There is nothing more comforting than a woof or a meow to welcome you home after a tiring day at work. Pets are not just cute creatures, their precious little souls can melt your heart while the warmth of their love can keep sadness at bay.
So, you’ve decided to add a furry baby to your family. Well, that’s wonderful news! Keeping the needs of the pet in mind, it’s important to plan your finances in advance rather than just running to the nearest pet store and swiping your Credit Card. Before you rush into welcoming pets to their forever home, read these financial hacks that will help you save money.
Adopt, don’t buy
A lot of folks out there don’t shy away from spending a huge amount of money to buy a certain breed of dog or a cat. Instead of buying the love of a pet, how about adopting one from one of the numerous animal shelters across the country? Adopting an animal will not just save you a lot of money, but it will also give a permanent home to an animal in need. Don’t be breed hungry and save aplenty.
Additional Reading: Personal Budget, A Must!
Healthcare
As soon as you bring a pet home, be ready to shell out money on the pet’s healthcare, especially if it’s a puppy or a kitten. When you bring home a pet that’s only a few months old, it is likely that you will need to spend on its vaccination and deworming, among other things. If you really love your pet and care for its well-being, you will definitely consider neutering your pet. For this, you may have to spend a few thousand rupees when the time is right. However, if you adopt an older dog or cat that has already been neutered, their healthcare expenses are a lot lower. So if you are planning to welcome a puppy or a kitten to your home, then be prepared to undertake their vaccination and neutering expenses.
Additional Reading: Are Your Pets Insured?
Food: Buy in bulk
Buying pet food can be as confusing as choosing the right Loan or Credit Card for yourself. No kidding! With so many different brands and different qualities of pet food available, one would certainly like to provide the best food for their pet. With the prices of pet food skyrocketing, it only makes sense to buy in bulk from a reputed shop. Buying food in bulk will not only give you the right to bargain on prices, but it will also build your rapport with the shopkeeper with each purchase. Once you become their favourite customer, shops might provide you with exciting discounts on pet food. And who knows? Your pet may even be pampered with free gifts either in the form of treats or a cute pet toy.
Additional Reading: 7 Points To Help Choose The Right Credit Card
Litter sand: Buy in bulk
If you are planning to get a cat home, then be ready to spend often on its litter sand. But, just like food, if you buy the litter sand in bulk, it will give you the power to demand discounts and thus save money. Also, the sand is cheaper when you buy it in large quantities.
Limit toys and accessories shopping
Once you get a pet home, you will be tempted to pamper your furry buddy with toys, treats, and accessories. While your pets deserve an occasional treat and simple, inexpensive toys, overdoing it will only leave a hole in your pocket. Collars, chew toys, bells, etc. can cost you a lot if you overindulge in them. Honestly, your pet doesn’t need fancy toys and accessories as all they ask for is your attention. So don’t splurge on unnecessary extras.
Tip: If you plan on bringing home a cat, each time you receive an online shopping delivery, don’t discard the boxes. Cats absolutely love boxes; probably more than the expensive toys you splurge on.
Dog walker
If you adopt a dog, it is important that you take him/her for a walk at least twice a day. While dogs love walks, more often than not, dog owners fail to make time to walk their dogs. So, they spend a bomb on hiring a dog walker who can take the dogs for a walk. When you decide to adopt a dog, make sure either you or someone in the family makes time to take it for a walk. This will lead to saving money that you might otherwise spend on a dog walker.
Tip: If you still need a dog walker, check for options online. You will find a lot of animal loving college students willing to do so at affordable rates. Also, make sure you do a background check on the dog walker. A lot of them aren’t experts and may mistreat your pet. In fact, dog-napping is a real thing now.
Emergency situations: Avoid pet boarding costs
When an emergency situation arises and you have to go out of town suddenly, leaving your pet with a trustworthy person will be your main concern. While there are pet boarding homes that charge a lot per day to take care of your furry buddies, it would be great if you could leave them with a friend who is good with pets (especially yours). This will not only save money that you might have spent on pet boarding, but it will also help you worry less since your pet will be with a trustworthy friend.
Tip: If you plan to be a cat parent, you can find pet-sitters who will visit your house to feed your pet. This is not only cheaper but also less stressful for your pets as they get to be in the comfort of their home.
Additional Reading: How To Manage Big Future Expenses Successfully
DIY pet-proofing
Before you bring a pet home, it is advisable to pet proof your house for the safety of your four-pawed mate. Pet proofing requires sealing potential pet ‘escape routes’, which will keep your pet in a safe environment. Many people spend a lot of money on pet proofing their house by hiring carpenters and electricians. However, all those expenses could be avoided if one knows how to use basic tools like screws, nails, screwdrivers, hammers, etc. Buy supplies from a hardware store and get ready to pet proof your house on your own. It really isn’t that difficult.
DIY disinfection of your house
It is important to disinfect the house before you bring a pet home in order to prevent the pet from catching an infection or disease. While there are professionals who specialise in disinfecting houses, you could disinfect the house yourself by using simple home remedies. This will help you avoid spending on pest control experts.
Now that you know how to tackle pet expenses, get ready to give a warm welcome to your furry buddies and make them feel at home. Start saving for your pet’s pawsome life right away!
Wondering what to do with all that money you’ve saved? How about investing in Mutual Funds or putting it into a Fixed Deposit?