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jadecomputergal · 09-03-2008, 11:08 AM

I was going through the line items of her very thorough list and thinking things like, "Nope, my standard vet exams are $45. Most recent carrier was $50. Shampoo/conditioner $24 (for both)." Now I'm sitting here wondering how much money I've spent on these dogs and afraid to go into my MS Money file to sort by animal expenses and add it all up! Most of it I really never thought about because it's part of another purchase, like if I pick up a couple of toys at WalMart, I'm always there for other things too, so they're just another thing on a bigger receipt.

A lot of this stuff will vary with where you live, like the cost of my standard vet visits versus Tammy's. There are almost always less expensive ways of doing things, like so many others have pointed out. Everything in the northeast is expensive, but even here they have spay/neuter clinics periodically. Toys, beds, etc. you can always find cheaper online than doing an impulse buy at a pet store. Most places will even give free shipping if you spend a certain amount, and Amazon has a lot of their dog stuff on 4 for 3 right now.

LOL. If we've sufficiently frightened you at the cost of owning a dog, you're in a good position to start going backward on the expense. Most of what you spend on a dog is a personal choice, and I think most of us just spoil our dogs. Dogs don't know the difference in a two dollar toy and a twenty dollar one. They don't care if they have pretty, expensive dresses to wear, and most would prefer not to wear a dress. We buy that stuff for ourselves, not our dogs. You're doing research rather than an impulse buy, so you're going to be able to accumulate things much less expensively if you shop around at clearance sales and online and you focus on the necessary items rather than expensive toys and clothing. I can say with no doubt at all that my dogs are happiest when they're either running around jumping on one another in the yard, or they're curled up on our laps at night while we watch a movie. Some of the best things in life really are free.

09-03-2008, 11:08 AM	#24
jadecomputergal Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: West Chester, PA, USA Posts: 323	After reading Tammy's list, I'm wondering if I should have just had a baby instead. I was going through the line items of her very thorough list and thinking things like, "Nope, my standard vet exams are $45. Most recent carrier was $50. Shampoo/conditioner $24 (for both)." Now I'm sitting here wondering how much money I've spent on these dogs and afraid to go into my MS Money file to sort by animal expenses and add it all up! Most of it I really never thought about because it's part of another purchase, like if I pick up a couple of toys at WalMart, I'm always there for other things too, so they're just another thing on a bigger receipt. A lot of this stuff will vary with where you live, like the cost of my standard vet visits versus Tammy's. There are almost always less expensive ways of doing things, like so many others have pointed out. Everything in the northeast is expensive, but even here they have spay/neuter clinics periodically. Toys, beds, etc. you can always find cheaper online than doing an impulse buy at a pet store. Most places will even give free shipping if you spend a certain amount, and Amazon has a lot of their dog stuff on 4 for 3 right now. LOL. If we've sufficiently frightened you at the cost of owning a dog, you're in a good position to start going backward on the expense. Most of what you spend on a dog is a personal choice, and I think most of us just spoil our dogs. Dogs don't know the difference in a two dollar toy and a twenty dollar one. They don't care if they have pretty, expensive dresses to wear, and most would prefer not to wear a dress. We buy that stuff for ourselves, not our dogs. You're doing research rather than an impulse buy, so you're going to be able to accumulate things much less expensively if you shop around at clearance sales and online and you focus on the necessary items rather than expensive toys and clothing. I can say with no doubt at all that my dogs are happiest when they're either running around jumping on one another in the yard, or they're curled up on our laps at night while we watch a movie. Some of the best things in life really are free.