Money saving tips?...

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Sundae

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As xmas and the more expensive winter approaches I was wondering if anyone had any useful money saving tips! My only two are: cider vinegar is much cheaper if you buy it from the supermarket (works out about £3.20 cheaper per 10l). Also I often bin gamgee once covered in shavings but have found that a plastic curry comb is fantastic for removing cr%p! Not that its that expensive in the first place... Anyone got any others?
 
teach your horse to wee in a bucket when you bring him or her into the stable. very easy to teach, saves loads of bedding and keeps the stable smelling sweeter. pour the bucketful on any weeds you're trying to get rid of round the yard, rinse, and put back by stable door for next time.
i've found mares easier to teach than geldings, but it only takes a few times, whistling as soon as they're in on the bed, and they get the idea.
mix up a few drops of various essential oils in a 6litre plastic milk container full of water and, shaken, use it as a very cheap and effective natural stable deodorant/antibacterial. lemon, thyme, lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, orange, lemongrass - any of these are good to use.
 
Give up?

I always go into winter with the intention of trying to save money...it lasts for about a week, and I normaly end up giving up and spending all my pennies on the horses, buying plenty of things I don't, and never will, need. *sigh*
 
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Give up?

I always go into winter with the intention of trying to save money...it lasts for about a week, and I normaly end up giving up and spending all my pennies on the horses, buying plenty of things I don't, and never will, need. *sigh*

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LOL that's so true!! I am getting better now that the bills are getting bigger at home though. It really depends on how you keep your horses as to how you can save money. My rubber matting has paid for itself a hundred times over in bedding costs. Unfortunately horses seem to absorb money
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Well yes... the best option would be to not have a horse at all!! But I quite like the challenge of trying to be good with my money... Well, it lasts for a month- but there are some really good ideas out there that I am sure can help! And yes I do sometimes run into the stable with a bucket much to the alarm of my horse... Like the essential oils idea as well Kerilli!
 
Yep - potty training is a great money saver!

I know that this sounds really obvious, but before I buy anything for the neds (ie extra), I write down all the things I would really like and then pick out the things I really need. It seems to make me more aware of how much money I could waste.

I used to buy specific horse suppliments from my local feed shop. However, you can get the oils etc much cheaper from the local supermarket. Also, internet prices for the more specialised ones are much more competitive if you are willing to surf the net a bit. The same applies to wormer (both dog and horse). I have been looking around and to buy all my wormer for next year and the suppliments for the next 6 months I will have saved a massive 40%
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. I haven't gone to cheaper brands, just got better prices.

This is going to sound really geek-ish, but I have also started to keep a spreadsheet of what I am spending on the horses, broken down into different types of things (eg feed and hay, bedding, vet, tack, etc). It helps me keep track of what I'm spending so I don't go overboard.
 
If you're wanting to keep track of what you're spending on the horse (I prefer the head-in-sand approach personally, otherwise my husband might realise how much more expensive my girl is than I tell him and want me to get rid in exchange for a better car or flat screen telly!!
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) there is a fab new website at;

http://www.manage-my-horse.com

Which has a reporting function and you can use to keep track of costs etc. Seems a really good idea and is free too!
 
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