Affordable Pet Care The Frugal Way

Providing affordable pet care for your furry friend can be easily achieved with just a little forethought and with your frugal hat on.

I have owned a pet all of my adult life and generally I have done it without having to dig deep into my pockets.

When deciding to own a pet and wanting to know what the costs involved will be can be easily planned and budgeted for by simply sitting down and working out some simple costings. Your list should include:

The initial cost of the pet - this will depend on whether you are buying from a breeder, a pet store or re-homing an animal from a pet shelter. Generally, getting your pet from an animal shelter is the best option in the long run as they often will have already neutered and vaccinated the pet before re-homing and so these are not something you will have to pay out for initially on top of your purchase price.

Vet Bills - A frugal pet owner will want to insure their pet. Yes it may mean a small premium every month to pay but in the long run, if expensive medical treatment is required you will pat yourself on the back for being so prudent.

I know from personal experience that insurance has saved me thousands in vet bills over the years.

Vaccinations and general health care - Pets will require yearly treatment for fleas, worms and protection from serious illnesses, such as flu or enteritis depending on the pet.

These treatments should be taken into account on your frugal budget plan. This way you will always be able to provide the care your pet will need when they need it.

Food - As a general rule feeding an average sized dog will cost around $218 and a cat around $188 a year.

Extras - Grooming costs, vacation kennelling and any other day-to-day items such as bedding and toys.

Once all of these costs are realised this will help you to decide whether or not you will be able to provide affordable pet care or not. If not then getting a pet may have to be put off till later.

How to cut the costs involved.

Of course there always way a frugal headed person can cut the costs of looking after their pet whilst still providing the best care for their furry friend.

Providing affordable pet care just takes a little more time and effort but in the long run it is all worth it if your budget remains in tack and your pet lives a comfortable happy life.

Food - A lot of commercially available pet food contain fillers that not all animals can easily digest. Plus there are always stories of lots of other nasty ingredients that are put into pet food to bulk it out.

Add to this the fact that if you care for your pet you will want to buy the best product you will have to spend more for these pre packaged pet foods it makes sense to make your own pet food. This is not as hard as it sounds, homemade pet food can be as easy and as cheap to prepare as it is for your families meals.

Batches can be made up in bulk, saving on costs and frozen for later use. However it is a good idea to find out if your pet requires any special nutrition in their diet or whether there are things that they should avoid eating.

Grooming - If you own a pet which requires a lot of grooming such as longhaired cats or dogs, then the cost of going to a professional groomers once a month can work out expensive over the year. The simple solution is to use your own pet brushes and learn to groom your pet your self.

This will not only save you money but will help to build the bond between you and your pet. Pet brushes can be inexpensively bought either online or in local high street chain stores. If you do need to go to a groomers, look out for special deals. Some may offer cheaper prices during quieter times or they may have special offers to encourage new clients. Don't be afraid to shop around for your affordable pet care. Loyalty doesn't save you money.

A good tip for keeping your dog or cat smelling fresh between baths is to sprinkle baking soda onto their fur and then to rub it in with your hands. Then use a good brush to brush out the soda.

Baking soda is great for getting rid of nasty niffs and it will also trap excess oils and grit in the fur that you then brush out with the soda.

Vet Bills - providing affordable pet care can mean doing your homework when it comes to vets in your area. I found out to my cost that by sticking with the same vet year after year that it was costing me more than it could have.

I found out that another vet's office 10 minutes down the road charged a lot less for some of their services like vaccinations. So shop around and compare prices.

Another option is to check with your local animal shelters to see if they offer cheaper vaccinations or neutering costs. The aim of animal shelters is to make sure the health of animals in their area are taken care of, so they will often hold special events for getting animals neutered at a reduced cost. Some even provide subsidised vet care in certain circumstances. It is always worth asking.

Happy pet essentials - pet beds, toys and shelters, all can be provided within your affordable pet care budget, by simply being imaginative.

After all it is not essential that your pets bed is covered in a pet paw design or is made by a top pet designer. Instead you can easily make your own, using old pillows and cushions. My own cat prefers one of my old cushions to her own cat bed.

The same goes for outside shelters; they can also be constructed using old bits of wood, carpet, plastic sheeting and even old up turned crates. All that you have to make sure is that the shelter can be made watertight and is warm and is lined with some soft bedding.

Most pets will be happy with anything you can make for them that will provide them with some shelter outside. It doesn't have to be the Ritz.

As you can see affordable pet care is possible, it may take a little shopping around, creativity and time but in the long run it will save you lots of money over the years.

The secret to frugal pet care is to not fall for all the advertising hype and must have pet items on the shops shelves. As long as you keep your pet healthy and well loved they won't mind if they don't have that diamante collar or plush five star kennel.

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