Money Sense Tips

There is no debating that its a tough economy out there. People are revamping their budgets and tightening their belts where they can. Pet expenses can certainly add up between food, vet care, personal care items and grooming, it can be almost overwhelming to care for your pet. But here’s some helpful hints to remove a few zeros from the bottom line of the pet column.

1. Look for coupons! I can’t stress this enough. Coupons can save you big money on things and pet food is no exception. A quick search on Ebay will bring up hundreds of pet coupons for food, toys, treats and even grooming or boarding. Of course, there are sites devoted strictly to selling coupons and even those that will help you find the best deal.

2. Split costs of large items with friends. If you know someone else who feeds the same food, you could save money and split a bigger bag. That works with large items like grooming supplies as well. I know we don’t use our $40 Furminator every single day of the week at my house and it could easily live somewhere else part time.

3. Set up a pet sitting circle. Find a group of people who also have pets and trade off watching each others animals while on vacation. It’s a great way for your pet to remain in a safe, home environment while you’re away and can literally save you hundreds of dollars!

4. Have a pet emergency fund set aside. We have an account that every single month without fail we put the amount we would have been spending on pet insurance into. This way, its like having pet insurance, but if our pets don’t get sick, we didn’t waste money on premiums for things we simply don’t use.

5. Groom your own dog. It’s really not difficult and with many places where you can go bath your pet for minimal cost – why not. You simply bring your pet and they supply the tub, the shampoo, towels, brushes, dryers etc and all you have to do is the dirty work – they even clean up when you’re done! It’s a huge savings of money and really isn’t that time intensive.

6. Salvage old pet toys or make your own. You can stick ribbons or bells on a toilet paper roll or tie a mouse to a long string for a cat. My dogs love plastic bottles stuffed into an old stuffed animal and sewn up – just make sure your stuffed animals don’t have eyes or small parts that could be ingested. Freezing treats will also help them last longer – one tasty treat in a sea of kibble and chicken broth frozen in a Kong makes my dogs very happy.

7. Shop around for pet medications. Your vet sells pet medications, but so do other vets and internet sites. Call around before committing to purchasing from your vet, you might be surprised how much you can save.

This guide for family travel is a must-have for both parents and grandparents. I wish I had read it prior to a recent spring break visit from my son and family. We went to Disneyland. What a mob scene! Many of the suggestions in this book would have been fun and more meaningful to all of us, as well as less costly and much less stressful.

Authors Judith Waite Allee and Melissa Morgan draw on their own experiences traveling with families plus much research. Their ideas can turn a cross country trip into daily adventures and take the stress out of travel with children. It is overflowing with ideas and resources to make travel educational and fun, whether a long trip or day trips around your own town.

Practical tips for all aspects of travel, from planning and budgeting to extending the memories and learning after the trip are included. Involving children in the planning stages of the trip is in itself a learning project and helps bond families and create a shared history. The book is packed with ideas on where to start.

Allee and Morgan discuss funding your trip and traveling on a budget. Children can participate and learn from this experience too. Budget travel does mean you can have rewarding experiences and lots of fun. Another chapter covers earning money on the road to extend family travel.

Grandparents will find many ideas for traveling with grandchildren, creating special memories without spending a lot of money. The authors mention a couple with an RV taking their young grandchildren across town to a park for the night. The boys still talk about that “camping trip” ten years later.

Even adults traveling without children will get some excellent ideas for enriching their travels. For example, the authors mention that Lake Champlain has a bike path that goes all the way around it. What fun to park your RV or car, head out on bicycles and see museums and historic sites around the lake or do sections in a series of day trips. The area is rich in history; the French and Indian War, the Revolution and War of 1812 were all fought in this area.

Both families and individuals can find volunteer experiences of all types. Some take less than a day while others are longer and could even involve travel overseas.

The Resource Section is extensive. Educational Travel on a Shoestring makes an excellent gift for families. While you are at it, get one for yourselves, both for ideas when the grandkids visit and ways to add interest to your travels.

Get it now – Educational Travel on a Shoestring: Frugal Family Fun and Learning Away from Home