8 ways I saved money while visiting Aspen, Colorado, one of the most expensive ski towns in the US

Aspen, without a doubt, is expensive.

Beyond breathtaking ski slopes, Aspen comes with expensive price tags that are largely part of the town's appeal. Vacationers never know if they'll be seated next to Leonardo DiCaprio at The White House Tavern or spot one of Red Mountain's billionaire residents at the grocery store.

And those A-listers contribute to the town's costly reputation. According to Home to Go, the average visitor spends nearly $200 on nightly accommodations and $200 on ski-lift tickets. Visit for a few days and that can easily rack up to thousands, especially if you visit in peak season. Those steep prices earned Aspen the second spot in the country's most expensive ski towns, according to Homes to Go.

But Aspen isn't just for billionaires. After visiting for a few days, I learned that everything from cheap food to affordable lodging can be found if you know where to look.

About 20 minutes outside of Aspen is Snowmass Village. Since Snowmass Village is much larger than Aspen, you're likely to find more affordable lodging options.

For example, I booked a two-night stay at the Stonebridge Inn via Airbnb. The two nights cost $388. The room could've slept four people, which would've been $50 per person per night.

According to Champion Travel, most Snowmass Village hotels range from $88 to $265 per night compared to Aspen hotels, which range from $97 to $417 per night. When it comes to vacation rentals, Snowmass has 373 rental properties listed on Trip Advisor, which is 150 more than Aspen.

Overall, a solo traveler on a seven-day trip will save about $300 if they visit Snowmass Village instead of Aspen, Champion Travel states.

And if you're looking for ski-in and ski-out accommodations, Snowmass is likely a better option. According to Afar, 95% of all tourist accommodations there are ski-in and ski-out. In Aspen, I stayed at the only ski-in and ski-out hotel, The Little Nell, which cost me $848 a night during my off-season trip.

While Aspen is known for ritzy five-star hotels like the Ritz Carlton, the W, the St. Regis Aspen, and The Little Nell, I was surprised to learn that Aspen also has two hostel-like lodges with significantly cheaper rates.

Sandwiched between the St. Regis Aspen, which cost me $700 a night during off-season, and The Little Nell, which was $848 for an off-season stay, is the Mountain Chalet Aspen. During the winter, the lodge converts a few rooms into hostel-style accommodations that cost between $59 and $114 a night. During peak ski season, an economy room that can sleep up to four costs $299.

The nearby St. Moritz Lodge also offers lower-priced rooms. The lodge has 26 hostel beds and 23 guest rooms. According to the lodge's website, rates start at $75 a night.

Plus, both lodges include complimentary breakfast — another way to save money.

It's possible to spend your entire vacation in Aspen without ever getting in the driver's seat of a car. This will leave hundreds of dollars on the table that you might have otherwise spent on a rental car.

Aspen and Snowmass Village both offer free bus and shuttle services to residents and travelers. The buses are free and operate year-round; during the ski season, there are also shuttles that transport skiers to the two town's most popular ski mountains, according to the city's website.

I chatted with skiers who stayed in Snowmass and skied in Aspen, and they all agreed that the free shuttles were the easiest, cheapest, and quickest way to get to the slopes.

The city also has Downtowner, a free door-to-door car service (similar to an Uber) to explore the downtown area.

While most people think of Aspen as a winter hotspot, the town also experiences an influx of tourists during the summer.

During both seasons, hotels are more expensive. But if you visit during the off-season in fall or spring, you'll be able to save on accommodations.

According to US News Travel, the least popular and most affordable times to visit Aspen are between March and May and September through November. I visited during the first week of December, and locals still considered it off-season. Although hotel prices were starting to increase, I saved hundreds of dollars by planning my trip in early December compared to peak January.

If you do visit during the off-season, there's a chance restaurants and businesses will be closed since this is when owners take their own vacations. For restaurants that are open, you won't need to book reservations months in advance, which is common during peak season.

Aspen entices plenty of outdoor enthusiasts. And many of the best outdoor activities can be done for free or at relatively low costs, unlike pricey ski days.

For example, Aspen is home to the famous Maroon Bells hike, which costs $10 for parking. Or visitors can rent a road bike and cycle the Rio Grande Trail toward Glenwood Springs. For an adrenaline rush, mountain bike down Aspen's Roaring Fork Valley.

I explored the nearby Ashcroft ghost town. During my afternoon in the old abandoned mining town, I caught a glimpse into Aspen's history and natural beauty all for just $5.

There are plenty of free activities indoors, too. I spent my afternoons in Aspen hopping between the free art galleries that are sprinkled throughout the downtown area. The Aspen Art Museum is also free for visitors.

Finally, the Aspen visitor center has a bulletin board that advertises upcoming events and programs ranging in prices.

Aspen restaurants offer plenty of dining and drink deals during après ski, which is the time between lunch and dinner, similar to a happy hour.

For example, Clark's Oyster Bar has a happy-hour menu that includes 50 cents off oysters, a $12 burger (that's half off the normal price), and an $8 shot-and-beer deal. I stopped in to take advantage of the cheaper oysters, but the burger seemed like the best deal.

Some other notable après-ski deals include $12 pizza at Mezzaluna, margarita deals at Su Casa Aspen, and $5 mules at Hooch Craft Cocktail.

While you can easily spend $300 on dinner in Aspen, there are a handful of restaurants that offer food without a hefty price.

During my Aspen trip, I found a $6 slice of pizza at the Aspen Pie Shop, a $10 sandwich at the Grateful Deli, and a $15 stir fry lunch special at Little Ollie's Aspen. Whether it was a sign out front advertising cheap lunch or scoping out the menus on Google Maps, it didn't seem like there was a shortage of affordable eats.

On my first night in Aspen, I stopped in the town's grocery store to pick up essentials. For nearly the same price as groceries in my hometown of Denver, I grabbed bagels and cream cheese for breakfast and a handful of apples as a snack.

Since my hotels didn't offer complimentary breakfast, buying breakfast saved me money during the week.

Many of the lodges in Aspen and Snowmass Village have apartment-style rooms with a kitchen, so there's the potential to cook a majority of your meals and save on dining costs, as well.

I expected every bit of my trip to Aspen to be glamorous — and expensive.

While nights in The Little Nell and St. Regis certainly were, there were also moments where I snagged good deals, ate cheap pizza, and saved money.

If you plan ahead, book accommodations outside of Aspen, and cook some of your own meals, a vacation to Aspen won't require thousands of dollars.