The Cheapest Way To Drive In Montana Snow
Hey, I'm a Montana fella on a budget. I don't have extra money left over in the fourth quarter to drop on new special winter tires, let alone ones that cost almost $1100. If my choices are "making sure my family gets Christmas presents while paying rent" and "splurging on new tires and maybe paying rent" you can guess which box is going to get ticked.
The roads around Missoula after a winter snowstorm don't bother most residents who have already made the popular choice to get an AWD Subaru (which is pretty much everyone...)
/ Bridget_Bishop via Reddit
...but for those of us that still cling to our two wheel drive sedans like I do, we need something cheaper. That's where the secret weapon of cheapskate motorists shines:
These cables came in a pack of two from the Les Schwab on Broadway in Missoula. They were $135 and it's all I need to get around town, even with my gutless wonder sedan that runs on putt-putt power.
You could get similar cables (if they're not sold out or low in stock already) from the following stores around town. This isn't a comprehensive list, just the ones I could find by looking at the Google machine.
Even with cables on only the two front tires, it makes getting through snow in almost every form so much easier. The icy buildups in intersections, the deep powdery islands in unplowed parking lots, and especially the densely-packed accumulations at reserve St. intersections where you have to stop before turning into traffic. My dinky car can't handle those at all without cables or chains.
Without chains or cables, I wouldn't have a prayer.
So in the sense of getting around in the Montana snow, dropping tens of thousands on a new car, over a thousand for winter tires, or a reasonable amount on cables...what makes more sense to you? Chains or cables may not be for everyone but I've found them to be the best solution to a temporary problem.