Pets: Can they be Fun and Frugal?
Having a pet is a huge undertaking but because it brings so much love into a home, cats, dogs and whatever else will always be welcomed into new families. But besides all the extra cleaning, walking and loving you’ll have to account for, it’s very important to realize that a pet brings a ton of its own financial burdens.
But don’t fret, there are always little money saving hacks you can employ to make sure Fido’s inclusion in your family is more about the fun of it and less stress.
Adopt
It can be very tempting to go straight to a breeder and pick up a brand new puppy but that can cost you up to $1,200 depending on the breed. Going to an animal shelter and adopting a slightly older dog has many benefits. All the expensive shots a dog or cat need will have already been administered. They will mostly likely also already be house trained which will save money on training classes. Plus, the shelter price will be a fraction of breeders.
Grooming
Getting a pet groomed every month or so can run up serious costs especially if you own a breed with a longer hair type. The best way to cut down on costs is to keep your pet as well groomed as you can before and after a visit to the salon. Running a brush through the fur makes it easier for groomers to just do a quick trim instead of an all over cut. Also, depending on your hand steadiness, you can always do easy trims at home.
Toys
Buying toys for your pets can be the biggest waste of money that you’ll take part in with this new family member. All the jokes are true: animals would rather play with the box that the expensive toy came in. No need to buy as many toys as you can carry out of the store. A lot of dogs will be happy with a piece of $5 rawhide for days while cats just love anything they can bat around.
Vet Care
It might seem so easy to forgo $15 vaccines and have it feel like you’re saving money but the end game might be an infection that costs $2,000 to fix. Think about calling the vet with questions instead of paying for a visit. There’s also nothing wrong with asking about the possibility of a package deal if you have several pets. If it comes down to something serious and your pet needs multiple procedures, double book surgeries because you’ll only pay once for anesthetic and the hospital stay.