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7 Simple Tips for Reducing the Cost of Owning a Pet

By: Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on Last updated:

Categories Guest Posts

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Want a pet but concerned about the cost of owning a pet? Pets are adorable creatures that bring so much joy to our homes.

Who wouldn’t love having a furry or feathered companion at home? Kids, particularly at a certain age, love getting a pet. But when you begin calculating the cost of medical bills, food, grooming and other expenses you end up saying no to your children with a heavy heart.

The average cost of caring for a pet can be quite high, and with the ever-increasing household expenses, these can be difficult to manage for people who live paycheck to paycheck. Well, what if I tell you that you can care for a pet while sticking to your budget?

Yes, with a few smart tips and tricks you can most definitely adopt a pet and care for it without compromising on any of its needs.

by Danica Boyd, pet lover, and expert over at BirdCagesNow. Edited by Jeff Campbell

Let’s review the . . . 

7 Simple Tips for Reducing the Cost of Owning a Pet

1. Get Very Low Maintenance Pets

Well, you have decided on getting a pet, but the most crucial part is still left, deciding what pet you wish to adopt.

The kind of pet you select will have a significant impact on your expenses. I’d like to clarify a common misconception here, that there is no such thing as a no-maintenance pet. Any animal you adopt will have particular needs and requirements; the only difference is that some pets are low-maintenance while others aren’t.

For instance, with dogs, the breeds with thicker coats require frequent grooming, with birds, the larger ones such as the African greys and Cockatoos can be quite expensive since they are emotionally needy.

The most feasible option is to estimate the expenses of the kind of pets you have in mind and select the one you think you can afford.

2. Top 8 low maintenance pets for apartments:

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  1. Parakeets, Finches, and Doves are the most affordable pets; the only significant investment is purchasing a flight cage and setting it up or any other unforeseen medical expenses.
  2. Small Dogs –  mutts, beagles, dachshunds and other such breeds that shed less, require less grooming or have a lower food intake make the most easy-going pets.
  3. Cats – the Manx, Havana brown, Calico, and Maine coon are affordable options and your local shelter is even better
  4. Hamsters, gerbils, or mice – Hamsters only require a cage, bedding, toys, food and water.
  5. Guinea pigs – small pets like Guinea pigs are easy to care for. They only require a cage, hay, fresh water, vegetables, and pellet food.
  6. Rabbits
  7. Goldfish
  8. Snakes

3. Save on Pet Food

Of course, you shouldn’t compromise on the quality of food you feed your pooch, but there are other tricks to save some money on your food costs echoed nutriment.co.uk

You can either purchase food in bulk or look for rewards and deals if you are buying food from the same store. You can also ask your vet for discount coupons since they get plenty of these from food manufacturers. However, you can also Subscribe and Save on Pet Foods on Amazon.

This program allows you to get recurring shipments of top name brands delivered to your door for significant discounts. The link only lists the ones rated 4 stars and higher, so you know these are quality products.

4. Groom your Pet at Home

Regular trips to the groomer can be quite expensive and missing an appointment could compromise your pet’s comfort and well-being.

The best way is to purchase a few essential tools and groom your pet from the comfort of your home. Watch a few tutorials, ask your vet or groomer to teach you the tricks and there you go, you can save all the money you used to spend at the groomers.

For longer hair pets or pets with a lot of dander, consider getting a HEPA air filter to keep the air in your home as clean and allergen-free as possible.

5. Save Money on Boarding

Boarding costs can be quite high for fancy places.

The best arrangement that is safe for your pet as well as cost-effective is to get a neighbor or a friend to look after your pet, and you can return the favor the next time they need to board theirs.

You can even search for affordable pet-sitters through different websites as this way your pet would get to stay in the comfort of his home instead of having to stay at a kennel, which can be quite stressful for some animals. You can also book inexpensive pet sitting through Rover.com.

6. Ask your Veterinarian for Discounts

Regular vet visits are necessary as these will help catch illnesses before they advance and cause complication for your dog’s health.

You can always ask your vet when they will be putting out deals on teeth cleaning or discounts if you bring in more than one pet, this way you will be to save a great deal of money.

Another tip is to purchase medicines from pharmacies or reputable websites instead of getting them directly from the veterinarians as they do mark up the prices at times leading to higher bills.

7. Organizations that help pay vet bills

Believe it or not, but there are organizations that help pay vet bills and can really reduce the cost of owning a pet!

  1. Paws 4 A Cure – They help dogs & cats of any type, age or illness. If you are on a limited income, you may qualify for their program.
  2. The Big Hearts Fund – This program is specific to heart issues in pets. The Big Hearts Fund offers assistance with bills and has options to help with food and other costs.
  3. The Pet Fund – The Pet Fund is a nonprofit organization that aims to help pet owners with pets who have a chronic condition, heart disease or cancer. If you fall into one of those categories, you can apply for assistance.

If you think you qualify, definitely check out those organizations or https://www.mypetchild.com and see if they can help you.

I hope these Reducing the Cost of Owning a Pet tips helped you!

In this post, we looked at some ways you can bring a loving pet into your home, but not break the bank.

We explored very low maintenance pets, the top low maintenance pets for apartments, organizations that help pay vet bills, all designed to help cut the cost of owning a pet.

Any tips, suggestions or questions on the cost of owning a pet? Feel free to comment here anytime.

If you like this post, please consider sharing on Facebook, because if it helped you, it just might help someone else!


About the author of this post: 

Danica Boyd is a bird enthusiast and nature lover.

She has been keeping pet birds for several years and now has tons of practical experience in caring for birds. She writes for the team behind BirdCagesNow.

Want to write for Middle Class Dad too? Check out everything you need to know on my Guest Blog Page

Middle Class Dad cost of owning a pet bio

Jeff Campbell
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