5 Ways to Save Money in an Economy Gone to the Dogs

If you are feeling more and more like Old Mother Hubbard in today’s belt tightening times; you are not alone. With more and more Americans facing layoffs, pay freezes and even foreclosures some of us may feel our cupboards are bare when it comes to the family pet. Shelters are busier than ever with pets left behind in foreclosed homes and those turned in by owners who can no longer afford to care for them. What about the rest of us, the ones who could not imagine life without our pets, but are struggling to stretch our budgets further than ever. There are ways to care for your pet for less you just have to get creative. Here are five tips to get you started on your road to a full cupboard.

1. Use the barter system. Chances are you will need to go out of town this year. While people might not be vacationing as often there are still funerals, weddings and business trips that may result in overnight travel. Chances are you know other dog owners who have similar travel needs. Why not partner up with a friend or neighbor to take care of each others pets when overnight travel calls? Overnight boarding costs an average of $20 a night, not including the required bath upon checkout for $25. This means that a 3 night trip can easily cost between $70 and $100 for just one dog. If you travel just four times a year bartering could save you about $350. If you have multiple pets you will save even more.

2. Drop your gym membership and pick up the leash. With people trying to cut costs non-essential items such as gym memberships are often the first items to get the axe. While this seems like a natural choice exercise is still essential to your health and the health of your pet. The American Heart Association recommends that adults engage in 30 minutes of moderately intense activity five days out of the week. Why not make a 30 minute trip around the park with Fido rather than in the gym on the treadmill? This move could save you around $420 a year plus the cost of gas to drive to the gym.

3. Get creative looking for freebies or coupons. While store coupons will not result in significant savings, there are freebies and coupons out there worth looking for. Try letting your fingers do the walking and log onto some of your favorite pet care manufacturer’s websites to find valuable freebies. You can get $3 coupons from your favorite dog food makers, a free month of heartworm medication or a free training session from your favorite trainer. You will probably need to give them your email address, name and mailing address to get the freebies, but it is worth it considering they might send you more in the future, plus you can always unsubscribe at a later date.

4. Work with your Vet, literally. Some of us are fortunate enough to work in a recession proof industry, but for the rest of us part time jobs to supplement our incomes are becoming more common. When searching for part time work, don’t overlook your Veterinarian’s office. Try applying for a weekend front office position with your Vet and you could be on your way to saving significant green on your Vet bills. This might not be important to some, but for those with pets who have chronic illnesses, this could be a savings of hundreds to thousands of dollars. The salary for these positions usually starts at $8.00 an hour, but most offices offer a hefty discount on your pet care needs.

5. Buy in bulk through online pet specialty stores. Often times online pet stores and catalogs offer bulk discounts for their products. Required quantities start as low as two, but average around six or twelve depending upon the product. If you don’t need 12 dog bones, perhaps you could find a few friends with dogs who need some themselves. Put together an email list of friends with dogs and pool your orders. This will allow you to take advantage of bulk discounts and minimize shipping costs.

There are many other ways to stretch your pet care budget, you just need to dig a little deeper! This article was written by the authors at pet-super-store.com an online pet store featuring dog beds.