Clean Run Magazine - September 2008 - 12

And, that’s just on agility itself. Dogs rack up all kinds of other expenses along the way, as we all know! While it may feel more like a necessity or even an addiction for some, agility falls into the discretionary spending (fun) category. Allowed to run wild, it can kill your budget. Here are a few ideas to help you find the money you need to train, trial, and travel for years to come. Tame Your Gift-giving Habits Really. You do not need to give something to everyone you know for every occasion out there. The people who truly care about you want to be with you more than they want any gift item you can find. Give of your time, rather than from your wallet, when you can. Ways to Save Reel in Spending on Other Forms of “Fun” Fun activities such as movies, concerts, video games, and even vacations, come with a price tag. “The fact is, if you have an expensive hobby, where you’re spending $3,000, $5,000 or $10,000, you can’t also think, ‘And, by the way, I want to be a scuba diver, and I want to ride my horses, and I want to travel the world, and I want to go on and on and on of all the fun things possible,’” says Adele Brady Bolson, CPA, and member of the American Institute of Cer tified Public Accountants. “Very few of us have the luxury to do everything we want.” Curtailing your other fun expenses will free up some money for agility. Consider Alternative Housing Thinking about where and how you live likely stirs up all kinds of emotion, but reality is this: smaller houses not only have smaller mortgages, but they typically cost less to heat and cool, maintain, and insure. Bolson suggests house-sharing or co-living as a viable alternative.“The people I know with very limited finances make that successful by living in homes with a lot of people—three, four, five people,” Bolson says.“It’s a different lifestyle, but it might be an idea for single folks.” Realistically, this option makes the most sense for former junior handlers, now grown, or for other single adults, such as those coming out of a divorce. The trick is finding a rental house that allows multiple dogs. It may be more feasible to purchase a house. Where possible, Bolson suggests the person who can qualify for the mortgage does so and invites others to move in and help pay the housing and other expenses. © Clean Run Control Your Food Bill The average family spends 13% of its budget on food, (just over $6,100 per year). Nearly 45% of that comes from eating out. When you eat at home or pack your own food for lunches at work or at trials, you not only are more likely to eat healthier, but you’ll also save (or at least not waste) money. Only one-third of restaurant expenses go for the actual food on your plate. The rest gets eaten up by overhead. So, why are you paying some restaurant’s electric bill, rather than keeping that cash for you and your dog? Watch for pitfalls at the grocery store, too. Cigarettes, alcohol, soft drinks, and potato chips are top money wasters in your shopping cart. At some houses, chocolate also tips the scales. So, for everything you buy, ask yourself, “Am I getting enough value for what I’m spending?” Stagger Your Training Unless you’re a greener-than-green handler, you and your dog probably don’t need weekly lessons year round. So, once you’re past the super-novice or young-dog stage, consider staggering your group classes on and off throughout the year. Or, pick up a few private lessons here and there and subsidize that training with solo drop-ins or inexpensive fun matches. Some instructors offer video critiques for significantly less than a private lesson. Simply submit clips of your latest runs and ask for a list of items to train, fix, or reconsider. When you eat at home or pack your own food for lunches at work or at trials, you not only are more likely to eat healthier, but you’ll also save (or at least not waste) money. Make Trialing More Strategic Rather than enter a smattering of trials from every venue available, pick the one or two you like best and concentrate on those. Consider limiting the classes you enter as well. Every dog doesn’t need to run in every class, every day, all weekend long. Score All the Freebies and Discounts You Can Some clubs offer volunteer workers vouchers for future trial entries. Some trainers or schools give discounts for clients with multiple dogs or credits to students who help move and maintain the equipment. Clean Run | September 08 12

Clean Run Magazine - September 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - September 2008