The beauty of living in a ski town is the ever-present opportunity to get something for free. And with the cost of living, any money you can save is good. This article is going to help you discover the wonderful world of drinking for free or at the expense of others.

Every week, there will be some other random tourist that is looking for his ski trip hookup. These guys will try and wow you with tales of their skills on the slopes, from going down extreme triple black diamonds in neck-deep powder, to dropping huge cliffs. Of course, you and I know there’s no such thing as a triple black diamond, and you hit those “huge” cliffs are stuff you do on a daily basis, but playing naive can score you free drinks for the night. If you’re brave enough to go back to his room, you can even stock up on snacks and beverages from his mini bar after he passes out. Drinking at a tourist’s expense is always great. It makes you feel better about working in the service industry and dealing with them all season long.

If you’re not into random hookups, another great way to get drinks for free is to spot a guy that’s obviously out to party like a rock star and has no shame in maxing out his company’s credit card. The key to getting drinks from this guy is to slowly work your way into the circle and when he’s ordering shots or drinks and make sure that the bar staff gets your order on his tab. Rich yuppies and third-rate local celebrities are great for this. Many a night, I drank at the expense of former football and hockey players while they relived crowning achievements. These guys are a bit harder to find, but you don’t end up with the clingy tourist of doom.

For those of you who don’t like to socialize, and don’t mind being a bit shiesty, try this: in any crowded bar during peak season, they replace the real shot glasses with cheap plastic ones. The plastic cups are often also used to mark people that had a drink bought for them, but weren’t ready for it. When the bar is getting swarmed like a Girls Gone Wild cameraman at a sorority party, the bartenders don’t have time to throw out the plastic glasses. Snag a few, go in the bathroom and rinse them out, and stash them in your pocket. When you need your next drink go up to the bartender, toss out a cup and snag that free drink. Throw down a little tip to minimize the impact on your Karma.

So ladies, remember that you have the upper hand while the men are out on the prowl - these tips can help you have a fun night with minimal spending.