Cute Tips On How To Save Money On Your Pet
Having taken care of many pets and supporting an animal rescue center, it was always important to me to save money. The Spruce Pets says the annual cost of owning a dog is $1,500 to $9,900. My cost per dog (I take care of over 30) is half the lower part of that scale.
I have to budget very carefully. I highly recommend using a budgeting tool, Budgetry.com , to get control over your household budget, whether you have pets or not. There are many more helpful financial management tools in the Goalry system, and the budgeting tool is the foundation of them all.
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Pets do not know if you bought a comfy pet bed at an expensive pet supply store or got all the pieces to make one from the dollar store. These discount stores are great for many things such as leashes, collars, and pet toys.
Be creative. You could make a collar by cutting up a belt made for humans. You may not find everything you want or need, but it is worth first looking in the dollar stores to see what they have.
Do not buy pet treats at these stores, especially if made in China. These products may be dangerous and have poisoned pets in the past. The regulations for ingredients in China are not safe for use with American pets.
Don’t buy the cheap pet food either. Harming your pet with low-quality food is not the appropriate way to save money on pet food. However, food bowls, cleaning products, and other discounted items you may need are great to purchase at a low cost.
Let’s see some of the ways how you can save money on your pet.
Cardboard Cat Beds And Scratch Posts
Cats love sleeping in a cardboard box with one side left open. They also like clawing and scratching cardboard pieces held up by a simple stand like a wooden dowel used for a paper towel roll (bought at the dollar store).
Another thing that cats like is an old pillow or a large basket to curl up in and take a nap. Cats will play with anything fun. Use a ball of aluminum foil hung using a fishing line as a safe, easy-to-make play toy.
How To Save Money On Pet Food
I prefer to cook my pet food. Dogs and cats are meat-eaters. Dogs and cats especially like a diet of cooked rice mixed with chicken gizzards and a few chopped vegetables (carrots, broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, and zucchini, not corn).
I get the chicken meat directly from the processing plant and the vegetables from local farmers. The farmers give me ones that are too ripe to be shipped to stores but are still good.
I can make a pound of cooked food for about $0.50, less than half the canned or dry food price. This method is how to save money on pet food.
You do not want to give your beloved pet something full of inferior ingredients like garbage called by-products and cornmeal as a filler, especially if it costs more. Dogs cannot digest corn products.
Cats can develop allergies to fish, and fish meat has higher toxin levels than chicken meat.
Pet Insurance
Choose a pet insurance program wisely and pay up to $50 per month. Read all the fine print about what is covered and check the Internet for positive reviews and the BBB for consumer complaints.
If you have insurance in place and your pet is suddenly sick, you will be relieved that there is some assistance in paying the extremely-high veterinarian bills.
The worst feeling is not getting pet care and watching your beloved pet die because you cannot afford to pay the veterinary bills.
Veterinary Discount Plans
For regular veterinarian visits, if you join a veterinarian discount plan, you can save money. Be sure you like the veterinarian that is in the program offering services in your area.
Doing this may save you up to 25% of the cost of veterinarian visits by joining a program and paying around $8 to $10 a month.
Preventative Measures
To avoid expensive veterinarian bills, use long-lasting chewable tablets to prevent fleas, ticks, and the parasites that cause heartworm or mange. This investment will make your pet more comfortable and live longer in a disease-free way.
Vaccinations are another important way to avoid serious illnesses. Combine routine checkups with ear cleaning, nail cutting, and dental care, if possible, to lower annual veterinarian visits and reduce costs.
Do not overfeed your pets, and make sure your pet gets plenty of healthy exercises.
Home Grooming (for advanced pet owners)
If you start with grooming a puppy and make grooming a playful experience, you will find that home grooming can be fun for both you and your pets. All my dogs love water and bathing because I always bathe with them.
In the summertime, we play in the water in the hot weather. I use biodegradable baby shampoo to wash their fur. In the wintertime, we go inside, and the bath is a warm treat with a nice massage. Not only do they enjoy this, but they also look forward to the pleasure of it.
Most of my dogs have short hair, and I never need to cut it. For dogs with longer hair, a trimmer with a plastic guide does the trick. Keeping them brushed out will make it easier to cut their hair and prevent tangles.
I brush my dogs when I watch television. They all compete for the prized seat to sit in my lap when I watch the TV.
If you do not know how to groom your pet, search for a how-to video about this topic on YouTube. It is not as challenging as you might think, as long as it is a playful experience for both of you.
Dog Walkers Club
Organizing a dog walkers club is quite easy. If you see the same people every day when you walk your dog, ask them if they would like to share the duties. This method is a nice way to make new friends for yourself and your dog.
You can take turns walking each other’s dog with your pet. If one of you has to go on a trip, it will be easier for that dog to stay with its daily walking friend so that you can trade pet-sitting duties.
Conclusion
Buy in bulk and buy at a discount. Train, groom, and walk your pet. Make your pet food. Get pet insurance and a veterinary discount program. Stay on budget using the Goalry financial tools, and you will have a healthy, happy pet that does not cost you a fortune.