The Cost of 2018

I did my first one of these in 2016 and found the experience so..."enjoyable" that I did it again in 2017. Now I'm back for year three! Either I'm a glutton for punishment or I just really enjoy math.

LOL.

No one enjoys math.

Without further ado:

Supplements and Healthcare: $619.42

• I put all of Opie's various weight gain experiments under here, along with such necessities as wormer and his brief need for medication for the aural plaques in his ears. 

Farrier: $590

• In case you guys doubted my farrier is the best, which you shouldn't because she is, I spent more this year doing simple steel front shoes for Opie than I did for nine months of corrective and trying-to-be-life-saving shoeing setups and consultations for Bobby in 2017. 

Lessons: $640

• One category I would be okay with being higher. Sadly I think this is going to be pretty low in 2019 with another big bill being introduced to our monthly life expenditures budget. 

Board: $1,290

• Listen. I really hate horses some days, but I don't hate that taking care of them makes my board pocket change.

Vet: $586.50

• Opie "needed" booster vaccines since I didn't have a written record of them from the track. He also needed extra dental care because Shark. That is all.

Shows: $1,141

• Cost of all that satin? Priceless.

Tack/Gear: $1,880.82

• I had a goal this year to get this category way down from previous years. Mission fucking accomplished. $1k of that was the last bit of my saddle I owed, and I bought a cart for $225. Take away those two things and I feel like a miser. In a horse owning sort of way. Plus I can't be held responsible for having to buy things like fly gear because my horse is allergic to nature and multiple replacement halters because my horse is bad. 

Miscellaneous (memberships, registrations, repairs, etc): $1,365.82

• Oof, this one got me this year. Poor old Growler needed a lot of extra love at the beginning of the year, and then her power steering lines needed to be replaced mid-summer. I have a sinking feeling this category is going to skyrocket next year. I'm tacking on a few more memberships, and my truck is making a rather ominous clunking noise. As I told Farrier, "She needs some love and I've got no more love to give her." Fingers crossed the old lady doesn't need a complete engine overhaul because I really don't know what I'm going to do at that point. 

Overall total: $8,113.56

• I saw that and thought it was still painfully high. Then I went back and compared to the last two years--almost $12k and just over $14k--and I basically paid zero dollars on my horse all year! (Pretty sure that's how it works.) 

This is seriously one of my favorite year-end posts to do. It sparks so much conversation, and I love when other people jump aboard and do their own calculations. So how about it? Was 2018 an easier year financially for you? Did you hit any grossly ambiguous financial goals? Are you also already absolutely dreading 2019's costs?