Having a dog is an expensive duty, but a very enjoyable duty. You must spend money on your dog, but you don’t have to spend as much money as you are spending now.
Here are 15 helpful money saving tips for dog owners that can help you spend a fraction of what you are spending now.
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15 Helpful Money Saving Tips For Dog Owners in 2020
Adopt Don’t Shop
If you’re just starting to look for a dog, a good money saving tip that can save you hundreds of dollars is adopting. On average, buying a dog from a breeder can cost you $300 to $1,500 whereas adopting a dog can cost you from $70 to $300.
Price Shop Your Vet
If vet costs are breaking the bank, consider a different vet. Call around town to other local vets that might have a lower cost.
But, make sure that the quality of the vets you find are up to snuff and can still meet your dog’s needs. You should never compromise quality for cost.
Create A Budget For Your Dog
Create a budget and stick to it! The best way to avoid the extra costs of having a dog is making a monthly budget. It should factor in all your dog’s essential reoccurring costs.
Also, put in some extra money for toys every month, and extra costs that keep your dog happy.
Groom Your Dog Yourself
If you want to shave off $30 to $90 of grooming costs every month, get your own clippers and DIY. There is an upfront cost of buying your grooming clippers but within a few months you will make your money back.
There are tutorials online in both video and article format to help you.
Clean Your Dog’s Teeth
This tip is more about prevention than it is cutting back. If you brush your dog’s teeth at home then you can avoid an unwanted trip to the dentist’s office to clean your dog’s teeth.
On average an anesthesia-free teeth cleaning can cost you $200. That’s $200 back into your pocket by handling teeth cleaning at home.
Be A Smart Shopper
Get quality products that last, and get them for the right price. This can save you dollars on every item you buy. It might not sound like much, but this could save you quite a bit of money.
Exercise
If you exercise with your dog every day you can avoid health problems in your dog that are caused by pet obesity. Things obesity can lead to are overeating, cancer, heart disease and more. All of which can cost hundreds or north of $1000 to treat.
Skip Fun Clothes, Go For Practical Clothes
If you have a small dog that gets cold and you have to get them clothes, go for clothes that keep your dog warm. It’s fun to buy your dog clothes that look cool or funny, but if you want to save money scale back on the fun clothes cost.
Get Your Dog Spayed Or Neutered
This is an essential if you are a dog owner that is not looking to breed. The unexpected cost of a litter of puppies can be crazy, according to cryslen, it can range from $2000 to $8000 to raise a litter of dogs.
It costs $200 to spay or neuter a dog, but it can save you thousands.
Buy In Bulk
Buying in bulk can get you a better price per ounce, which means you can get a better bang for your buck. It is a higher price upfront, but your dog food supply will last longer and cost less.
Research Your Dog Products
Get products that last longer or are better quality. When you get the right product it might cost more than others. But in the end buying several bad products will cost more.
For example, very durable dog toys are more expensive, but they last much longer.
Stick With What Works
If you can’t buy toys that will last your dog you should stick with the toys that your dog already likes. It’s nice to keep buying your dog new toys, but if you want to save money let your dog keep playing with what they have.
Make DIY Dog Toys
If you don’t or can’t buy your dog more dog toys than you should make them some! It can be a fun arts and crafts project and a very cost efficient option. If you need some DIY dog toy ideas you can find some here.
Here are some great boredom busters and DIY projects for your dog.
Stay Up To Date With Your Vaccinations
They can be pricey, but it’s more expensive to treat your dog for a disease than it is to prevent it. So if you want to prevent large medical bills and keep your dog in good health, get all the vaccines your vet orders.
Buddy System
Know a close friend that has a dog? Do you want to help each other save a little bit of cash? Then you should find a bulk bag of dog food that is good for both your dogs and split the bill.
Then, divide the bag into halves, this can help you save a few bucks every month.
Wrap Up
That’s all the money saving tips for dog owners we have, but they can help you save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The money that you save can be put into a rainy day fund or even a fun trip for you and your pup.
Whatever you decide to do with your savings, at least your were able to do it the easy way. Using simple tactics and making no major, life altering decisions.