Are you coping financially or has something had to go?

Pidgeon

Pidgeon

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Just being nosey as with competing at BE this year my money has taken a little bit of a dent :rolleyes: what with the entry fees, start fees, diesel and obligatory pro photos :p I know I haven't had as many flat and jump lessons as I normally do, so is there anything you've cut down on or is it just me?
 
its getting really hard to manage if i'm honest. my TB has been put on full loan as i couldn't justify paying for a horse that i hardly ever rode. i've had a lot less lessons than i would normally. have also done less comps and clinics than usual- also only done 2x training camps where normally i'd do 3 or 4. i want to do BD over the winter so going to ask my mum for membership for my birthday. i;ve cut costs in other areas too- i look like a tramp for work, have agreed to work 2 weeks of my summer hols (to stop me spending money really as i won't be earning anything as doing research); am going on a week's holiday in this country instead of abroad etc etc :mad:
 
I am in dire financial straits - I have my last show of the season on 8th August, only because it is pre-paid. I can't afford anything horsey at all. The next thing to go will be my car next week, as I have no prospect of work for the whole of August (I am freelance assessor, so only get paid for work available). It sucks - sponging off parents just to pay my bills. Luckily I keep Jos at my friend's for a nominal fee, so I will be able to pay what I owe when I get more work. Otherwise I would be STUFFED! I hate the credit crunch!
 
fjordhorsefan said:
I am in dire financial straits - I have my last show of the season on 8th August, only because it is pre-paid. I can't afford anything horsey at all. The next thing to go will be my car next week, as I have no prospect of work for the whole of August (I am freelance assessor, so only get paid for work available). It sucks - sponging off parents just to pay my bills. Luckily I keep Jos at my friend's for a nominal fee, so I will be able to pay what I owe when I get more work. Otherwise I would be STUFFED! I hate the credit crunch!
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Yep can relate to that .. its not easy being self employed my work has gone right down too, my concern is motivating myself to look for other work its not easy and very easy to get into a negative mindset. i think you have to take each day as it comes keep spending to a minimum and look for part time work. im hoping one day there will still be some money left at the end of each month...
 
Do you mean apart from not having a proper holiday since 1999 and having to drive a succession of battered old cars?

Yes, it is getting tougher, costs are going up all the time but income is not, and I know for many people income is actually going down as over time and other occasional boosts have disappeared.

I'm not sure I can economise any more though, for reasons of management my lot have to come in at night, I'm reaching the point where their feed and bedding bill is higher than my grocery bill each month....I need to learn to love grass nuts!
 
I have been lucky in that my financial circumstances havent changed too much, ok things are getting more expensive but I am thank-full that my salary has gone up in line with this (I know I am one of the lucky ones). I have still made sacrifices though, at this time of year I would normally have a project horse on the go. Normally purchased from a market with a view to bring on in payment for my time. Its something I enjoy doing and not something I get a great financial reward from but this year I cant take the risk. Hay is going to be expensive this winter and the prospect of feeding two worries me greatly.
 
i have cut down competing and lessons - mainly as i'm a little worried about the price of hay this year so am saving a bit just in case....

i also have my wedding next month though - so its not so much to do with the current financial climate....
 
All my charity donations were the first to go. Fortunately the yard makes its own haylage, that and straw are in the livery bill. The field dwelling broodmare will go without hay well into November, then its just a case of seeing what turns up. I work for my partner and we are just ticking over at the moment, if the worst comes to the worst I can always take the horse out of livery and stick him in the field with his mum, it's not ideal but .....shrugs resignedly.
I've got memberships with BD,BS and BE but the horse isn't affiliated and given that I live in such a p?ss poor area for any of these I don't know whether to pack them in as well.
It would be worse.
 
Never been worse! Just ordered one bag of Simple System feed to top up the non-existant grazing, gone up by £2+. Was hoping to sell my youngster this year, backed, but no-one wants horses atm so will have to keep him this winter. Had virtually no work in our business since December, bills are stacking up, currently eating what's in the freezer + vegs from the garden, what we will do this winter lord knows! Spent last winter burning wood from side of road and falling trees as couldn't afford heating oil, one day the kitchen temp was -5! As for hay I just don't know!
 
I'm fine, but if I wasn't, the first thing to go would be the horse and lorry! They are expensive luxuries, not essentials. I would never get myself into debt to keep either of them.
 
Didn't want to open this post and admit I too am in dire straits, though i always have been (lol)

What I really need to do is pay of the many, many many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many £££££'ssss I have on credit cards...

What i will be giving up now is eating! Which is good as i am on a diet... And everything really - so no nothing. I have two lessons a week and try and get out in the trailer twice a week (one of those is a lesson) and all that adds up alot, petrol, lesson money, school hire etc so I will literally have nothing else... Not even bread and butter as that's what I am not supposed to be eating! Rivita and air.. mmmm... But seriously if I lose my job (which is on the cards) then I am well and truely buggered. Must pay off the cards but it's easier said than done as i always feel I *need* something - if I say out loud what is on my cards I would literally have a breakdown i think - so they literally have to go and when they do, hopefully I will be ready to start competing - that's my aim/goal.

x
 
It's been tough. I took in my adult daughter early this year as she was newly divorced and struggling far from family and friends. She's now found a job and a place to live but my savings were pretty much wiped out and my credit cards maxed.

I'm very fortunate to have a fairly secure job (I say "fairly" because nothing seems to be fully secure right now) but my husband has not worked full time for over a year. He's been able to pick up work semi-regularly (he's a carpenter) but it makes it hard to plan.

We've cut way back on things like dining out, spending money on things like books or entertainment, really everything that we don't HAVE to spend money on. My one luxury is my horse and so far I've not had to think about giving her up.
 
Tesco's value noodles! And if I'm feeling rich value spaghetti hoops as well!!

Lucky with my mare as plenty of grazing, however getting her fit for hunting again now so food bills are going to rise dramatically! Well worth it though - wouldn't be without my mare, always said would live in a stable before she went (and this winter I well might be!!!)
 
I've always managed on a shoestring budget for the horses, especially since leaving work a couple of years ago. I bought a good doer purposely to save money, although it has backfired slightly in that I can't rely on grazing and have to feed hay all year.

We don't holiday as there are too many animals to look after and my parents, who used to look after them when we went away, are getting on a bit to do it all now.

I never go to the hairdressers and cut and highlight my own hair (it doesn't look too bad, honest!)

My horse lives out all year with access to a stable, ground conditions permitting, which saves on bedding costs.

She is unshod, which saves a lot.

Fed only fibre feeds, no expensive mixes, but does get a supplement.

Rugs only used when essential and last years.

Tack I buy brand new good quality which then tends to last the lifetime of the horse if looked after.

I love my horse, but wouldn't consider getting into debt to a level that the rest of the family suffered.

I do think that economically we haven't seen the worst yet, so am keeping the credit cards at bay and making sure that they are paid off in full each month.

I think that if hay becomes too expensive this winter we will see a lot more owners having to give up and sadly fewer homes available for the unwanted horses.:(
 
Yes lots of things have been cut back in my house, my OH lost contracts at his works that have put us ten grand out of pocket per year, so I have had to take on 2 more p/t jobs to make up some of this loss. I put the youngster out on loan but they sent him home lame after 48 hours so have vet bills to pay so that was a non helper.
I am having cable cut off and have now cancelled my horse mag conscription, and have cut back on spending generally on goodies that were bought in the past. The only time I would cut back on my horses would be if my money did not stretch to give them the essentials in life, but I did waste lots of money on them like wanting new rugs when their old ones were perfectly useable. I was proberly guilty of buying new tack when I did not need it and I have lots of tack, rugs that have never seen a horse so really should have a good sort out and sell them to raise money for the future.
I bought an old trailer last year and did it up that has never moved off the drive so maybe that should go soon as the money would pay help my field rents for next year . My post sounds dismal but the money I wasted when times were good really should of been saved for leaner times, but we had good money coming in for so long I really thought it would never end lol
ETS I have never owned a credit card but the bank do pressure me to have one which too be honest is irresponsible of them when they can see less funds are being deposited in someones bank.
 
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When I was at uni I got into debt- had two overdrafts at £1500 each then a credit card with £3500 on it- I couldn't sleep with the debt so I sold Shadow for £4000 and have slowly paid off the rest leaving only about £700 of debt but £500 of this is from an interest free overdraft. I would never get into debt like this again- the stress wasnt worth it.
I have not been on holiday since sept 2006 and hardly ever go out, but now have my own home, a new car (57 plate) a vintage Bay Window VW camper van, and 2 lovely horses. However next year will be tougher so one of the horses has got to go- i would not get into debt to own a horse- as they are a luxury and living on credit means living on someone elses money- which I couldnt bear. I feel im lucky but its not easy - and I once had to sell the best horse i ever owned to get here!
 
I am also sorry to say I have stopped buying Horse and Hound Mag and read this forum instead. Stopped chiropractor (equine and me) (dentist) equine and me, but still do lots of socialising in friends and my houses (you don't have to go to the pub - honest!)
 
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