Lodging
Staying slopeside? You'll pay. Looking forward to your Jacuzzi, the outdoor heated pool, the racquetball courts even? You'll pay. Lots. Strip away the trailside views, the amenities and the excessive comforts and you can get a comfortable room at a reasonable price.
A quick search of the Internet yields scores of cheap motels of dubious quality. To find quality lodging for cheap, you need to find the cheapest motel - within 20 miles (approximately 30 minute drive) from the resort - recommended by a reputable guidebook.
Another good source of cheap, but decent motels are travel guides published by the American Automobile Association (AAA). AAA rates lodges from one to five stars and there are dozens of clean, low-budget (one- and two-star) motels in ski country across the northeast. (Unlike regular guidebooks, lodges pay to be listed in AAA travel guides, but the AAA inspects each facility.) The cheapest way to get the travel guides is to purchase an AAA membership (about $60) every five years, order the free guidebooks, then cancel your membership after a year.
Online lodging services such as Airbnb (airbnb.com) and Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO.com) are still another option to obtain decent accommodations at fire-sale prices, especially on shoulder seasons. However, the cheapest option across ski country is to stay at a ski town bunkhouse.