SavingMoney on Man’s Best Friend
Getting a new puppy is an exciting prospect. Many dogs makegreat family companions, and they also serve as a great way to teach childrenresponsibility by adding feeding, walking or bathing the dog to your children’sdaily chores. However, dog ownership can become expensive, and the cost offood, supplies, vet care, etc. can really stack up for a family on a budget.Here’s how to save money on man’s best friend:
1.) Adopta dog from a shelter instead of buying from a seller.
You’ll usually save a good deal of money by shopping fordogs and puppies at your local animal shelter or other local rescue groups thanby buying from a pet store or a breeder. Not only do you avoid accidentallybuying from a puppy mill, but you get the satisfaction that you’re giving aloving home to a dog that might otherwise be euthanized due to overcrowdedanimal facilities. You’d be surprised how many perfectly healthy and evenpurebred dogs wind up at city and county shelters. For even more savings, askyour local animal shelter’s staff about any upcoming adoption events. Sometimesshelters periodically waive or reduce adoption fees during these events.
2.) Adopta small dog.
If you can, opt for a smaller dog over a larger dog. Notonly do they eat less, but they cost less to groom, not to mention crates forsmaller dogs cost less.
3.) Doyour own grooming.
Routine dog grooming can easily cost $30 to $50 a session,particularly if you own a large dog. It’s far cheaper in the long run to investin a pair of clippers and learn to trim your dog’s fur, clip their nails, cleantheir ears and bathe them on your own.
4.) Scourgarage sales/Craig’s List/former dog owners for gently-used supplies.
Never pay full price for supplies. If you can find a deal ondog supplies like crates, leashes, feeding bowls or chew toys, do it. No usebuying all new items if you can find perfectly good used items for cheap orfree simply by putting out an inquiry on Facebook or Twitter asking yourfriends if they have pet supplies you could use.
5.) Usecoupon codes.
When purchasing food or other items online at sites likePetCo and PetSmart, check sites like RetailMeNot and CouponCabin for couponcodes to see if you can save money at check out. It’s also a good idea tosubscribe to email alerts and newsletters from pet supply stores so you’reclued in to any discounts or coupons.
6.) Lookinto pet insurance.
While pet insurance is a monthly expense many savers wouldlike to forgo, it sure comes in handy if your pet needs a particularlyexpensive veterinary procedure at some point down the road. Consult your budgetand see if you can afford about $25 a month for pet insurance.
7.) Don’tpay for boarding.
If you’re going on vacation, find a reliable neighbor, co-workeror fellow church member to watch your dog instead of boarding it at a nearbykennel or vet. You’ll save money and avoid the chance of your dog catching adisease or fleas from another animal.
These are just a few ways to save money on dog ownership.How do you save money caring for your furry friends?
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes for nursing colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: kitty.holman20@gmail.com.
