I think we all know that our animals cost us a fair amount of money each year, with or without emergencies. Cats, Dogs, and/or Horses all cost quite a bit to maintain (although I would argue that horses are the most expensive). It also seems as though a lot of horse people are also dog people. Maybe you have cats and love them just the same, but I think dogs are more likely companion of horse people. You can find a huge variety of dogs hanging out at your barn or going to horse shows. Just like our horses, dogs are a wonderful addition to our lives, but also an additional expense. I have one dog who we absolutely adore, although we also love to give her the best in life, so she costs us quite a bit. Fortune estimates that owning a dog costs $1,641 a year! When we buy our dogs a big bag of food every few months, or buy them a toy here and there, it doesn’t seem like that much money. But when you add up every expense, it can add up to that much or more. That is quite a bit of money, especially if you are scraping by between paychecks. So I want to show you some small changes I have made (and you can make too!!) that save me $250 a month on caring for our dog.
Bathing
(We bathe our dog every other week – I like a clean good smelling dog, don’t judge!)
My cost: $2.71/month for shampoo and conditioner = 2 baths a month (We also use some warm water, but it is not a significant change in our electrical bill to note bathing vs not bathing our dog.
$8.31/bottle of conditioner that lasts me 8 months (I love this Kiwi and Cocoa butter conditioner – it smells good and makes my dog super soft)
$11.69/bottle of shampoo that lasts 6-7 months (I use this oatmeal shampoo – it is “odor control” which I think helps with the stinky dog I develop every few weeks)
Professional cost: $110/month (2 baths/groomings a month)
Cost Difference = $1,287.48/year or $107.29/month
Dog Food
My Cost: $.47 a day (35lb bag of Costco Turkey and Sweet Potato Dog Food). **Buy this from the store – much cheaper than Amazon!**
Possible Cost:$1.14 a day (for a 25lb bag of Merrick Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato Dog food)
Cost difference = $244.55/year, or $20.28/month
Nail Trimming
When we first got our dog, she was TERRIFIED of having her nails trimmed. Like ran away and cowered in the corner, scared. Poor dog. Using Positive Reinforcement (i.e. treats) she now comes over when she sees me with the nail clippers, and sits with her paw up for me to start trimming. Although she doesn’t like it, she knows she gets treats, and she willingly comes to having her nails done without any argument.
My Cost: Nail Trimmers = FREE (Regularly $12.99 – these are the nail trimmers I own). I’ll post about how I get cheap and/or free items from Amazon!
Sanding Bits for my nail file (I already own an expensive nail file for myself but I can put dremel type tips on it and use it for the dog) = $4.65 for 20
(A Dremel for your dog’s nails will smooth everything out and sometimes makes it easier to trim – I have not used this specific one, but Amazon reviewers rates it very highly!)
Possible Cost: $120 a year or $10 a month
Dental Chews
Does our dog NEED a dental chew every night, no probably not, but it is her night time treat and she really really loves it. And I am happy that it should be helping with her dental health. I really try to find products that are made in the USA and that have ingredients I can pronounce/know what they are. I’ve tried a few really expensive chews, that just weren’t worth the money.
My Cost: $.25 per treat (I got these Check Up treats on major sale at Costco)
Possible Cost: $.73 per treat for Greenies on Amazon.
Cost Difference: $178.56/year or $14.88 per month
New Dog Bed/Collar/Leash
Your dog does not need a new collar and/or leash every year, nor a new bed nor water bowls. But I know sometimes we all want to buy those when we see a new style or think our dog needs something new. So don’t forget that you could save a lot of money by simply using what you already have. But if you do choose to buy something new for your dog, make sure you shop around for the best price.
We bought a really nice memory foam dog bed from Costco, for $45.99, but similar beds are usually upwards of $100
My Cost: $49.90 for a new bed with tax from Costco
Possible Cost: $119.00 for a large orthopedic bed on Amazon
Cost Difference: $69.10, or $5.75/month if you buy a new bed every year.
Make sure you compare prices of the things you are buying for your animals. You may be spending a lot of unnecessary money on things you could find somewhere else, or just for a cheaper price, only because you didn’t spend a few extra minutes researching the best price. Make sure you need the item you are purchasing, and then make sure you have found the cheapest price for the item you want. Don’t sacrifice the price nor quality, since I’ve found the cheaper products may be cheaper now, but often seem to be replaced more often (i.e. costing you more money in the long run). What other expenses do you save on for you dog(s)?
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