Meet my pooch Princess! She's a 2 year old Maltese that cost me 'an arm and a leg'. When I first decided I wanted a dog I googled 'cute dogs' and Maltese among a few others came up. As soon as I saw the Maltese dogs and read up on their temperament and fell in love with the breed.
I sought out sellers and what Maltese typically cost. This was £1,500 but also didn't phase me because I was in love, had blinkers on, and wasn't acknowledging my debt at the time. After a few days of researching and watching youtube clips of Maltese in action, I was sold. I managed to find a seller that had been breeding them for more than 15 years and was advertising them for only £1000. So I went all the way up to Norfolk and bought my Princess.
The true cost of Princess
What I hadn't factored in before buying her, was the true cost of having a dog. My dog has a heart murmur which I was told she couldn't survive a year with. However, against all odds she is still here, and as she came with a months free insurance, all the vet costs to run tests were covered to the sum of £300.
As well as that, her hair began to grow. She doesn't have fur like many dogs, she has hair like humans, which needs a regular 'wash, cut and blow dry' LOL. Until recently, my local dog groomers have been doing this for me every month at a cost of £30. There's also the monthly flee treatment which costs £5 to protect her and my home from flee infestation, and her food has also been costing £15 per month from a local corner shop amongst the other expenses.
Lets tot up my monthly costs:
Groomers £30
Flea Treatment £5
Dog Food £15
Total: £50 per month
So how did I cut my cost from £50 to £10 per month?
Simple DIY (Do it yourself)! I have caught the self taught bug, which i have realised is key when trying to cut costs. Teaching yourself to do everything you usually would pay others to do can save you money. I've applied this similar idea to my nails.
I have done a lot of research on how to groom your own dog safely. There are several youtube videos that give you step by step instructions on how to do this successfully. Thus saving me £30 per month.
I have also started buying a large bag of dog food for just under £7 which lasts the whole month from Pets at Home. It's very nutritious and comes highly recommended for my breed, and I've found another flea treatment brand that cost £3 instead of the £5 I was paying initially.
What pets do you have? Are they expensive? or have you found a way to keep costs down? Feel free to share in the comments section...
Labels: DIY, Pets
