can cost the earth it seems. What to do if money is tight? There’s no need to worry. As with many regular payments in life, owning a pet can be expensive or manageable depending on how savvy you are with your expenses.

It’s often the case that when it comes to the costs of having a pet that you are paying more than you need to for simple convenience. Planning to take greater responsibility for your pet budget can be an intimidating task at first, but once you get in the groove it becomes simply a new habit that will benefit you greatly. Before you know it you’ll have a rock bottom expense for maintaining your furry family member and you’ll be used to the adjustment easily.

Let’s get right to a set of tips to help keep your pet payments down.

 Shelters are the Way

 You likely know this one already but it bears repeating! Shelters are a fantastic way to find the pet of your dreams in both an ethical and low cost manner. The price of going direct to a breeder can be huge, particularly if you have a specific breed of animal in mind. Shelters might not have that exact breed available, but what they do offer is low price and animals that already have character. There’s an element of risk in buying a very young animal such as a puppy in that you don’t know quite how it will develop.

Shelters are a great alternative where you can see exactly how the pets available present. Particularly if you have children or other pets in the house already, knowing in advance of making that important decision can help you avoid trouble down the line – trouble that could incur more cost in the form of finding a new member of the family.

 Get that Feed in Bulk

As is the case with many purchases in life, you can save a lot of money if you purchase in larger amounts. Pet food is a fantastic candidate for this practice as types of pet food such as dry food are very easily stored for long periods of time. The savings you can make are significant and it’s often the case that the purchase itself is more convenient, with many larger orders coming with the added benefit of free delivery.

 Think about check-ups

Similarly to maintaining a vehicle, you can never be safe with the habit of avoiding regular check-ups for your favourite pet. Even with insurance some illnesses and ailments that crop up from time to time can be a serious expense and knowing of these in advance can be the difference between a happy pet and wallet and a serious expense that causes undue stress.

You can also get inventive with where you take your furry companion to for these check-ups. Many schools and colleges that offer veterinarian training will provide a discounted pet health check-up service that can be significantly cheaper than a standard vet might offer. The same often applies to animal shelters and humane societies. It’s also the case that many vets will volunteer their time and services one day every month or so. The waiting times for this service might be long but it can be an excellent way to save funds.

Train them yourself

 Particularly with dogs of certain breeds, training is a necessity and can be frightfully expensive. The best way to avoid this cost is to make good use of the internet; you’re sure to find fully comprehensive and totally free guides on common pet training techniques on YouTube and other websites. Many professional trainers offer their time and experience in videos and on message boards to those in need of advice. With a little confidence and some careful execution you can go through the rewarding process of training your pet yourself – all for zero cost.

It’s not applicable to all and it can be a daunting task to undertake, but the benefit is that you’ll save a serious amount of money and likely bond with your pet on a deeper level through sharing the process of their training and development. Great!

 Get that tail wagging

 The short term can be tough with vet bills piling up. If you’re out of pocket and in a tough spot, come visit. We’re well suited and very happy to help.