Happy November! Did anyone watch the NYC Marathon on Sunday? Wow, what a race! For sure I thought Desi was going to win since she had a lead halfway through the race. Joyciline Jepkosgei definitely surprised everyone! Watching the race inspired me to enter the early drawing for the NYC Marathon. 🙂
This week’s Tuesday Topic: How do you budget for races? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to Link-up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!
Signing up for races is expensive. Add in travel and airline cost and it gets even more expensive. You also need to pay for food and additional travel cost. I’ve run a total of 167 races. I would say maybe 10 or so have been free but the rest I have paid for on my own.
Next year I am planning to run the Kona Half Marathon and 7 additional half marathons in different states. I would also like to run the MCM or NYC Marathon. I know those trips won’t be cheap. For now I am saving money using the $5 Savings Challenge. I save every $5 bill that I get. I rarely carry cash but use cash when I buy tamales. 🙂 I began saving money using this method in March 2018. At first I was saving it for lasik eye surgery. Not that important anymore. I can wear my glasses. 🙂 I don’t know how much money I have but I plan to find out when I start making hotel arrangements.
I know I won’t have enough to pay for it. Plan B is to use my credit card. I know it isn’t really the best option but I don’t have any other choice. I am very good about paying my bills on time. Also, I like the credit card I have (from Chase) because I get cash back every month. Then I use that money to make a payment on my card. I just realized that I could have transferred that money to a savings account and used it towards my traveling/race costs. 🙂
Running is definitely not a cheap hobby but I still love it. Let’s not forget that we still need to buy running shoes, clothes, socks, and additional gear.
Also, I remember when I would sign up for almost every race. Not no more. Now I am picky about the races I run. There are a few I like to run every year and those are the ones I sign up for in advance to get the early registration fee.
Have you run the Kona Half Marathon? Have you traveled to Hawaii? My race will be at the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Kohala Coast so I am looking for a good and inexpensive place to stay.
I don’t budget for races–I guess I don’t run enough of them for it to be an issue!
Well, I am trying to cut down because some of them are very expensive. Plus, it does add up!
Have fun In Hawaii!!! I’ve been there twice, but both times there was rain so the running never happened ;-(
I will be going in June and it is supposed to be warm and humid. I do hope no rain though.
I like to register early since the entry fees usually go up closer to the race. I’ve raced so much more this year than I have in previous years, and yes it’s a lot of money but I would argue that what I’ve gotten out of it is worth it. I’ve never traveled for a race, but for the past few years we’ve gone to Chicago the same weekend as the Shamrock Shuffle and if we go again this year I’m definitely running.
Oh yes, the Shamrock Shuffle is so much fun!!! Let me know if you do sign up and come here so I can meet up with you.
I love your idea of saving every $5 dollar bill – that would add up quickly!
I hope so! I cannot wait to find out how much I have saved.
I haven’t traveled for a race since 2015, but I will be traveling from Atlanta to NYC in 2020 to watch my son cross his first marathon finish line! I am working on a budgeting plan right now!
That trip is going to be so much fun. I hope I get selected to run too the NYC Marathon.
Oh, Hawaii. I’d definitely love to run a race there, but I’d have to save up for it for sure.
Oh I know what you mean. I wished it wasn’t so expensive.
Never run in Hawaii but what a fun trip! I’d love to go someday! It will definitely take some planning because it does get expensive. I’ve been doing the $5 savings thing too. I save $5 per day. That really adds up over time and usually I don’t even miss the money because I never keep it on me for long! It goes in my piggy bank, not my real bank account so I don’t even see how much I have either until I go to count it for something.
I feel the same way. I don’t even miss the money either. I just add it to my box and “forget” about it.
Hawaii is definitely on my long range list. But it ain’t cheap to be a runner. I work so I can race. Lol.
I sign up for races early to save on fees.
I charge everything which gives me airline points.
And I do mostly NY races. No state goal.
Good luck with yours.
Thank you! When I am done with my state goal the I can just focus more on local races.
That is a really creative way to save! Kona sounds fun
One of my coworkers told me about it. That is how it all started.
A good inexpensive place to stay in HI. Good luck with that! HI is really expensive! But so worth it. I’ve only been to the Big Island once, but have been to Kauia 3 times. It’s our fav place — check out AirBnBs — that’s what we did the last time we were there.
We always pay our credit cards on time. At the moment, our mortgage is our only loan, but with my car being 19 years old, one day I will have to buy a new one.
I will be looking into AirBnBs. My family is planning to go so that will be fun too.
167 races. WOW. That’s impressive.
I love the $5 challenge. I also do the $/week/week of the year, so $2 in the 2nd, $12 in the twelfth, etc. It nearly paid for my laptop a few years ago and is generally my travel fund as it comes to ~$1300/year. Might try it together with your $5 one. I also save & roll my change.
Oh, I’ve done the same thing you have. I’ve also done it the other way (i.e. $52 in week 1, $51 in week 2, and then ended up with $1 the last week).
I tend to do it that way too — always more disposable money near the front of the year.
Exactly!