When looking for ways to be frugal, it’s a good idea to look through all the categories in your budget as there are always some places you can save money or some bills that could be a little lower. While it’s essential to get the optimum care and products for your pet, shopping around and being a little wiser to better deals means you can cut a substantial amount from your petcare budget. Here are 4 ways you can look to reduce your petcare outgoings…
CHOOSE PETCARE SERVICES ALL IN ONE LOCATION
If you have all your pet’s needs met in one place, this will save time and money spent travelling between different locations, and minimise the chances of a fluctuating bill. Pet services like heartandpaw.com offer veterinary care, grooming and daycare opportunities, all in one. Returning to the same, dependable place for everything means you know exactly how much services are going to be, the care staff will get to know your pet, and limits the time you spend commuting between different locations.
It’s also essential to make sure these services are high quality and professional. This ensures that the care services you pay for, such as grooming, are performed exactly as they should be, saving time and cost on having any shoddy work rectified.
BUY IN BULK
If your pet needs a high amount of food, such as a large dog with a healthy appetite, you will save money in the long run if you buy in bulk. A large pack of twelve dog food tins may work out cheaper overall compared to two packs of six dog food tins bought separately. It can seem a hefty amount all at once, but the overall savings will be considerable. I usually buy in bulk for our prescription cat food, which makes it so much cheaper.
Not only that but stocking up and buying in bulk means you limit the travel costs spent travelling out to buy more food for your pet if you run out. Buying more than enough whilst you’re already shopping means you can eliminate any need to travel to the store just for pet food. Or if you make bigger orders online, it generally mean that you’ll be paying enough to qualify for free delivery, so no further travel costs for you.
TAKE PREVENTATIVE CARE MEASURES
Being proactive about the safety and health of your pet means you can eliminate any large bills in the long run, should the worst happen. Keeping on top of your pet’s healthcare schedule with vaccinations, fleaing and worming, means you have the best chance of avoiding complications and large veterinary bills in the future.
Preventative care also means making your home as safe as possible for your pet, to eliminate the risk of any accidents or problems which may result in a hefty bill for something which could have been avoided. I tend to unplug leads, move anything dangerous out of reach, and I close doors to some rooms in order to keep my cats safe at home.
INVEST IN HIGHER QUALITY ITEMS
It’s always tempting to spend less on pet items (like bowls, toys and brushes etc) and find a cheaper bargain when you can, but this may result in you having to replace the same items many times over the years. Investing in high quality from the very beginning means you may eradicate the need to constantly replace low-quality items.
Buying durable and strong collars and leads for your dog, for example, means they will be less likely to fray, break or need to be replaced. If the first item you bought for your pet lasts for a substantial length of time, the cost-per-use will come down over the years.
How do you save money on items required for your pet? I’d love to hear any hacks you have for lowering the cost of petcare in your monthly budget so please leave me a comment below 🙂
