In this picture, Sasha and I had just completed climbing Prospect Mountain in Lake George. Having a pet is tons of fun, work, and sometimes a lot of money. Whether you have a pet, multiple pets, or are considering getting a pet, this post has something for you. I have had my dog since she was just a few months old and we have now been in this relationship for seven years. I quickly learned how the expenses of owning a dog could pile up. However, I found ways to save on vaccinations, vet visits, preventative care, and more.

Choosing Your Pet

If you don’t have a pet yet, then choosing what pet you want is first. I’m partial to dogs and that’s what I have experience with. However, some of these tips can be applied across the board with any pet you choose.

When adding on to your family, there’s a lot to consider. For my husband and I, we had to factor in the fact that we lived in an apartment. Since a lot of apartments that allow dogs have weight restrictions, having one on the smaller side was important. I also wanted a dog that wouldn’t leave hair all over the place because that would annoy me to be cleaning so constantly. Additionally, my mom is allergic to dogs. So even though she doesn’t live with us, a dog with less hair and dander means the risk to her is smaller and much more controllable.

In terms of cost-savings, adopting at a shelter is great for two main reasons. One, you only have to pay a modest adoption fee which is significantly less than going to a breeder or pet store. Secondly, mixed-breed dogs tend to live healthier lives than purebred ones. This is because whatever issues that any one breed tends to have decreases when you mix the genes up a little. There is a wonderfully more educated, eloquent, and scientific explanation but I don’t want to bore you.

Aside from those reasons, these pups tend to be up to date with their vaccines, may already be spayed/neutered, and may already be microchipped. If they aren’t up to date with all these, the shelter may still cover it after adoption or charge a tiny fee. After I adopted Sasha, I took her to get spayed and microchipped where the shelter had an arrangement. It costs me little to nothing so I saved SO much money.

Veterinary Care

The vet bills when your pup is young can be overwhelming. You might be new to pet parenting so there’s a lot to be uncertain of in the beginning. Also, the frequency of vaccinations means a lot of vet visits if your pup is at that age. Now my vet had wellness packages that came with all sorts of checkups and vaccines. I did the math and it didn’t look like it would save me money.

Instead, I came across a Groupon* (referral link) deal for this service called Pet Assure. It takes 25% off all medical services provided at a participating vet. You can use the search function to find one in your area by simply entering your zip code. You can apparently also request a vet join the program but I honestly don’t know how that works. The original Groupon had me pay $50 for the year for Pet Assure. After that, the subscription is $99 a year. When Sasha was going to the vet multiple times a year, this saved me hundreds of dollars. Now that she goes once a year, I put it on hold. I’ll resume it when she starts requiring more care.

Also, over time I came to learn that you could get free or cheap vaccines from your local county animal shelter. If you have a Petco nearby, check online to see if they have Vetco vaccine clinics. When I was offered vaccines by my vet, I would always check the price of these vaccines and it was always cheaper to get it at Petco.

Pet Insurance

People have different feelings on whether or not pet insurance is necessary. This is because pet insurance typically does not cover routine medical exams and care. I made the decision to have it because I had friends who spent a lot of money on treatments for their dogs. The younger your pet is when you get insurance, the cheaper the premium every month for the life of the policy. This is the one time where shopping around for insurance has not saved me any money. Any time I get a quote, now that she’s seven years old, the premium is always more expensive than what I’m paying now.

I use Trupanion (referral link) and currently pay about $38/month with a $1,000 deductible. You choose your deductible, of course, but the smaller the deductible, the higher the monthly payment. The higher the deductible, the more money you save.

After you meet the deductible, they cover 90% of your bill. At my vet office, I pay the bill upfront and they submit the claim to the insurance. The insurance then sends me a check that I then pay the card off with. The great thing about Trupanion’s deductible is that it is per diagnosis, not visit. For example, Sasha had stomach issues as a puppy. If I took her to the vet today for the same issue, I would not have to start over with paying the deductible. That’s such a great feature! I would recommend them for pet insurance any day.

Save money on Grooming

I have taken my dog to the groomer once in all the years that I’ve had her. If I take my dog to Petsmart for a bath, haircut, and nail care, it would cost me around $70 every month.

Yet another benefit of having a short-haired dog is that they’re low maintenance. It makes bath time short, and it’s really hard to screw up their haircut. There are certain things I had to learn, like which guard to use around her beard, in order to keep her natural appearance but that didn’t take long. I use a Wahl clipper that I’ve had since 2014 that still works as well as when I got it.

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU.

Trimming a dog’s nail can be stressful as you don’t want to hit the quick. Clippers typically come with a guard so you don’t go down too far. However, for me, it still makes me uneasy. Over time, I thought to file her nails instead but a nail file, even one for dogs, would take forever. Eventually, I landed on buying a dremel, which is sort of like a motorized nail file. The anxiety of nail cutting comes down a ton for both Sasha and me in using the dremel.

Miscellaneous Expenses

Now that we’ve covered some specific ways to save money, let’s talk about some other costs that are part of pet ownership.

• Food: if you can and it makes sense, buy in bulk. Pet stores, even grocery stores, carry 14 lb or greater bags on the bottom shelves of wherever you’re getting your pet’s food.
• Flea/tick medicine: I found it cheaper and convenient to use Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program to send me a 6 pack every 6 months. Many companies have similar programs that save you money by reordering consistently.
• Heartworm medication: I compare prices online instead of just being any medication from my vet’s office. Fascinatingly, some Walmart’s and Targets also fill pet prescriptions. I get her heartworm medication from California Pet Pharmacy. You order the medication online and they send the request to your vet who approves it. Once approved, it is shipped out to you. SUPER easy.
• Over-the-counter (OTC) meds: there are some ailments for which medication you would take is ok for your dog to take. It doesn’t hurt to ask your vet if there is an OTC option you can give your dog instead of a prescription.
• Toys: my dog plays with one or two toys consistently. The rest, she eventually ignores. Don’t bother buying so many as it just creates clutter. While it is possible to teach your kids to put their toys away, this doesn’t work well with pets.
• Clothing: this is the easiest line item to get rid of if you’re trying to save money. If you have to because your pet has temperature control issues or something else ailing them, keep it minimalist. They don’t care to have a closet full of outfits.

There are people who will spend way less than me on their pets while others will spend way more. Not everything I purchase for my dog is purely out of necessity. Convenience also plays a role. I get grass delivered every two to three weeks that I put on my balcony for her to do her business. I knew when I moved into a building that I was not going to get dressed, go down the stairs, and walk her every morning before going to work. So now I just let her out the balcony doors. So don’t feel bad if you’re not saving every dollar you can. Just make sure how you spend it makes sense for you.

Now it’s your turn? What methods do you use to save money while caring for your furry friend? Where do you like to splurge? Share in the comments below.