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.