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I’ve covered a variety of topics so far on this website, but I haven’t really gotten into Pet Ownership. I think it’s a major factor for many people’s lives, but it is rarely a frugal one.
We have two cats and one dog. The cats are getting a little older, they are both 13 now. I’ve been a bad budget-er related to pet expenses, but looking back it seems to average around $150 every other month in pet food. Probably $15 in litter every two weeks, but I should raise that since I haven’t truly been tracking it. Let’s say $50 a month. Flea Collars every 6 months times three, $360 a year.
None of our pets like toys…they are weird. Then we probably need litter liners at least once a year in the big box. Call it $30.
I call this out because one of our cats, has been losing weight and needs a vet visit. After blood work this will likely be several hundred dollars. Many families view their pets similar to children and will spare no expense in medical care to keep their pets healthy. I think in the theme of Mini Thoughts, we need to plan not just the monthly costs of pet care, but these larger potential expenses. When too many people don’t have $1,000 set aside for an emergency, how many are prepared for a $5,000 pet medical bill?
My cat’s appointment is today, we’ll see how it turns out.
| Expense | Annual Price |
|---|---|
| Food | $900 |
| Litter | $600 |
| Flea Prevention | $360 |
| Misc. | $30 |
| Total | $1,890 |
| Monthly | $157.50 |
~~Miniwing~~
Stoic, Parent, Optimist