem like a lot of money for a two-day ski trip, it was actually quite affordable compared to what we could have spent at a larger, more expensive ski resort. By being strategic with our purchases, bringing some items from home, and staying off-mountain, we were able to keep our costs down and still have a fantastic time on the slopes.
If you’re considering a ski trip in the future, I hope this breakdown of our expenses gives you some insight into how much a ski trip really costs. With a little planning and budgeting, you can enjoy a memorable vacation without breaking the bank. Happy skiing!