7 Ways to Save Money on Pet Expenses
Being a pet owner is both a fulfilling experience and an expensive one. Even the most frugal pet owner will spend some good money on the well-being of their fur babies. So, how do you save some bucks while ensuring that your furry friends are receiving the TLC it needs? Here are 7 tactics that will help you stretch your funds while providing a good life for your animal companion.
Choose to adopt
Adopting a pet from an animal shelter not only saves money but also an opportunity to help an animal that needs a home. When you adopt a pet, you are saving a life. Most of the pets in animal shelters are being euthanized because too many pets come into shelters and only a few people consider adoption. So, adopt and save the life of a loving animal and make them a part of your family.
You may check The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) website for dogs and cats up for adoption.
Create a Pet Budget
Be mindful of how much you are spending for your pet by keeping track of your monthly pet expenses. Monitor on how much you spend on your pet and allocate a monthly budget for it. In this way, it will help you stay on track and avoid yourself going overboard.
Save on Food
Feeding your pet is a necessary cost, so might as well save on pet food while you can. Before you buy pet food in bulk, make sure that your furry friend likes the food you serve by buying a small portion of the food first. When you already know the food preference of your pet, then that’s the time to buy pet food in bulk. Usually, dry kibble is more cost-effective than canned food. If you buy large bags of kibble in bulk, make sure to store small portions in an airtight container to preserve it. You can also ask some of your friends if they are willing to chip in and split a jumbo bag of food for your fur babies to save money.
Exercise
Regular exercise for pets is just as important as exercise for you. Regular exercise for your pets have a wide range of health benefits including reducing the digestive problem, can help prevent obesity and also help control behavioral problems. Keeping your pet healthy means lesser vet bills so go out and play with your cats or walk with your dogs.
Do-It-Yourself Pet Toys
Toys from the pet store are ridiculously expensive and sometimes, your pet may not even want it. Making your own pet toys helps you to save money. You can make toys out of the items you already have at home like old t-shirts, ropes, towels, etc.
Groom at Home
Getting your pet professionally groomed is expensive. If you can handle wrestling your pet a little, buy a bottle of shampoo and bathe or groom your pet at home. Also, simple problems like fleas, ticks, and heartworm can be treated at home as long as you educate yourself with the proper methods. So, grooming at home not only saves you money, it also helps maintain a strong bond with your pet.
Keep Up-to-date With Vaccines
Prevention is better than cure, right? The best way to keep from paying large medical bills is to keep protected from diseases that are costly to treat. Make sure your pet stays current on all preventive care especially vaccinations. It might be expensive for now but it will be worth it in the long run.