DANCE DIARIES:
BALLROOM BUDGETING
How I Afford To Dance
by The Girl with the Tree Tattoo
BookBaby
Non-Fiction
41 pages
Anyone who tries ballroom dancing quickly learns how expensive it can be. From private lessons to competition fees, the monetary cost of being a ballroom student can quickly skyrocket. In my experience, the high cost is the most frequently cited reason for quitting dance. It shouldn’t be that way!
I live paycheck to paycheck, carry credit card debt, and still dance and compete in pro-am ballroom. In my first two years as a pro-am competitive ballroom dancer, I entered five competitions, had the money reserved for two additional events, and, at the same time, reduced my credit card debt by almost 50%!
I wrote this second book in my Dance Diaries series out of a desire to help my fellow struggling dancers do the same thing. From budgeting basics to specific tips on how to save on ballroom dancing, in Ballroom Budgeting, I share exactly how I dance and compete in ballroom while living paycheck to paycheck AND reducing debt! I even provide the tools I use to help you start organizing your own ballroom budget right away! Stop stressing over the cost and focus on what is important – the dancing!
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MY TIDBITS
Through down to earth, real life tips, this book explains how an expensive hobby like ballroom dancing can be financed without driving a person into debt.
Right away in the introduction, the author makes no qualms in admitting that ballroom dancing isn't the cheapest hobby/sport. Through quick flashes of her own experiences at cutting corners, she makes it clear that in order to enjoy such a hobby, a person does need to make some sacrifices. The honest approach is refreshing, and the hints offered have been tried and tested by the author herself. The ideas aren't presented as 'solve everything solutions', but rather are shown from the positive and negative sides.
Although this book centers around ballroom dancing, the tips and thoughts can be transposed to fit many other hobbies as well.To help the reader understand and visualize the suggestions, the author includes example spreadsheets, which detail her own income and expenses (the income of a very average individual). These real life examples on reaching financial goals aren't the result of magical incantations, but are the result of saving and planning--something almost everyone can achieve with enough motivation. Even more expensive undertakings such as competitions aren't out of financial reach when approached with fore-thought. The author also discusses and offers examples of how to continue paying for this expensive hobby even when unexpected expenses in the other areas of life arise (such as unexpected repairs).
Like in the first book in this series, the writing style resembles a chat with a good friend. It's not only a collection of wonderful points, thoughts and hints, but offers a very open and personal glimpse into a hobby, which the author obviously enjoys. It's easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm and is nothing like the dry reading found in many help books. Even if one isn't interested in ballroom dancing or dancing at all, this book is still worth grabbing up and glimpsing through--the wisdom can be used in other aspects of life as well.
And here she is. . .
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo!!!
Katie is known as the Girl with the Tree Tattoo because of the tree of life tattoo that covers her entire back. She has been taking ballroom dancing lessons since December 2012 and competing in pro-am ballroom competitions since April 2014. It was through ballroom dance that Katie started to discover who she really was and what she was capable of, despite the demons of fear, self-doubt, and anxiety that live in her head. Through sharing her own experiences, Katie hopes to lead others to experience the amazing effect ballroom dancing can have on a life.
GIVEAWAY!!!
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