Why can't my Money tree GROW? I fertilize and fertilize....nothing.

Recently there have been some articles written regarding “how to stretch your showing dollars” or “how to save money while competing in shows, “ and the list goes on. We’ve all read these articles, and some of the solutions offered are great, but I would like to address the “how do I afford lessons on the ROAD to showing.” Sharing breeches, sleeping in your trailer at shows, splitting hotel rooms, sharing a horse – all of those are great ideas if you’re already at show status….but I’m talking about square one…..GETTING to the point of showing is expensive too. I have included some ideas below that I’ve used to stretch my money in order to pay for lessons, because we all know – they’re not cheap.

I’m a newcomer to all this show stuff, in fact my first show is Sept. 19th, but what hasn’t been addressed in these numerous articles over the years, is how an average income, full-time working mother of one finally gets into the swing of fulfilling her childhood dream and showing her average “stock” horse. I know of girls in the area that rely on daddy’s checkbook to buy them their over-priced horse, their lessons, pay for their show bill for their trainer, and quite honestly some of the girls take it for granted. I know this because 3 years ago I worked part-time at a show barn where the trainer got paid A LOT of money to ride these horses all day long, get them ready for the show, give lessons to the girls, take them to the show, win, and then collect the check from the parents at the end of the month. I don’t know if these parents were dr.s or lawyers or what…maybe they took out a second mortgage for this stuff. All I know is that if my child wants to do this someday…I have no clue how I’m going to pay for it. Again, I’m not knocking anyone that has the means to do this, I just want to try to help out the people that don’t have that disposable income. Plus, I know there are show moms and dads that don’t have a disposable income, but fork out those dollars anyway they can, and hopefully my tips can help.

As much as I love all of the radio shows, I hear A TON about pony clubs, and show stables trainers, and other organizations you can join to get further along in your riding “career.” I’m not here to criticize pony clubs or organizations, but I would love for someone to address the other half of the industry….the over the age of 35 group of women that are trying to pursue this little dream of showing. I know they’re out there, because my trainer works with them, and my own friends are like, “how can you afford that and find the time?” Well, it’s not easy. So…here’s my attempt at putting more money into my “lessons jar.”

1. I stopped purchasing $28 dollar liter bottles of salon shampoo and conditioner and went to Target and bought TreSemme for $4 – that’s one lesson in a month…..cha-ching, and my hair is just fine. J
2. I quit going to get a pedicure every 2 months and bought some cute polish and a manicure set for $5 bucks….I soak my feet in a bucket on my patio while staring at my 3 horses….cha-ching…that’s another lesson.
3. I started clipping coupons for everything from diapers to groceries to gas. It’s adding up. In fact I saved $11.47 cents at the grocery store last week. Cha-ching….in a month, that’s half a lesson.
4. I changed my cell phone plan from unlimited to 600 minutes plus rollover….saving close to $20 bucks a month. I wasn’t even coming close to 600 minutes under the unlimited plan….and $20 bucks is $20 bucks.
5. I quit buying breakfast and coffee at the coffee shop I the morning….I get up five minutes earlier and have a bowl of cereal. It’s cheap, it’s healthy, and it’s saving me nearly $10 a week.
6. I’m starting a Mary Kay business, aside from my full-time job. As I’m getting my feet wet, I find it very fun, and my husband says that whatever money I make, is my money to do with what I want. (and we all know where it’s going – lessons) Cool. Plus, it’s not about hosting Mary Kay parties anymore, many people order through the internet, so a few hours a week after I get in from the barn, I can make some horse money.
7. Ask yourself, “do I really need this?” I’m not a huge clothes shopper, in fact I hate it, but I occasionally enjoy getting a new bag or a great new pair of shoes. Right now, personally I would rather have a new pair of breeches, after all, I need to start a whole new show outfit (I bought a jacket from my instructor for $10, and a tie for $5) – but being less than five feet tall, and not a perfect slender size 4 – I need to order my breeches and black boots large and short….try finding that combination at a used tack swap – you can’t. Believe me I’ve tried.
8. Drink water instead of soda. We have a cafeteria where I work and I’ve developed a nasty habit of getting a soda everyday from the vending machine. Yep, a whopping $1.35 a day. Now I fill up my water bottle and pour in a “kool-aid single” (I hate plain water). I did the math and that’s $21 per month savings ($1.35 x 5 days X 4 weeks minus $6 – the cost of 2 boxes of “kool-aid singles”) Plus – it’s better for me than soda, and I’m not wasting bottle after bottle after bottle – I use my own water bottle and get cold water from the water fountain.
9. I stopped buying expensive horse treats. A horse treat is a horse treat…the horse doesn’t care what it is, he just knows them as “treats.” One apple goes a long way, a large bag of peppermints from Wal-mart for a buck goes a long way, plus a large bag of horse cookies goes a heck of a lot longer than a small foofy bag of specialized treats that my horse just doesn’t understand. I haven’t calculated the savings, but I know my trip to the grain/feed store is now cheaper. My horse loves a good pat down as much as he loves a good treat too.
10. Group lessons and/or hosting a clinic. I gathered as many horse friends I could find and hosted 2 lesson/fun days at my place. I don’t have a fancy arena, but my paddock is all dirt/sand and it makes for a fantastic arena when the back gates are closed. In fact the footing (thanks to my hubby) is better than some arenas that my instructor has worked in. I charged $40 per person. They received a lesson, a lunch, and a fun hour at the end of the day. They watched others have lessons, and it was an all-around great day. I received a free lesson, my instructor got 2 new regular clients, and the horse company was fantastic. I networked, and made a great new buddy who agreed to come to my first show and be my support staff.
So, there are my top ten ways I saved money for horse lessons gearing up for my Sept. 19th show. As I further my dream and hopefully move up the ranks, I hope I can think of more ways to pay for this dream. Wisconsin lottery…are you listening??? Pick me! Pick Me!