Horse Show Budget: Excel?

[woodhillsmanhattan]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but I couldn’t find any threads about it. I’m trying to better budget for horse shows. I’m in college and although I have always helped pay for my horsie habit (working student, braiding, etc.) I want to become more involved with funding my hobby and have a better realization of the costs NOW before I am completely cut off :D! I asked my parents to compile an average cost for horse show (out of state and close to home), how much they are willing to set aside for my showing habit each year and what I myself need to cover. Any advice? Or suggestions about other information I should ask them for. My trainer is having a meeting this weekend about the 2012 season and where we will be going, so I want to be able to selectively choose the best shows for me and my horse.

So my question is, does anyone do their budgeting through excel? As I am getting into my higher level classes I have become very comfortable using the program and think it would be an efficient way of managing funds. What categories/columns do you include on your spreadsheet? How is it organized? If you are willing to email me your “template” that would be even better!

Thanks guys!

[ponymom64]

Good luck! I’ve always been too scared by what it adds up to to write it down :lol:

[AmmyByNature]

Not 100% sure what you’re looking for…

I “budget” $1500 for every horse show. For me this includes everything from shipping to trainer splits to the check to the horse show to braiding. The winter shows that are a say shorter end up cancelling out the bigger summer shows that are a day longer. Shipping is usually either $150 or $250 to where we go, so that comes out in the wash. If we go somewhere farther away I account for the extra shipping.

I do keep track of what the horse shows ended up costing me, but that’s after-the-fact, and it’s why I now know that horse shows cost me about $1500. I actually do use excel for that calculation, but my columns are simple: braiding, shipping, trainer split (includes day fees etc.), horse show check.

So I’m not sure what you’re looking for?

[Tivas_a_Diva]

[QUOTE=ponymom64;6144864]
Good luck! I’ve always been too scared by what it adds up to to write it down :lol:[/QUOTE]

• LOL

This was me up until this year. I LOVE MS Excel… does all that pesky math I don’t want to do! Columns include-
~Hauling or shipping (then broken down by)
–fuel
–tolls
~Entry fees
~Trainer Costs (then broken down by)
–fee
–travel expenses
~Stabling (if any)
–stalls
–bedding
~Meals
~Misc (tack, donations, nonsense I don’t feel like creating another column for!)

Hope this gets you started… good luck! And very impressive that you want to start taking control of your own finances and help your parents out a little. Good for you!

[kmwines01]

If you’re using it figure out what shows to go to, I’d make columns with show names, then rows with the individual fees for each show (stall, grounds fee, etc), then trainer fees, shipping, braiding, classes, etc. This could give you a basis and way to tell which shows to go to.

[woodhillsmanhattan]

Ammy,
Thanks! I’m looking for a spreadsheet to keep throughout the year to total up my cost. I’m going to set a total budget for the year with my parents and need a way to keep track of what each show costs. $1500 sounds like around the same approximation my mom gave me so I want to keep the spreadsheet in order to make myself stay around that number. If I find at one show I go over due to my personal costs or entering too many classes I will be able to have that documented and be more conscious at the next show. Hope that makes sense?

And thank you Diva! That sounds like a great way to organize everything.

Brainstorming here…good idea to keep two sheets? One as an estimation prior to the show (like what kmwines01 mentioned) and then the actual cost afterwards?

[drmgncolor]

I have an excel budget for my horse, but unlike you, I use it for ALL my horse expenses, not just shows… but I don’t go to many shows.

I try to keep it simple and easy to read. It looks something like:

MONTH:
Board:
Farrier:
Vet: (includes vet supplies, vaccines, etc)
Lessons:
Misc: (includes clinics, shows, and other misc horse purchases)
TOTAL: $$$$$

I break cost out in a separate “Notes” area and then equate them into the corresponding main category to get a total for that category. Then I total up per month and then by year at the bottom of the sheet. I have my own truck/trailer and I don’t usually add in the cost of gas to go somewhere local, but if I go outside the county for example, I will add gas to the Misc category.

Keeping this sheet has made me really conscious of what I spend month/quarterly/yearly on my horse. It’s insane how much just owning a horse costs.

[Brutus614]

I have two spreadsheets - one for monthly expenses, such as board, supplements, lessons, vet, etc. I also have another for shows, which includes the show name, entry fees, hauling, training/day fees, stall and shavings. I only go to small local shows, so I didn’t include braiding. I estimated high on shavings and hauling, but most of the shows I go to post their entry fees online, so no guess work there.

Hope that helps!

[ReSomething]

I don’t have Excel anymore since the computer crashed but the Office program still has a spreadsheet and I use it for the taxes - sometimes you are better off with two templates, like right now I’m contemplating making one for each animal group we have to save columns - not that the spreadsheet can’t make a million, just that having to arrow around gets tiring.
I have vertical columns with each expense and can sum horizontally such as for each show, and then vertically for your multi show budget. My template looks a lot like the paper spreadsheets, I have to admit.

[snaffle635]

I can send you one. Column headings are for each month. Rows are for each horse show, with the details of each show broken out. Mine also has non-showing expenses for board, farrier, massage therapist, blah, blah, blah.

I stopped updating it in 2009. I’m much happier now.

[Tha_Ridge]

[QUOTE=snaffle635;6145405]

I stopped updating it in 2009. I’m much happier now.[/QUOTE]

:lol:

To the OP: I did something similar with my family when I was a junior. I would set an amount per show (typically around $1,500, less for closer shows) and had all the columns that the other posters have mentioned. I also had a column for the check number, so that I could better track my bank account to—e.g., check 1000 went to the braider, check 1001 to the show office, etc.

If you want to get really fancy, you can do estimated costs beforehand and then actual costs, then do a percent change formula to see how much over or under you are. Perhaps this would be worth doing for three shows or so to see where you budgeting too little and where you are budgeting not enough?

[Mac123]

If you’re Excel-savvy, I’d encourage you to make your own. Then it’s personal and you can track all the information that’s important to you in a way that makes sense to you. What each person sees as important is different; you may look at different variables than each person who has posted here. Some may only consider the total cost of the show, some may care about the $1 bottle of water from the concession stand, some may use a guesstimate, some may track all check numbers and credit card charges related to each show. Nothing is right/wrong.

This is probably the accountant in me, but I would track the budget (what you think you’ll or want to spend), the actual amount, and then an Over/Under - amount and % - to see how each category and each total show comes out against the budgeted number.

This way you can not only see where you stand with your budget (and what adjustments you may need to make for the future) but also where you might have some extra money if you were under budget or where you might need to cut costs to make up for being over budget. Sometimes the over/under will balance out the whole picture, but doing them by category will help you understand where and why you are over/under budget.

I would also probably have a summary section or page showing each total show or total month (depending on what information is important to you), quarter, and year to see how you’re doing.

Then I’d probably cry, drink a beer (or 6) and wonder why the heck I’m doing this. :winkgrin:

[saddleup]

You all are braver than I am. I don’t want to know. I mean, I write the checks so of course I KNOW, but I don’t want a record of it!

[hequestrian]

If someone does have a great one I too would love to get my hands on it… I would love for mine to include regular monthly costs as well though…

I am a bit Excel Savvy but I don’t like it so I am not likely going to make one myself, haha.

[snaffle635]

[QUOTE=hequestrian;6145742]
If someone does have a great one I too would love to get my hands on it… I would love for mine to include regular monthly costs as well though…

I am a bit Excel Savvy but I don’t like it so I am not likely going to make one myself, haha.[/QUOTE]

Just emailed you my template.

[GingerJumper]

I’ve debated trying one, buuut I’m too scared to add it all up. Props to you for being brave! :lol:

[hfxjumper]

Could you fwd to me aswell Snaffle?

[Jolie1]

I just created a kick ass one this year. I am an accountant so have budget worksheet, transaction worksheet . For the transactions - I download from the bank then code each line with an identifier (i.e. “G” for Gas; “S” for Show, etc), then have another worksheet which utilizes a pivot table related to the transactions worksheet, and then a nice little summary box with budgets to actuals by month and YTD (using sumif’s).

If you are good at excel just start playing around, took me about 2 hours but now have one custimized to how I would like to see it and ability to drill down (as my memory is terrible). I will send you mine - but I am just going to delete the past transactions and use all $1 for some of the budget items.

[abv1269]

Hi folks – would love it if anyone has the time to email me their budget – would very helpful! Thanks in advance!

[sadie2708]

I know this thread is older, but if anyone would be willing to email me the budget template, I’d be grateful. Thanks!