I’m sure everyone would agree that pets are not cheap because you have to pay for things like: food, vet care, toys and a myriad of other things. I have 2 cats and I’m a big believer that it’s really possible to take care of them, cheaply. Here are some of my tips:
1. Order pet food online. In Korea at least, it’s far cheaper to order in bulk quantities online on a place like Amazon. And, I usually mix the cheaper dry food with the more expensive stuff. My cats still like it, but it’s not so expensive.
2. Forget the health insurance for your pets and instead just have a fully-funded (6 months living expenses) emergency fund to deal with any problem. In essence, you’re self-insuring. And definitely have a maximum dollar amount that you’re willing to pay in case your pet gets sick. Of course I would pay a lot of money to get my cats the treatment they need if they were sick, but I’m not willing to spend thousands of dollars to extend their life for a few more months or a year.
3. You truly don’t need clothes for yours pets. It’s expensive and kind of ridiculous! Ditto with the huge amounts of fancy toys, water bowls and feeders. My “poor” cats suffer with basic steel kitchen bowls for their food and water and some used cat towers I got for free!
4. Consider how you can look after your pets cheaply when you go on vacation. Kennels are expensive. Check out things like a local pet-sitting network or ask some animal-loving family and friends.