Horses are Expensive 3.0 - September

They're even more expensive if you do all the things: shows, lessons, vet, farrier ... Somehow, I managed to squeeze in an awful lot considering September only has 30 days, and I went back to work.

​My biggies for the month were the same as any month: board, farrier, lessons, gas, and that whopper of a vet bill. When looked at individually, none of the charges are all that exorbitant. It's when I put them all together in one month that they make me cringe. Especially that vet bill. I have been paying that sucker down bit by bit all year only to watch it creep back up even as I made another payment. I am so glad that thing is paid off.

September's expenditures.

​Out of curiosity, I changed the parameters of the monthly report to show how much I've spent thus far in 2019. My September bill looks pretty hefty when viewed as a percentage of $16,338, my year-to-date expenses.

To date this year.

Then I started digging though my report customizer and found a report that I've never used before - a two year, side-by-side comparison.

It is interesting to note that some years, I spend quite a bit more in some areas than others. Veterinary Costs, I am looking at you. In 2019, I definitely spent more on my truck and the farrier, but a lot less on supplements. Bye, bye, Platinum Performance ... 

On my report, I can click each dollar amount and a detailed list pops up. Here's what it looks like when I click 2019's Veterinary Costs.

I like reports. It's interesting to see where my money goes. What we spend our money on is truly a reflection of our priorities and values. Some might even say our spending is a barometer of our core life values. I recently saw this interesting statement about core values. 

​While some people ... might expressly share their core values, often the best way to identify these values is to watch how they behave.

... A core value is only true if it has an active influence and if the people or company manage to live by it, at least most of the time.

It makes me wonder what my spending says about my own values. I think self-reflection is what is called for here.