Last updated on November 7, 2024

Holiday Sales Are Upon Us! 5 Tips to Help You Stay on Budget

Let’s be real. With the cost of fuel, the increasing cost of groceries, and everyday necessities, most of us are looking for ways to save money without giving up our favorite hobbies.

And while we covered budget-saving tips for horse owners extensively in this blog 5 Ways to Save on the Cost of Owning Horses, we have some tips specific to holiday sales for stocking up on the good stuff as a horse owner.

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5 Ways to Not Overspend on Holiday Sales

As Black Friday (or Black MONTH as it has become) approaches, there are OFTEN deals that are “too good to pass up” in every ad that comes across your screen. However, one of the best tips for being a savvy buyer involves knowing when to take advantage of sales and when to pass.

1. Do an inventory of your barn supplies before buying new items.

Is your shovel hanging on by a thread? Is your manure fork down to its last couple of prongs? Do all of your hoses have cracks? Does your tank heater still work?
All of these things wear out (sadly). While it may be tempting to go “save so much money” when your local store has big holiday sales, if you don’t actually NEED that item and won’t need it for the next year, it may be better to pass on the sale.
Don’t forget to inspect horse blankets (if you use them) to see if they will need to be repaired or replaced in the next year.
If your staple barn supplies are wearing out, you might as well save 10, 15, or 25% when the local store has a sale!

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2. Take a look at your supplement supply.

One of the major keys to long-term healthy horses is to consistently use high-quality supplements. Even when they are looking and feeling good, stay on them!
Check your FDD and NuTrack supplies to see if you need to stock up during a sale. Nobody wants to run out of these staples!

3. Price check BEFORE sales start

If you are looking to purchase specific items, look at prices before sales start and compare brands before purchasing.
Some retailers artificially inflate prices during the holidays, just to “mark them down” during the sales.
It’s easy to get caught up in what seems like a good deal but you won’t know if it’s really a good deal unless you’ve done your research beforehand.

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4. Measure for storage

Nothing will ruin your grain or supplement supply like mice, rats, or other unsavory guests. While we wish we had entire airtight storage facilities to stock up on supplies, the fact is that mice-proof grain and supplement storage is limited. Make sure that you have enough storage to keep your grain, supplements, or other mice-attracting supplies out of reach.
And if you’re thinking about buying a bigger item, make sure you have the space to store it BEFORE purchasing.
Bonus tip: If you buy FDD in bulk, it comes in a GREAT sealable bucket that keeps pests out!

5. Search for secondhand!

Many supplies- especially therapeutic horse supplies- go in and out of fashion. In some cases, it’s because they aren’t effective. However, if you find a specific horse therapy product that you love (or know that you would love after lots of research), sometimes you can grab it at ½ or even a ¼ of the normal price by waiting until that particular therapy is out of style for a bit and then grabbing it second hand. Facebook Marketplace or Facebook groups are the best places for us to find deals!

Shop the Holiday Sales….Smartly

‘Tis the season to get bombarded by pretty ads and “must-have” deals, but it’s important to step back and consider what you really need or want before pulling the plug on a holiday sale. Purchasing something on sale that you already have multiples of isn’t actually saving you money. But finding an item that you desperately need or have had your eye on for a long time on sale is a DEFINITE win!

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Listen, we’re not here to judge your spending habits or say you (and your horses) have to live a Spartan existence. But it’s always good to have tips on how to save a little bit of money during the holiday shopping madness. So consider this our friendly reminder to take inventory of your barn supplies and supplements, price check/compare before the sales start, keep in mind storage issues, and check for secondhand stuff before hitting those holiday sales!

Proudly written for Animal Element by the team at FaithHanan.com