No matter how you find your pet, whether they’re adopted, purchased from a pet store or they were given to you, pets are expensive. From the food, to general care, to the veterinarian, the costs can burn a serious hole in your pocket.
I bought my first dog from a national pet chain. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, the price was astronomical. What can I say? We fell in love with him! We made it work at the time, but there were a lot of things we should have planned for.
If you’re looking for a new pet, here are a few tips and tricks to make things easier:
- Save – I know this seems a bit obvious, but the more you save, the easier the initial costs of adoption/purchase, supplies, food, and medical bills will be on you and your family.
- Did you know that you can open a special savings share under your account through Online Banking anytime you want? That way you can have a special account dedicated to saving for your pet.
- Research your options – When we bought our pup, we took him to a veterinary clinic that the store recommended. After going there a few times, we realized the prices were outrageous. I finally started asking around and found a vet we liked and could afford.
- Did you know that the Humane Society will perform spay/neuter services for your pet for significantly less money than a vet? Our vet quoted us at over $500 to get our puppy fixed when the Humane Society did the surgery for less than $100!
- Subscription – Typically, I am not one to promote subscriptions of any kind, but if you find a brand of food that works for your pet, check online to see if you can get a monthly renewal with discounts. We found a brand that our puppy loves and since we set up a monthly renewal subscription for the food to be mailed right to our doorstep, they give us a 15% off every time!
- Make sure that you find a program that lets you cancel at any time with no penalty to avoid unnecessary fees.
- Pet Insurance – If you like to play on the safer side, pet insurance may be a good option for you. Most insurance companies will offer free quotes for the type of pet insurance you are looking for. To make this process even easier, check with your current insurance company and see if they can work it into a bundle for you.
- Keep saving – Wait, didn’t we already cover that? Yes, but I wanted to emphasize it again. It’s important to keep saving, specifically for you pets, because you may never know what will happen.
- Our pup swallowed a squeaker from a toy which resulted in an expensive trip to the emergency vet clinic. Even if your pet seems healthy, you never know what silly thing they may get themselves into.
If you’re a huge animal lover like I am, you’ll do anything for your pet, but it shouldn’t have to cost you a pretty penny. I hope these tips and tricks will help you prepare for your new furry friend!
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