money to compete?

diggerbez

diggerbez

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LEC's post about getting into debt in order to compete has got me thinking about how we can raise extra money to fund competing. i am one of the naughty people who has eventing credit card debts (from stupidly trying to event in the year that i had no job as was doing teacher training and also bought a house that year :( ) Has definitely limited what i've been able to do over the last few years- don't get me wrong have still done stuff but nowhere near as much as i would have done without the debt.
But one thing i did do was try to work out how i could make 'extra' money to fund competing- and i try to use that rather than my normal monthly wage. Would be interesting to see if anyone else has any other ideas!

1. I have spent the last year madly ebaying everything that i don't need. i'm a major hoarder and so have a lot of crap. Bet i've raised in excess of £600 from selling bits of tack, books etc. The great thing with this is that ebay sales money goes into paypal and then you can just use that to pay for entry fees rather than having to use cards/ bank account

2. I'm a teacher and so have been doing exam marking which brings in about 1000 a year in two lump sums- so great for paying for something big like membership fee or a training camp. have actually just got a promotion on this front so should get quite a bit more.

3. this year instead of BEing i did some unafils and then did a few on day tickets which i think is what i might do next year. i would love to affil properly but can't really justify it when there are s many good quality unafils that i can do...

so...any other ideas? i do think that we have to try and save money but i would go insane sitting about doing absolutely nothing :rolleyes:
 
what about doing working hunters for a year? Much cheaper, and quite good fun as well imo :)

Failing that, how about sharing lifts in a lorry with friends, or selling a saddle?

You do not need a dressage saddle to do dressage; its perfectly ok to do it in a jumping saddle :)
Or, sell your leather one for cash and buy a cheap synthetic if can't go with out a saddle?

Go to horsey car boot sales to buy new tack/sell old tack etc :)
 
only_me said:
what about doing working hunters for a year? Much cheaper, and quite good fun as well imo :)

Failing that, how about sharing lifts in a lorry with friends, or selling a saddle?

You do not need a dressage saddle to do dressage; its perfectly ok to do it in a jumping saddle :)
Or, sell your leather one for cash and buy a cheap synthetic if can't go with out a saddle?

Go to horsey car boot sales to buy new tack/sell old tack etc :)
Click to expand...

OMG i think i would rather quit riding than do any form of showing! hahahaha :D

i was debating flogging my dressage saddle actually. i hate it. its just that once its gone then its gone and i won't have the dosh anymore... poss an idea though to think about buying a cheap 2nd hand throwgood or something though :)
 
"I've heard certain night time persuits pay well... and don't get in the way of horse time "

I didnt know HHO paid its late night members...?!!!!
 
I have sold 3 x saddles over the last year and a load of bits and bobs on eBay but obviously that isn't sustainable because I will eventually run out of my hoarded stuff :)

My friend does actually do lapdancing 4 or 5 x nights a week to fund her horses and the money she pulls in makes it quite tempting ;)
 
I ebay stuff (last time I had a big clear out made £250) but the novelty of multiple trips to the PO wears off pretty quick. I also go to tack sales/car boots to see my tat and try to buy gems, recently bought a rug for £8 sold it the next week for £20 = 2 bags of feed paid for!

I use my other talents (steady!) to make websites in return for lessons, clipping etc. I also try to produce a 'project horse' in the summer to provide me with a lump sum, but this year for the first time that hasn't exactly gone to plan! ;)
 
diggerbez said:
1. I have spent the last year madly ebaying everything that i don't need. i'm a major hoarder and so have a lot of crap. Bet i've raised in excess of £600 from selling bits of tack, books etc. The great thing with this is that ebay sales money goes into paypal and then you can just use that to pay for entry fees rather than having to use cards/ bank account

:
Click to expand...

Thats a good idea.

Sorry no tips on making money but reading with interest!! :)
 
I swop my skills for things. I fence judge to pick up vouchers to go xc schooling, do sponsorship proposals and write press releases for riders in return for lessons and then ride out and muck out in return for arena hire. It does actually save money.

Can you cut transport costs by sharing more to things? Cut livery costs by taking on extra responsibilities?
I work at a youth club for 3 hours a week and that raises an extra £100 a month, looks great on my CV and does not particularly tax me!
Could you tutor students? This could fit around your time.
 
i teach, and am another ebayer-both buying and selling.

if you are good at clipping thats a nice money spinners, my livery is fab fab fab at it and is in high demand, sadly i hate it so much i coudnt bear to do any more of it.
 
oooh some good ideas there folks- keep them coming:

Milltiger- i'm not suprised. if i was in any way skinny/ co-ordinated/ attractive when dancing its something i would consider. but i'm not- although people might possibly pay me to stop dancing?! :D

Chloe- think i'll stay clear of the project horse- i would undoubtedly get afr too attached! Car boot sales is something i should investigate though

LEC- ooh good idea re. fence judging. its something that i always intend to do but never get round to but definitely an incentive there if i can choose places that give out money off XC schooling.
I should really look into tutoring. problem is that history isn't exactly one of those subjects that people look for tutors for in the way they do for science, maths etc. there is actually a tutoring centre 3 doors down from my house so guess i should enquire about that!

Only Me- i wouldnt have thought that the PC would want me- but def a good idea for those people who can actually ride properly! haha :D


Santa Claus- i'd love to be able to draw. My OH is arty and is also a graphic designer/ web designer- drives me mad that he never uses these skills to make extra money (even better if he would use HIS skills to pay for MY competing :p;))

Princess Sparkle- i agree- hate hate hate clipping! oh and am rubbish at it too... i could market myself as a specialist in wonky lines!

I came up with another one actually. i have an equissage and do hire it out. my poster at the farm fell off months ago and we have lots of new people now who won't know about it so i mite do another- i used to earn about £20-30 a week doing that.
 
Definitely watching this with interest :)

For me, recently, I've been helping a friend who's emigrated by selling her old tack (which has accumulated over her whole life and never has anything been sold) and either adding on some if it's viable, or taking 10%. Still have a whole room of stuff though!

Also do promotions work at night in clubs/bars/pubs and at events like golf days, concerts etc, and occasionally in store promotions too. Fits in well, pay is ok, and I quite like the work.
Busy choosing with modelling agency to sign with atm, so hoping if I can do a bit of that it'll bring in some extra money.

A friend of mine makes fancy ribbon browbands to order. She's good at it, they don't cost much to make, and you can sell them for a fair bit.

And also I tutor the matric students here (so school leavers..I know..I'm 19, but the matric system is quite simple :) ) outside of school, but it's obviously stopped for summer holidays now.

And the obvious looking for a bargain :-)
 
Well the YO's have Sundays off doing full/part/assisted DIY and tell people to do thier own horses, so when they cant i offer to do them for a small amount of money. Working sat + sunday riding + mucking out the pointers, clipping horses for people, ebaying stuff, riding/selling horses for people, babysitting, and have recently been asked to help sell the local tackshops seconds stock, in return for either money or stuff from them (my choice which).. baisically any opourtunity to make money, i take it and having an entrepreneurial head helps too! :)
 
bigboyrocky said:
Well the YO's have Sundays off doing full/part/assisted DIY and tell people to do thier own horses, so when they cant i offer to do them for a small amount of money. Working sat + sunday riding + mucking out the pointers, clipping horses for people, ebaying stuff, riding/selling horses for people, babysitting, and have recently been asked to help sell the local tackshops seconds stock, in return for either money or stuff from them (my choice which).. baisically any opourtunity to make money, i take it and having an entrepreneurial head helps too! :)
Click to expand...

BBR- are you the next apprentice then? got to be better than stuart baggs- "i'm not a one trick pony, i'm a whole field of ponies"
(if you don't watch the apprentice... this will make zero sense! :rolleyes:)
 
I changed my job to fund my horses, I used to be a Veterinary Nurse working in a top Vet School, teaching vet students but it meant that I went into debt every summer and tried but never quite managed to get above water by the following one so slowly ended up with my wages paying off my overdraft then spending the next month going back into it again!

I moved to the pharmaceutical industry which I actually do enjoy and it pays enough for me to compete. I can only pay for a lesson a month, and compete at max 2 events per month but doing that doesn't put me in debt.

If I needed to earn extra money, I could locum as a nurse or teach BS, I am currently looking into my UKCC but thats really just out of interest as I probably won't do a lot of teaching with it. Just those people who ask me for help :)

You could approach some horsey mags and see if they would like you to write a monthly article on something - or if you are a history buff, the Open University is always looking for lecturers for their modules and I believe they pay well


Cx
 
Doing every overtime shift possible - in the snow last week I clocked up nearly 50 hours, about 16 of which were paid double time (:D). I get paid peanuts though so my double time is probably less than most people's wages :p Luckily my parents keep me, so all my wages go into either 'Wilby fund' or 'uni fund'.
Unfortunately, if you're a teacher then that probably isn't an option... Are there any colleges near you that teach evening classes, say for mature students? Would teaching at one of those one or two evenings a week be possible?
 
What is your specialist History subject?

I was at St Albans on Friday and our company as part of a team building thing organised for us to do a treasure hunt round St A, it was fantastic with the town being divided into 5 parts and you had to answer 4 questions in each section. it takes too long to expain but at the end you have a code, and you also need to do team challenges.

If you live in a historical area and know a bit about the place, then you could write a similar treasure hunt type thing and get local companies to pay for the activity.

there were 20 of us doing the activity and I think it cost the company around £300 for 2 hours. The only thing the guys running it needed was a laptop, projector and screen and a local pub who were happy for the company to pay for lunches!

Would be a quick way to make money!
 
diggerbez said:
BBR- are you the next apprentice then? got to be better than stuart baggs- "i'm not a one trick pony, i'm a whole field of ponies"
(if you don't watch the apprentice... this will make zero sense! :rolleyes:)
Click to expand...

hahaha, he does make good entertainment. Although £25k from the Junior Apprentice would come in handy, i dont think i could handle some (or most) of the egos that you get! :rolleyes:
 
ArcticFox said:
What is your specialist History subject?

I was at St Albans on Friday and our company as part of a team building thing organised for us to do a treasure hunt round St A, it was fantastic with the town being divided into 5 parts and you had to answer 4 questions in each section. it takes too long to expain but at the end you have a code, and you also need to do team challenges.

If you live in a historical area and know a bit about the place, then you could write a similar treasure hunt type thing and get local companies to pay for the activity.

there were 20 of us doing the activity and I think it cost the company around £300 for 2 hours. The only thing the guys running it needed was a laptop, projector and screen and a local pub who were happy for the company to pay for lunches!

Would be a quick way to make money!
Click to expand...

Rather unhelpfully i'm an ancient/medieval specialist which is not terribly helpful when you live in lancashire- which didn't even exist in the medieval period :rolleyes: its all mill towns round here. interesting about the Open University though- shall definitely go and explore that idea and night school teaching too...
 
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