Vet School Budget

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ckgilabert said:
hey! can someone expand a bit on 'winter' clothes? lol. where can i buy some? and what exactly do you wear when it snows? i get cold when it's 70 degrees outside.
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Wool and fleece will serve you well in colder winter months. Nice sweaters and pullovers of these materials will keep you warm under the longer wool you should definitely buy (keeps your upper legs warm!).

A wool/fleece hat and mittens are must-haves, also! You will feel 10x warmer with your head and hands covered.

Great quality winter clothes and gear for a relatively-decent price can be found at stores (or their websites) like L. L. Bean or Eastern Mountain Sports. I am a walking L. L. Bean catalogue in the winter ...
 
I shadowed a vet from WI once who spoke of lined jeans. I guess fleeced lined or something like that. She said that when it gets really cold, it's a really nice thing to have.
 
GeeQued said:
Actually back in Mn all the apartments have heat paid for since it is produced by a boiler system, at least thats from what everyone at the apartments Ive talked to that list heat included. Its not quite like SoCal.
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Yeah, around here there's a lot of places with heat included as well...most heat included places have have a single furnace or boiler unit, so they run it on a separate meter. Of course, it's going to be mostly actual apartment buildings that include this.

As far as cold weather - coats, gloves, scarves, etc. are all good suggestions. I'd also toss out there some of those thin sweat-wicking socks to keep your feet warm in the middle of the fields (just slap them on under your thick winter socks - helps a bunch!) and long undies. I've also found that thick tights - not the fuzzy ones from being a little kid, but thick enough to not see through - make a great every-day substitute for genuine long underwear (which are expensive!). Plus long underwear may make you pass out during classes because it works a little too well for spending lots of time indoors.

Also, I cannot advocate layering enough. Especially when you're in classes - you'll be going from -15 to 65 degrees all day. You're going to want to layer rather than wear really thick single garments (which are great for working outside in winter, but not so much for going indoor/outdoor) - usually in the winter I've got on a long-sleeved shirt with a short-sleeved one over it, a sweatshirt or fleece, and a nice winter jacket. That way it's a lot easier to regulate body temperature.

And if you're going to be doing LA work, I've found for winter around these parts layering + a fleece + a vest + an outer jacket works great, because you'll be again in and out of fields, barns, etc. I also like to take a pair of those 2 or 3-dollar one-size-fits-all gloves and cut the fingertips off, and wear them under actual gloves, so you can get a little more dexterity when needed without sacrificing your skin to the frostbite...Also, gators (thick fleece tube that goes around your neck) are a great substitute for scarves - they don't get caught in things and there aren't any areas for drafts to sneak through. And if it's really cold you could double up on an earband + a hat.

...hmm...OK, so I guess I may be a little too obsessed with layering :laugh:

But it will seriously save you! Especially in situations where you're changing temperature frequently. It'll take a bit of messing around with to find a cold-weather system that works for you.
 
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pyxystyx said:
And snowboarding jackets and stuff is probably pretty close to what you'll need/want. Maybeh not teh pants though... but the jackets sure are nice.
🙂
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If I walk to school/work after a snow fall I totally wear the pants. I think I look pretty cool too!

I'm in Wisconsin and I have experience with cold weather. You need a lot of hoodies, and don't just wear a t-shirt underneath, wear a few shirts underneath and then a coat. I think the snowboarding jackets are awesome cause they keep the wind out really well and the hoods do a great job keeping your face dry, although wearing a hat with the hood I think works best. They also tend to be less bulky so you can wear them when it's a little warmer as well (above zero 😛). Wool pea coats are good to have if you need to look nice and be warm, but I don't think they tend to be as warm as true winter coats. They also generally don't have hoods either, so then you have to worry about messing up your hair with a hat.

As for footwear, its important to have COMFORTABLE boots. They must be waterproof and have a tread so you don't fall in a cross-walk and have everyone laugh at you! Also when buying boots, think about what kind of pants your going to wear with them. I had to buy a few new pairs of jeans to wear with my new boots so they could fit inside the boot and still be comfortable. A good boot for the snow should probably go to mid-calf or knee, otherwise you'll have wet pants when they're 18 inches of snow on the ground.

As for accessories, don't forget a scarf, this is essential to keep snow and wind away from your face and neck, it makes a huge difference, but make sure it's not itchy. Gloves and mittens are important. If you're looking for a driving pair they will need grips but also need to be waterproof for when you are clearing the snow from off your car. But if you won't be driving, I think mittens are best because your fingers can conserve heat together. Also make sure to have hats that cover your ears and of course long underwear because they are so sexy.

I pull out all of these essential winter pieces around halloween and I still wore my gloves today with my Burton snowboarding jacket (yup, it snowed about 6 inches last night). So if you're going to school in the midwest consider this an expense. The nice thing is though that the majority of your puchases will last you many years, the only reason I usually replace stuff is because I'm bored with what I have, not because it's worn out. Be careful, it can become a fetish. Oh pea coats, they come in so many colors!
 
ckgilabert said:
hey! can someone expand a bit on 'winter' clothes? lol. where can i buy some? and what exactly do you wear when it snows? i get cold when it's 70 degrees outside.

and what shoes do you guys recommend? for snow or for icy, slippery floors?

thanks!!!
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I know the biggest thing for me is my feet staying warm, especially since when I'm working at the dairy, I'm usually in my (plastic, vinyl??) mucking boots. The cold zaps the warmth out of your feet so fast when you're wearing those. I would invest in some great socks, or some lined mucking boots if you plan on needing to wear that kind of stuff. I also know some people that buy little feet warmers that they stick down into their boots to keep their toes warm! They are pretty efficient from what I've heard.
 
as a miami gal that did her undergrad in freezing pittsburgh. . . .i fell in love with the hand/foot warmies.

i have no idea what they're called, but it's this little packet that you snap and it stays warm for hours. you can put them in your gloves or shoes to keep from going numb.
 
dreamvet said:
as a miami gal that did her undergrad in freezing pittsburgh. . . .i fell in love with the hand/foot warmies.

i have no idea what they're called, but it's this little packet that you snap and it stays warm for hours. you can put them in your gloves or shoes to keep from going numb.
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Those are great, but I think they could get expensive over a long period of time. You could probably make something similar out of small beanbags - just microwave them for a bit, and they should stay warm enough to at least get you to school.
 
pyxystyx said:
Oh my jeez,... we're in SoCal guys, I understand that, but... you don't know what long underwear is??? ...Long Johns? You can find long johns @ Target, Wal-Mart, camping stores, (like REI) all kindsa places.

And snowboarding jackets and stuff is probably pretty close to what you'll need/want. Maybeh not teh pants though... but the jackets sure are nice.
🙂
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Never needed it even when Ive been in snow so no reason to know what it is.
 
I think also a great thing to keep in mind is that people react differently to the cold. So what one person needs to suffer thru the wind and still be freezing, might be too much for you, or visa versa. It's a bit of that classic Mom's "go put a coat on, I'm cold". When winter hits (this *cough* apparently happens in October for some people), you'll figure out really quick what you need in different situations. And then there will still be plenty of people wearing both way more and way less than you at any given time. lol.
 
robeezy, there is somewhere - I think it started out as a tablet thread??

And since we're on the topic of coats, what does everyone think of Carhartts? I finally just bought one after years of wanting one, and I <3 it. But we only get down the single digits a few nights per year here, and I know in Iowa it can get to be -30. Everybody is suggesting snowboarding coats(which incidentally I snowboard so I do have one) but I found my Carhartt to be so much better this winter in the really cold barn stuff.

I'm also planning on getting the overalls when it gets closer to clinic/rotation time.
 
EqSci said:
And since we're on the topic of coats, what does everyone think of Carhartts? I finally just bought one after years of wanting one, and I <3 it. But we only get down the single digits a few nights per year here, and I know in Iowa it can get to be -30. Everybody is suggesting snowboarding coats(which incidentally I snowboard so I do have one) but I found my Carhartt to be so much better this winter in the really cold barn stuff.
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<3 Carhartts *looks at the one I'm wearing*. They're warm, durable, block wind nicely - and as an added bonus, the way they're constructed makes it a LOT easier to layer up underneath.

Snowboarding coats are good for hoofing it around town, especially if you don't want to smell like barn all the time 🙂 But Carhartt makes AWESOME coats for actually working in the cold.
 
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EqSci said:
And since we're on the topic of coats, what does everyone think of Carhartts? I finally just bought one after years of wanting one, and I <3 it. But we only get down the single digits a few nights per year here, and I know in Iowa it can get to be -30. Everybody is suggesting snowboarding coats(which incidentally I snowboard so I do have one) but I found my Carhartt to be so much better this winter in the really cold barn stuff.
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Go with the Carhartts! I've never had one, but I do know several people who swear by them.
 
Also, along the line of carhartts, there's ... I think the brand is "ruff wear"? but don't quote me on that. They sell it at walmart. They're designed to block wind, have insulation built in, and even make sweet manly overalls. Lined. and usually around/ less than 30 bucks.

For an idea what I, a cold weany, wear regularly, I'll give as an example today-

The temp is 19, it's 0 with windchill and snowing lightly. I'm overheating in the house, but comfortable outside in capalene long underwear pants (like you'd get at REI), dressy flats, trouser socks, jeans, an underarmor-style long sleeve shirt, a half zip fleece, and waffle weave lined hoodie (dickies, $20), and a hat. Not for long times, but ok for house to car to class. Earlier this morning I had on a coat, too. Without the wind I'd be in just one layer + hoodie. Live in that thing.

I suggest a selection of thick socks, some *good* gloves, a decent hat that actually covers your ears, some fleeces, a couple hoodies, and whatever else you'd normally wear.

Anyone traveling across I-80 should stop at sierra trading post outside Cheyenne. That's where I get most of my winter stuff- closeouts fit my budget, if not my fashion sense. They do great mail order, and have an interweb store. Magic place, though. If you ever pass by, it's like some crazy outdoor-type's grail.
 
Continuing the winter clothes derail....

Any suggestions for good gloves for small hands (size 5.5 in sterile gloves if that means anything to anyone) that are warm? Brands/styles? My current gloves (lined leather) get me half way through clearing my car off before my hands start to hurt!
 
I have neoprene boots by MUCK that are amazingly warm. On a few of the boat trips the water was literally freezing to them on contact, but my feet were toasty. If they get to warm, you can fold the upper part down over the lower leg. Great traction. Waterproof, clean off easily (mine had a lot of blood and guts on them from the boats....never had a problem.)

One thing....if you wear waterproof boots but will have long periods of not needing them (lunch, meetings, classes) bring dry socks and shoes to change into.....to avoid immersion foot.

For gloves, hit up a store that sells to fishermen, if you can get to the coast (I can't remember the names...just the locations) because the gloves have to protect thier hands in the elements while still enabling tactile work (for grabbing slippery fish and tools) and are sturdy enough to really protect hands.

I love carhartts. I also love silk long johns. I have a couple pairs of oversized ski pants that I can pull on over regular pants in really cold weather.

If you are finding your extremities tend to get cold drink hot beverages and add more layers to the core. Also, if I will have to be still in cold places, I sometimes use those chemical heat packs for back pain. They do wonders for keeping me warm throughout.
 
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Angelo84 said:
Any suggestions for good gloves for small hands (size 5.5 in sterile gloves if that means anything to anyone) that are warm? Brands/styles?
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I second that! The clinic I work at only has down to a 6.5 so I don't know what my actual size is 🙁
 
One thing to keep in mind, when out shopping for boots and jackets/coats, remember to either buy a size or two larger than you normally wear, or bring along thick socks/couple pairs, and undershirts/sweatshirts when trying things on. Nothing worse than cramped feet because you have more than one layer of socks on in your boots. Or a jacket that you find you can't zip because you are wearing a hoodie! Another thing to consider getting is a decent pair of snowboarding goggles. Frozen eyelashes stuck together is not fun. Be sure to get ones that fit your face well, as you don't want your breath to get in around the nose area. It will fog them up, and then they will freeze and you can't see. And yes, flannel lined jeans are AWESOME! Especially, if you roll up the bottom and make a cuff, showing off the checkered red/black, then you are cool. :laugh:

I live in the blessed MN LOL. Our winters have gotten down to -75 wind chill(-40something actual temp), and summers up to the high 90's with humidity. We get both extremes. When it gets to 45 degrees in the fall, people are wearing their jackets, hats, gloves, etc. When it is 45 degrees in the spring, we are all wearing shorts and t-shirts LOL.

I also LOVE my carhartt jacket. It was the best $70 I have ever spent. They last many years with decent care, are not bulky, but are oh so warm! There are many different kinds for all sorts of jobs and weather. Mine is a lined "duck" jacket, with a detachable hood.

http://www.qcsupply.com/

This is a great catalogue, though sometimes more expensive than going out and shopping for it at a store. But it will give you a good idea on what is available. There are some pretty neat things people have thought up to keep them warm and dry. You might want to wait to buy anything until you arrive at your school. Prices are much less in the cold states, than buying things at a 'winter' store in a mostly warm state. And once the snow starts flying, around Sept/Oct for MN, their are sales everywhere.

If you do get long underwear(longjohns), I suggest getting silk ones. They will be a bit more expensive than cotton 'waffle weave', but they are much warmer, wick away moisture better, and much thinner. i.e. easier to layer with. And they look sexier 😀

Along the sexier lines... I never feel sorry for those people at our college that are always cold and complaining because they put style in front of warmth. Yes, you CAN look good while staying warm, you just won't look likea supermodel. You know those people, they are wearing open shoes/dress shoes/even sandals!, jeans or short skirts even, blouses, and a 'trendy' jacket that should only be used in the fall/spring. No hat(God forbid you mess up your hair), thin driving gloves, no scarf...and walking across town! 😱 Dont get me wrong, I love wearing those clothes, just be sensible when it is really cold. When I have to walk a decent distance and it is below 30 with a wind, I'm usually wearing a long sleeve shirt, t-shirt over that, a sweatshirt/hoodie, my Carhartt jacket, a hat, scarf and/or neck gator, good warm gloves, and my boots. Sometimes long johns too, depending on how cold it is. I'm nice and toasty! 😀
 
Carhartt used to have an awesome field testing program. They would enlist a panel of volunteers to provide feedback on products. So basically you would get free clothes and all you had to do was write a review about them. Unfortunately the program is not accepting any new applications right now 🙁

I wonder if Dickies or anyone else has programs like this?
 
wolfspeaker said:
I live in the blessed MN LOL. Our winters have gotten down to -75 wind chill(-40something actual temp), and summers up to the high 90's with humidity. We get both extremes. When it gets to 45 degrees in the fall, people are wearing their jackets, hats, gloves, etc. When it is 45 degrees in the spring, we are all wearing shorts and t-shirts LOL.
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I really wish you hadn't said that. I was convincing myself it couldn't quite get that cold. I guess I'll be investing in a lot of winter clothes. My interview at U of Mn and Illinois were the first time I've been in temps below 30 degrees
 
GeeQued said:
I really wish you hadn't said that. I was convincing myself it couldn't quite get that cold. I guess I'll be investing in a lot of winter clothes. My interview at U of Mn and Illinois were the first time I've been in temps below 30 degrees
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LOL!!! i was thinking of you when I read what wolfspeaker said! LOL 🙂


you know...i bet you'll do totally fine since a lot of us were freezing up in tulare and you were wearing a tank top!
 
ckgilabert said:
LOL!!! i was thinking of you when I read what wolfspeaker said! LOL 🙂


you know...i bet you'll do totally fine since a lot of us were freezing up in tulare and you were wearing a tank top!
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I dont get cold easily but getting down to those temps I was freezing during my interview.
 
Ckgilabert, I'm not sure that Colorado gets quite as cold as places like Minnesota unless you're up in the mountains a bit. Not that you don't realize that! Just pointing out that I'm not sure you'd need QUITE as much stuff as the others...

Does it get anywhere near as cold in New York or Boston as it does in Minnesota? Is Washington State cold, or more just wet? I guess I don't know much about weather in some of these places. How cold does it get in Ohio or Iowa? I never thought of Oklahoma as 'warm,' but I'm starting to...
 
How cold does it get in Ohio or Iowa?
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In Ohio, there is a saying...."If you don't like the weather, stay another day." A week or two ago it went from 30 one day to 70 the next...it's just weird.

Normally in the winter for Cincinnati, it's 20-35..but it get's into the single digits (or even the negatives overnight/early morning) at least a few times every winter.
 
twelvetigers said:
How cold does it get in Ohio or Iowa?
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Daytime winter averages for Iowa are 25-35, with it dropping into the teens or single digits at night; factor in wind chill and you get to the single digits or below zero. Sometimes I think it even gets that cold on its own... It's awful for the back-and-forth, too. Yesterday was a nice, breezy 65 or so and we're getting flurries now 🙁

In high school we joked that Iowa's probably the only state where you need heat in the morning and air in the afternoon.
 
It doesn't get THAT cold very often, maybe a couple days a winter. This winter, I think the coldest it got was -40 below windchill, for a couple of days. At least it doesn't snow when it is that cold 😀 Generally, expect -10 to 35 degrees for most of the winter.
 
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I would suggest getting a Northface fleece jacket. They are pretty expensive (over $100) but I got mine out of season and a kids size and only paid about $60. You see people wearing them everywhere. I was skeptical at first, but they are EXTREMELY warm. I live in IL and I wear only this until it's 30 degrees. It's thin enough to wear under your winter coats, and I wore it under my ski coat on -20 ski slope last year and was super warm. Well worth it.
 
I agree about the Northface fleece, except keep in mind it does nothing to keep wind away from your body.

Twelvetigers, it definitely gets way colder in MN than it does in NY or Boston 🙂 I'm scared about the prospect of going to the Midwest from NY... brr.
 
Gotta disagree about the Northface fleece - it is pretty much just an expensive brand name but equal to any generic fleece jacket 🙁 I too have a kids version with slightly awkwardly short sleeves...but it is not any warmer/superior to any other fleece except that it is slightly bulkier == harder to use when layering. Northface parkas on the other hand are great, just $$$!

I grew up outside Boston and went to school some in Maine, which is definitely not MN cold, but it sure got cold! Underarmour and Hot Chilly's saved me. I was also on the rowing team in Maine which meant at 5:30 in the morning as long as the river wasn't frozen solid we were out there (big chunks of ice were ok).

I swear by hand warmers, toe warmers, and my favorite...BELLY warmers. I get made fun of for this. I buy hot patches meant for sore backs, etc and stick them on my stomach and I am toasty warm... = best. idea. ever. :laugh:

After one year living in Virginia I find everywhere freezing in comparison (I am also sort of confused whether that was winter or just a long fall...?).
 
There are windproof fleeces; wore them on the boats out at sea, but I always bought from the dock suppliers. The windproof ones are really nice, but not terribly cheap. They were very cozy and not bulky, but I would want something more if I wasn't moving around. They were great for when you were pretty active and generating body heat that you didn't want trapped (would cause you to sweat) but not so great if you were still and just shedding heat.
 
In CO, I have a Northface shell with a Northface fleece liner zipped in as my coldest weather coat. I disagree, there is a difference in fleece warmths, and the cheap ones are little better than sweatshirts. Plus you can remove the liner as it gets warmer. Here on the Eastern Slope, it does not snow all that much like in the mountains, and the roads/sidewalks are almost always cleared by 6:00am. We did get about a foot of snow last week, but was first real snow since almost January. I remember riding my bike to school in shorts the morning I flew into MN when y'all had all that snow, which seemed to really shut the town down for how little snow you really got -- what 5"? Anyhow, winter in CO goes mid Oct to April. Maybe 5 or 6 real snow storms a year, but lots of 40mph winds. March is usually our snowiest month. First snow early Nov. We wear Carharts and lots of hoodies with a shell over it. Long johns too, don't buy the cheap cotton WalMart crap ones on those either. Polypro and UnderArmor are good quality ones. You get what you pay for, but really only need like 3 or 4 sets of long johns and one or two good coats that last several seasons. Sorrels for snow boots.
 
How did this entire topic degenerate into a warm clothing / cold weather discussion?
 
vnair2 said:
How did this entire topic degenerate into a warm clothing / cold weather discussion?
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Causing having to learn to dress warm defintely is gonna have an effect on my budget. I dont think I have a single outfit that even layered with another would withstand temps 30 or lower.

At least I'll have the Mall of America to go splurge at come winter.
 
vnair2 said:
How did this entire topic degenerate into a warm clothing / cold weather discussion?
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:laugh: I always forget that it has when I click on the link and expect to see discussion about budgets.
 
nyanko said:
It's just that nobody here is boring enough to sustain an extended conversation about finances, so they always get derailed. 😉
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I'm not sure a topic all about sweaters is much more interesting then one about finance. I guess I just don't like sweaters enough. Im bored with this topic, im going to go do my taxes.
 
vnair2 said:
How did this entire topic degenerate into a warm clothing / cold weather discussion?
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Let's see.......so, we were talking about budgets and apparently anytime we do the finance thing it typically ends up in a total derailment. At least we didn't revisit the abortion fiasco 😱. Something about trying to save money by brown-bagging it - started talking about fridges on campus - moved to somebody mentioning the state of MN and that must have sparked Ckgilabert (no harm intended) to completely hijack the thread and move onto cold weather apparel....

From there, the thread took on a life of it's own and while i love, love, love winter wear even though i've lived in the southeast for 13 years, now live in the desert and am going to school at a place where it is consistently 86 degrees, it is definitely off topic. Of course, we can all make the argument that finding the most economical and effective winter garments will make us better vets in the long run somehow. It will surely reduce our overall debt 😛

SDN is like a box of crackerjacks....you are always going to get a surprise in the end 😀
 
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I'm only just beginning to realize how screwed I am if I were to ever move away from Southern California. Anything outside of the 70-80'F range and I do very badly :scared:. Can't thermoregulate
 
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GeeQued said:
At least I'll have the Mall of America to go splurge at come winter.
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Haha, I advise NOT shopping at MoA. Total rip off. Way overpriced. It's fun to visit and get the occasional gift for someone, or for yourself, but for serious shopping stay far away from it. That's for everything, not just clothing.

Ok, back to the budget talks...I promise 😀
 
pyxystyx said:
Um, hun,... your heat is powered by either a gas or an electric heater. So the energy to use it is included in either your gas or electric bill.

You're gonna have a hard time finding a place that includes the "heat" part of that utility bill, since there's really no way to separate how much of that energy was used for what appliance. 😀
luv you. 🙂
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Every apartment I have lived in (Chicago and NYC) has included heat but not gas or electricity. Many apartments heat the whole building and you pay for cooking gas and electricity. That makes your gas bill (cooking) REALLY cheap!
 
I think you warm weather people will be fine after a year or two.

I moved from the Palm Springs area to Wisconsin to one of the coldest winters they had in a while, where they shut down school because it was too cold. That was I think a week and a half after I arrived in the state. I thought I was going to die as I used to freeze in 60, 65 degrees, but now, I can almost pass as a native here in the Midwest. 😀

And ditto on Mall of America being overpriced 😉
 
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