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The Drunk Millionaire

The Stumble Towards Financial Independence

Dogs are More Expensive than You Think

January 19, 2016 by The Drunk Millionaire 6 Comments

Let me preface this conversation with the admission that having a dog is pretty awesome. A dog provides your household with a family member who will show complete loyalty, selflessness, and entertainment. With that being said, having a dog can be expensive. We expose these expenses and give some suggestions for cost savings associated with having a dog.

After graduating college and securing a job, many of my friends decided to get a puppy. My wife and I managed to hold off for a year before we got our German Shepherd Ekko. At the time, I was a graduate student and my wife was a teacher. The added expense of this cute, little huge puppy soon began to challenge our limited budget.

Our friend Ekko
Our friend Ekko

According to the ASPCA, the cost of dog ownership can average between $1,314 – $1,843 per year!

Our dog Ekko exceeded this amount, despite our best efforts, due to some health concerns combined with multiple vet visits. In addition, we travel frequently and boarding during our trips got pretty expensive.

We have also had to pay an extra pet fee/deposit to keep a dog at our rented house. We were limited when looking for a place to rent because many landlords do not allow pets.

Naturally, we began to seek out ways to save money while being a dog owner.

Cutting the Costs of Dog Ownership

  1. Find a rural vet. We originally took Ekko to a popular vet in town and realized after a couple of visits that we were spending an exorbitant amount of money! We had a friend recommend a vet in a small country town who had a great facility and loves dogs. He also charged a fraction of what the vet in town charged, and we are confident that the quality remained high.
  2. Purchase monthly flea/tick/heart-worm medication in large quantities so that you get rebates. Also consider buying online for maximum savings. For example, our vet often offers a $50.00 rebate if a box of heart-worm medication is purchased with a box of flea/tick medication.
  3. Sign up for emails from your local pet stores to receive coupons and maximize your savings. If possible, sign up for the pet store’s point system to earn extra coupons.
  4. Save when you travel. Pet boarding typically costs anywhere from $25 to $50 per day depending on the quality of the facility and the services offered. Instead of boarding your dog, consider a pet exchange. A pet exchange is when you drop off your dog(s) with a host family while on vacation. In return, you host their dog(s) while they go on vacation. This way you don’t spend any money, and your dog typically has a better experience.
  5. Save on dog grooming by frequenting self-service dog wash facilities or use your own bathtub. If you are completely unable to wash your over-sized, energetic pup due to the risk of flooding your bathroom (not that we’d have any experience with this) at least shop around for the best price and ask about store coupons/rebates.
  6. If you can’t afford large vet bill emergencies, get pet insurance. There are many scams out there so we recommend researching pet insurance through the ASPCA.

Do you have any cost-saving recommendations for Fido? How expensive has your dog been? Share your experiences below in the comments section.

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Filed Under: ARCHIVES Tagged With: dog, pets, saving money

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Comments

  1. Julie says

    January 19, 2016 at 12:43 pm

    When it comes to dog grooming, buying your own pet clippers can pay for itself tenfold. Even if you’ve never done it before, just practice. (Dog hair grows very quickly.) You can buy dog clippers at any pet supply store or any superstore.

    Reply
    • The Drunk Millionaire says

      January 19, 2016 at 1:16 pm

      Great point!

      Reply
  2. Untemplater says

    January 25, 2016 at 7:13 am

    I’m actually writing a post about pet costs too since I recently adopted a cat. Part of the reason I waited so many years to get a pet is because of the cost.

    Dogs typically are more expensive than cats too so I believe that estimate of $1300-1800!

    Reply
    • The Drunk Millionaire says

      January 25, 2016 at 12:46 pm

      Good luck with your cat!

      Reply
  3. MrSLM says

    May 2, 2016 at 7:37 pm

    If you’ve got the time, making your dog his or her dinner from scratch is really cheap and healthy. We buy bulk rice and veggies like carrots, etc along with big cuts of meat. Comes out cheaper than high end premade stuff, and we can clearly see what goes into it.

    Reply
    • The Drunk Millionaire says

      May 2, 2016 at 7:48 pm

      That’s a great idea that we’ve definitely considered! I imagine that would be way more healthy than the factory blended varieties!

      Reply

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