Owning a pet can be extremely rewarding, but many potential fur parents-to-be don’t fully consider how high the costs can be. Here are some of our top tips to keep the budget under control so you can spend more quality time with your pet instead of working overtime to pay for them.
Use Discount Codes for Food & Supplies
Personally we like DiscountPuppy, for obvious reasons, but you can Google “pet store name” + discount codes and come up with a plethora of options
You use vouchers at the grocery store, so why not the pet store? This past year many of us have made the move to purchasing food & other essentials online, and pet food and supplies are no exception. The good news for you as a consumer is that the online space is pretty competitive for merchants, as you are no longer restricted to what stores you have access to in your home town. This means they frequently run promotions and offer discount codes that you can use to save on pretty much anything you might need. Some voucher codes might be restricted to certain items such as food, toys, or bedding, but others can be used site-wide and sometimes even for more expensive items such as medications.
Purchase Pet Insurance
A lot of people think this is a waste of money, until their dog or cat needs an expensive surgery. It can happen out of the blue for a number of reasons. Pets can suddenly develop illnesses that require surgery, or they could break a bone. Surgeries to correct such issues in animals can easily run into the thousands. Do your future self a favour and get pet insurance so you don’t have to one day choose between selling your car or saving a furry family member.
Include Pet Costs in Your Budget
You already have a monthly budget, don’t you? Since you’re reading an article about how to be a fiscally responsible pet-owner I would assume so! Ideally before you make the leap to pet ownership, take a look at your monthly budget and add in the cost for food, insurance, and anything else. Do you work long hours? You may need a doggy day-care or a dog walker. Don’t forget vet bills! You won’t have them every month, but you should set aside money for them regularly. Which brings me to…
Vaccinations & Regular Check-Ups
This is another area that people can think is a ‘waste of money’. But as they say the best defence is a good offence, so having your pet round to the vet’s office regularly can make sure that they stay in tip top shape and any problems can be addressed early on. Aside from the fact that it can potentially save you a lot in veterinary bills, it’s just the right thing to do. You wouldn’t neglect your children’s health until they were seriously ill, and your pet should be no different. It’s a good idea to contact a local veterinary office before getting your pet to see what they recommend for vaccinations and checkup frequency, as well as how much those things typically cost. That can give you an idea of how much you should be putting aside every month.
Adopt vs. Buy
Now, adoption is not free but it is significantly less expensive than purchasing from a pet store or breeder. A lot of people like the idea of getting a puppy or kitten, but consider the merits of adopting a slightly older animal. In particular if you don’t feel confident in your dog training abilities you may want to get one that already has some training and that has been housebroken. You can also volunteer to foster pets, it’s a good way to get your feet wet without the lifetime commitment to see if pet ownership agrees with you.
Bottom Line: Pet Ownership is Worth Every Penny
At the end of the day, you’re going to get far more from owning a pet than it will cost you. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do it in a budget-conscious way, but you really can’t put a price tag on coming home to a wagging tail every day or the soothing sound of a happy cat purring.