Owning a pet is a huge responsibility. Not only do you have to pay for daily needs such as food, toys, and vitamins, you also have to cover expenses such as vet bills, housing your pet, and for grooming and maintenance. According to Business Insider, the average pet owner in the USA spends around $130 a month on their pets. When you multiply that figure over the pet’s lifetime of around 7-10 years, that’s a considerable amount!
If you want to be savvy about money when it comes to owning pets, there are several things that you can do, such as buying discount pet care products online and getting pet insurance for your pet early on in their lifetime.
Here are 5 tips that you can use to be a money-savvy pet owner.
1. Shop Online as Much as Possible
There are several reasons why you should shop online as opposed to going to a pet store. First, you have countless items to choose from online, whereas in pet stores, you will be limited to the selection that a particular store carries. Second, you can buy in bulk online and have it delivered straight to your home without having to worry about transporting the items. Finally, purchasing online is almost always cheaper compared to buying from brick-and-mortar stores because you pay lower overhead costs.
If you’re unsure what kind of pet supplies to buy online, you can narrow it down to three things: food, accessories, and toys. If you already have a particular brand of pet food that you use for your pet, you will easily find an online pet store that sells the same brand. To save on shipping, invest in a strong and high-quality container so that you can buy in bulk.
2. Spay/Neuter Your Pet
If you have no plans to breed or show your pet, you should consider spaying or neutering your pet. Spaying is for female pets and neutering is for male pets. The process itself can be a bit expensive depending on where you get it done. In high-end vet clinics, neutering can cost around $50-$100 per pet, while spaying can cost around $200-300, depending on the pet’s breed.
There are two major reasons why you should consider spaying or neutering your pet. First, spayed or neutered pets have no dangers of giving birth to accidental litters. Second, spaying or neutering your pet allows them to have healthier lives. Spayed or neutered pets generally live longer compared to their non-spayed and non-neutered counterparts, and they are no longer in danger of diseases that attack the reproductive system such as ovarian or testicular cancer.
3. Prevention is ALWAYS better than The Cure
It’s important to bring your pet to the vet regularly. Sure, you might feel a bit of a sting on your wallet every time you bring your pet to the vet, but when you compare the costs of treating any disease, the smaller costs of general checkups will seem like a bargain!
Most serious pet diseases take time to build up in your pet, so it’s essential that you catch them as early as possible. If you catch serious diseases early, it’s easier and cheaper to treat them, and your pet has a better chance of recovering completely.
4. Learn How to Groom Your Pet on Your Own
If you have a pet that requires regular grooming and maintenance, you already know how much it costs for regular grooming sessions. However, you can easily save on these sessions by learning how to groom your pet at home!
Having a perfectly-groomed pet is only essential if you’re going to show your pet in professional pet shows. Otherwise, you can learn how to groom your pet at home! There are countless videos online that show you how to properly cut your pet’s fur and groom them at home. If you make a mistake, don’t worry. Fur grows back! You should get a high-quality grooming kit that contains all the tools you need, as well as a strong blower.
5. Invest in Pet Insurance
Vet care is expensive, and even pet owners who make good money find it difficult to set aside the budget for regular vet visits. What’s more, if an illness or accident befalls your pet, this can quite easily break the bank! One of the best ways to offset these costs is by investing in pet insurance for your pet. Just make sure that you can afford the monthly premiums and that you are aware of all the liabilities and terms of the policy before you get it for your pet; you want to make sure that your pet is adequately covered!
