How do you save $$ on FTs/HTs?

[Gerard Rozas]

What little things do you do to save money on FTs/HTs?

1. I have started running only the Am stake - saves me 1 or 2 nights motel and an entry.

2. I wait until after the Dow is closed to see about the motel. It I run late enough - I will drive in that morning.

3. Not running the Open also limits the fancy dinners to one at the most. And sometimes, if I have left at 2-3am Saturday morning to make the 1st series - I dont feel like going out anyway.

[msdaisey]

I don't skimp on the motel - I am kindof a Hampton Inn girl - because I don't always have Kennel Boy with me, and some places have just turned out to be plain scary.

I am not a big dinner person, either, so I am happy with something cheap or pizza delivered to the room!

I haven't had a dog to run for a year and a half - that's saved a bundle - lol.

I never figured out how to save any money with this sport!

[Gun_Dog2002]

I don't travel as far. In fact last year everything I ran was in my home state. I also ran 2 double header HT's to get more bang for the buck on the weekend and dropped a Sauvie Island HT and FT. I ran both FT's here in my home town.

/Paul

[jeff t.]

What little things do you do to save money on FTs/HTs?

1. I have started running only the Am stake - saves me 1 or 2 nights motel and an entry.

2. I wait until after the Dow is closed to see about the motel. It I run late enough - I will drive in that morning.

3. Not running the Open also limits the fancy dinners to one at the most. And sometimes, if I have left at 2-3am Saturday morning to make the 1st series - I dont feel like going out anyway.

I reserve my motels a couple of months in advance, sometimes the rates are better that way. Also, I make separate reservations for Fri and Sat nights and check out on Saturday morning ... to avoid getting charged for a room I may not need.

Also minimize dinner expenses as much as possible (Subway sub, Wendy's salad).

Thanks for starting this thread Gerard

[FOM]

Funny you should mention this. As I was driving into work this morning my gas light went off on my truck....mumble, mumble, mumble.....with gas prices going up it made my stomach turn. This got me to thinking about a pending trip to TX I have planned to run 2 trials with Butthead.....I begining to wonder if it is worth it. I was also thinking about a hybrid....the only hybrid SUV that I know of is a Ford Sport or something like that - but I do not want the dogs in the "cab" so to speak.....anyway, I'm considering a hybrid for the dog games - anyone got suggestions?? The price of gas is a killer.

BTW this past year when we could, we camped in a pop-up tent at the trial grounds or a local State Park. We also packed lunches in a cooler vs. fast food. It helped a little with the $$ of playing the games.

Also it is cheaper to use a Pro or at least that is what my checkbook is saying - sad isn't it?

FOM

[Terry Thomas]

I find that when you go out in the first series you save on the overnight expenses.

[FOM]

Also, I make separate reservations for Fri and Sat nights and check out on Saturday morning ... to avoid getting charged for a room I may not need.

Okay silly question - at the same hotel? Meaning how late can you cancel your room and still not get charged? I've been stuck till 7:30pm or later waiting for callbacks, only to find out that it was time to drive home....

FOM

[jeff t.]

Okay silly question - at the same hotel? Meaning how late can you cancel your room and still not get charged? I've been stuck till 7:30pm or later waiting for callbacks, only to find out that it was time to drive home....

FOM

Yes at the same motel.. usually 6 pm is the cutoff.

Late callbacks are a problem. I've had to make a call to the motel at 5:30 motel letting them know that I may not be there, but will know in a a couple of hours and have dropped the "guaranteed" aspect of the reservation. They still had a room for me.

Another way to save $$ is to share a room with another field trialer. I haven't done that yet.

[Russ]

We camp out, run the all age dog only in Ams and mostly cook our own food. We get showers at truck stops. Also, Florence often takes the dogs for a couple of weeks and camps while training between trials in a given area, saving on gas going back and forth.

Russ

[K G]

Also it is cheaper to use a Pro or at least that is what my checkbook is saying - sad isn't it?
FOM

Surely that can't be right..... .....true enough from my POV, especially if you want to make the trips to run the Am worth the "investment."

Ms Daisey wrote:

I haven't had a dog to run for a year and a half - that's saved a bundle - lol.

Having not run one competitively for quite a while longer than that, it's been somewhat of a shock to the system....but I can tell you that expense is the last thing I think of if I'm there on Sunday afternoon.....

kg