We love our pets and we only want the best for them. For most of us, our pets are a part of our family and we would do anything in the world for them. However, owning a pet can be expensive and sometimes owning a pet can get too expensive. What are you supposed to do when you can know longer afford the high costs that come with owning a pet?
Do you cut back on the care you are giving your furry friend? Do you put him up for adoption? Personally, I don’t think either of those are great options considering there are so many ways to care for your pet on a budget. Just like some humans live frugally, you can also implement frugal pet care into your life.
Frugal Pet Care
Buy Generic Flea & Tick Treatment – You have probably heard of the name brand products like Frontline. While the name brand products are great, there are other less expensive products on the market. When shopping for generic flea and tick treatment, you will want to look at the active ingredients. The active ingredient you are looking for is called fipronil. Buying the generic version of flea and tick treatments can save you up to 50%! That kind of savings is huge and will add up quickly over the years.
Shop Around for Pet Meds – You might automatically think that buying your pets medication online is the cheapest option. Places like 1-800-Pet-Meds often advertise that they are the lowest option for pet medication. This however isn’t always the case! More and more pharmacies are starting to offer pet medication. Wal-Mart can be a great option when it comes to getting your pets medication filled at a discounted rate. Before you purchase any pet medicine make sure you shop around to find the best price possible. You will also want to ask if the generic version is less expensive. Shopping around and purchasing the generic version can save you up to 75%!
Consider Pet Health Insurance – Pet health insurance has mixed opinions. There are some people who will not own a pet without having pet insurance while others say it’s a waste of money. Remember that no pet insurance is the same, you will want to get quotes from various companies. You should also take the time to read the fine print and see what hidden fees or conditions are attached to the insurance. Take the time to talk to other pet owners to get their opinion on pet insurance. If you find a reasonable priced pet insurance that suits your needs, you could end up saving a lot of money on vet bills.
Use Coupons – Lot’s of people use coupons for their families needs, but you can also use coupons for your pet’s needs. Check your local Sunday paper for pet coupons. You should also look for pet coupons online at Red Plum, Coupons.com, Target.com and your local grocery store. Using coupons to purchase your pet supplies can save you a lot of money and might even land you some free items. If you use certain supplies that you don’t see coupons for, don’t hesitate to write the company. Writing the company and letting them know how much you enjoy their product, will often result in some high value coupons! On top of using coupons some stores have loyalty cards that earn you points when you purchase pet items from their store. PetSmart and Petco both have loyalty programs that can help you rack up the savings.
How do you save on your pet care?
Scarlett says
I work at a vet clinic and would like everyone to know that if you want to make sure your pets dont get fleas you need to not buy the generic stuff. It may contain the same ingredient but why do you think its so cheap? Its because they put much much smaller doses of that ingredient in it. Not to mention some of the generic stuff has been known to have deadly side effects. The brand Hartz is well known for horrible side effects and has a whole website dedicated to just how awful they are and the pet deaths they’ve caused.
Jennie says
Brush your pet’s teeth and gums. Just like with humans, preventive maintenance is cheaper than dental procedures. Additionally, pets (generally) have to be put under for dental procedures. This is very hard on their bodies.
Marcy says
We found that a cheap deflea treatment is 1cup dawn blue diish detergent and 1 cup viniger ,wet dog and apply ,let sit 5 min massaging it in . Then rinse they die emeditaly .
Alea Milham says
Great tip! Thanks for sharing it with us.