Tax Return Idea
 

Hi,

I've noticed there are a lot of sick little babies on the board lately, some of which have skinparents who cannot afford their healthcare. While this is a very sad situation, and I DO feel for the skinparents, I feel more for the furkid that doesn't deserve to have no vetcare due to poor financial preparation.

That being said...I just wanted to say that there are TONS of vets nationwide who accept account credits, and income tax returns are coming up.

You can't just go in there and withdraw and deposit as you wish...lol..they're not banks! ;)

But you can (at most veterinarian offices) go in with cash, and have them place it as a credit on your account! I HAD NO IDEA! We're going to save some time and effort by taking the petpurses we have for ours..and applying them to our account at the vet's instead.

Our account credit (at our vet)...stipulates that it can be withdrawn in the event of a pet passing away, being rehomed, or if you choose another vet (and will no longer be taking your pets there).

This is a GREAT idea for just about anyone whether you are well off or not. What happens if for some reason your bank is closed out of normal hours? What happens if the ATM is out of money or is broken, etc....in an emergency wouldn't it be nice to know that the money for your pet is already with your vet?

LOTS of people already knew about this, but I sure didn't! So I thought i would let you know.

What a GREAT thing to do with part of your tax return (if you're getting one).:)

Love this idea. I also love here in Canada buying CSB Canada Savings Bonds; I'm sure the US must have something similar. Automatic withdrawals from your chequing account - wkly/bimthly/monthly - whatever you choose. Then at the end of year one you have the face value of the bond plus one year of accrued interest. They are 100% guaranteed by the Government of Canada. Only slight drawback must be 24hr notice period prior cashing.

Trust me I know, if you walk into Emergency Hospital with bonds in hand, you will get the medical care you need.

Does the vet pay you interest on the money?

So you deposit your money at the vet, but earn no interest....as opposed to investing your money in an interest bearing account or CD?

As for emergencies.... I thought that's what credit cards are for, and then you have a few weeks before you have to pay the balance....plenty of time to get to the bank & withdraw money:)

Well, we won't be transferring the entire petpurses to the vet's office, but I for one will definitely feel much better knowing that if something happens...at least (some) of the money set aside for them is already at the vet's office.

There are lots of people (myself included) who do not use credit cards under any circumstances. I don't like them, and never have. lol So while a credit card would be easier for some, for others it isn't an option. I think I get more mail from Visa and Mastercard than I do from anyone else. :rolleyes: You'd think they would give up by now...lol!

In any case, no, they don't pay interest, granted, but I still think it is a very good idea, especially for people who have 'issues' keeping money where it should be, being saved for their furbutts.:)

:thumbup: I LOVE the idea of designating tax return money for furbutt emergencies, but I'd be hesitant to give it straight to a regular vet office. What if the pup needs to go to an emergency clinic, a specialist, or a different vet (like if you happened to be out of town)? I think that is a more likely scenario than not being able to access funds in a bank. Maybe I'm biased because I live in one of the biggest banking cities, but there are ATMs everywhere, even when banks are closed - and I'd gladly pay any fee to access my money through another bank's system. Also - if you have the ATM card, you could just use that straight away at the vet office - again, I'd gladly pay any overdraft fees.

Levi's money is in a separate account. I can transfer the money to my general accounts at any time. This plan works well for us - I wouldn't be tempted to touch it on a normal day - but I can access it whenever needed, and can use it at any vet office or clinic we go to.

JUST A Thought .... With things the way they are in the world, many are using their savings and cashing in retirement just to survive until they get a job, or business picks up.
I know in my age group many have lost much of their extra retirement income because the market is so bad. Health care costs, from prescription drugs to routine doctor visits, dental visits and treatments, health insurance, home insurance, car insurance, electric, gas, water, and food, prices have gone up and up, while income stays the same or is less because there is less money to pay interest or dividends. Even people who are responsible and conservative money managers can have things change quickly. A serious illness or losing a job can happen to anyone. Jobs are being changed, dispersed, eliminated or shipped over seas. Some local and very profitable business have been destroyed in a few months ( like Doggie day care, Hobby classes, Tree trimmers, Home Sales, Small car dealerships, Mom and Pop specialty business , antique shop, bike repair shop and even a fast food place. From personal experience I know this can happen. I hesitate to ever say or indicate that being unable to afford health care for ones self, child, or pet is just bad planning. I pray that I will always be able to have enough to take care of the ones I love and enough to share. Just a thought, no criticism intended.

I've been giving the vet money here & there when I have some extra. If I put it in savings some other emergency/urgent need will come up that I can spend it on. I'd rather the vet have it and I make no interest so I know the money is there for Princess period. If I had a car emergency, outrageous utility bill or even out of food there's a way for me to get help. There's no way to get 'professional' help (loan, etc.) & justify that it's for a dog for most people. I don't qualify for Care Credit or any other loan in the world, as I desperately tried everything humanly possibly when Princess was sick.

It may not be the "smart" choice for everyone, but for me, it's a great idea & God willing I will put a chunk on my account at tax return time.:)

:thumbup: I completely agree with that.

My concern is with those that experience monetary difficulties due to poor money management skills. To deposit your money in a non-interest bearing, Federally uninsured account, with your vet...is an example of poor money management and IMO, if you choose that method of managing your finances, you're likely to continue to have money problems.

Agree to disagree.:)

:thumbup:

I would like to say that there are some vets out there still that will take payments and I am fortunate enough to have one of those, although the Hospital wont, they got there money up front for Sadie. It was an unexpected expense but like I told my husband, I will go sell my ___ to make sure Sadie gets what she needs. He said he didnt think there was a high demand for a 48 year old hooker lol. I guess I am just trying to say that in this day and age it is so hard to save money for your own retirement , let alone anything else.

I think it's a great idea to save however you can. The important thing is that your pup gets what it needs in the end.

I think it is a wonderful suggestion for those getting tax returns to set aside money for vet care, if they haven't already, or don't have enough. I think people need to decide for themsleves which option is best. A few have been mentioned already, paying your vet in advance (crediting your account), savings at the bank or credit union, having a charge card available (could use your return to pay down a card so that available balance is high enough), pet insurance could be purchased and money for the deductible set aside. I'm sure I missed some other ideas. Even if you aren't getting a return, this time of year, as we sit down to do our taxes, it is a good time to review our financial situations and make sure we have a plan to handle unexpected expenses (both for our pets and ourselves) as best as we can.

:thumbup: That's actually not a bad idea. It's not going to be thousands upon thousands in the account, maybe just a couple of hundred. In a time of an emergency or crisis, I don't think about how I'm going to pay for Kaji's care, just that he needs to be seen by a vet.

The only teeny tiny flaw I see is what are you going to do if a pup needs care after hours? Personally, I don't agree with pet insurance. It seems illogical to me to give my money to someone else every month, and then ask them to maybe give me some of it back. I do however have a separate checking account just for Kaji. Whatever people pay for their pet insurance is what I put into that account every month. When I lost my job, the money was still there when Kaji had an emergency, and he did have an emergency. I didn't have to worry about putting up money up front, or charging something to credit and then hope for a reimbursement. I do also have care credit as a backup.

I am also one of those people who do not use credit cards , I see so many people on anther site who post about their sick dogs and always write they have no money to take their dog to a Vet, this happens all the freakin time, it is appalling. I understand vet bills are so expensive though, it is heartbreaking when your family member is ill and cannot get the medical care he needs. I've been there myself, nut made it work. I get extrmely upset when one of my dogs are sick, I am a mess, can't think straight, blame myself and out of my mind with worry. PLacing money aside for pet emergency's is the best way for me to go. You never know when something comes up and your dog becomes ill and needs medical attention.
Just recently , a few days ago my brother lost his best friend. He calls me on the phone nearly crying his eyes out because Roscoe died , that was his best dog ever, and they could not afford vet care, they watched him suffer for three days. until he passed away. His teenaged son had to bury roscoe because my brother was too much of a mess. I knew how he felt about his dog too, and did not know anything about him being sick until after he died. Now they have 2 other female dogs who just delivered pups, two of the pups look like their daddy, roscoe , and Yes I am aware they have too many dogs they cannot care for properly or even provide basic care. They now have 10 dogs including the puppies. Crazy isn't it :eek: The dogs they have are terrier chi mixes , As for me, I care for my 2 dogs as if they were my babies.

I know you meant well, :) and I appreciate you and commend you for the idea, but for me... :eek: Yikes !!! No way I would ever do this...sorry... :confused::eek::(:thumbdown (I think that about covers my emotional range...and attention span ! :p) No offense meant...all in good fun!

Put the emergency money under your complete control,regardless of where it comes from...not "on account" as a "credit" ... if you want my reasons for why I wouldn't do it, you'll only need to ask...:cool: lol

Shuttin' up now ... :yelrotflm

So, about those Canadian bonds...in the USA, bonds take much longer to mature. If you tried to cash a $25 bond a year later, I doubt you'd anywhere close to face value and interest would be pure fantasy. :rolleyes: Even years after they have matured, interest is still negligible. My kids had these from when they were babies. The bonds were more than matured and only were worth slightly more than face value, and they were such a pain to cash than one kid almost didn't. If I correctly recall, the banks would only deposit them into a checking account...not cash them outright, and the kid didn't have a checking account when he first went to college but he'd thought he could count on the money 'cuz we told him we could!

I do think it's very cool that you get face value plus interest one year later, and can "spend" them at a "retail" business. I don't know how we could get Canadian bonds here...lol

There is no other way, IMHO. :)

I've just been on the receiving end of having my funds applied as a "credit" incorrectly as overpayments, reimbursements, etc., even by a company thee funds weren't sent to with the check not even being written to them :eek: (post office mis-delivered and they took the trouble to search their account database to see IF I had an account with them and keep my money but not the trouble to drop the envelope back into the mail :eek:), and I discovered by accident that my money was 'confiscated' by wrong parties.

I could go on and on, such a litany of similar events have occurred, but the long and short of it is that I no longer trust such things, but I had no idea until they happened to me...repeatedly, by different groups...that it was even possible. I just wanted to warn that things do go wrong sometimes. Plus, I live in an area where people do things like pay for, say furniture, and go back the next day with a truck to pick the furniture up only to find the business gone! :eek:

I even had a bank take money from my checking account, and bounce charges for a check that I didn't write, that wasn't drafted from my bank or cashed/deposited to my bank...never mind my account...and wasn't drawn against an account number or name even remotely similar to mine (Cat...does not even look like Cyn). :eek:

Then, there's the issue or account reconcilliation, and Will notations/probate, etc. as applicable, and beneficiary assignments, and Power of Attorney, and...:D

I mean absolutely no offense to anyone. After all, none of us know what we do not know! :D

Take care!

I may rethink it...I don't know. To be honest, I AM a very gullible, naive, and trusting person. And...perhaps this isn't the way to go. We're not "poor" per say...but we aren't well off either. I only want the best for our pets which is why we have "petpurses" saved up for them (and have been saving in those for 10+ years). If something were to happen, regardless of what that may be, YES our pets would be 100% taken care of financially. The way I see it..as long as our pets are taken care of...what business is it of anyone else's to tell me we're not "saving the right way"?? I made this thread to give people who don't have anything set aside for their pets...another choice.

It isn't just this thread. There are tons of threads I have written or replied to and people insist on bashing me or slamming me, and I'm quite fed up with it, truth be told. I'm sick of attempting to help people, with my heart in the right place only to have busybodies come and start yammering about how I'm in the wrong. I'm not asking everyone (and their dog) to agree with me, but I don't think it's too much to ask to at least disagree with some sort of tact to your reply.

Anyway...I'm done with the "poor me" routine, but thank you again, Navillusc, for your tactful reply, it is appreciated.

First that is fact you do get face value plus full one year interest on CSB's if you keep them for one year. They are issued and fully backed by the Government of Canada. If you cash in early ie prior one year; you get your full face value plus some portion of the interest earned until the month you cash in.
Bonds have different maturity dates, earning differing rates of interest, accrued at different time periods. But once the maturity date of a bond has come, you better invest those funds in another commodity otherwise you won't earn any money on those funds.

I never said that CSB's could be spent at any retail establishment. What I said in a Medical Emergency situation, at a Veterinary Hospital after banks have closed etc. etc; if you had CSB bearer bonds in hand, critical emergency care would NOT be denied to you. If you had the bonds in hand at any of our National banks during the day, they could be borrowed or in some cases cashed in.

Go to an International Securities broker if you wish to purchase CSB;s; I have it on good authority even Americans can purchase these.

Great idea ladies!!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

NP ! :)

It is not for me to decide for others. I've just been through the wringer so many times...as you said, "naive, and trusting"...that to deliberately hand money over for nothing is something I would never consider. I even worry when I have to prepay for an order! :rolleyes:

Tact, diplomacy, respect, courtesy, manners,, etc., though, should be a given in any forum, especially online, where it can be tricky to tell if a comment is meant in jest or matter-of-fact-but seriousness, or out of meanness or spite. :)

Very interesting...I had no idea. I have never discussed such things with any of my Canadian friends...perhaps I should have. ;)

QUOTE=gemy;3803874]I never said that CSB's could be spent at any retail establishment. What I said in a Medical Emergency situation, at a Veterinary Hospital after banks have closed etc. etc; if you had CSB bearer bonds in hand, critical emergency care would NOT be denied to you. If you had the bonds in hand at any of our National banks during the day, they could be borrowed or in some cases cashed in.
[/QUOTE]

I apologize for the mis-understanding. Two things...

First, a "Medical Emergency" in the USA is most often handled by a 'for-profit' (= 'retail') organization...we have very few community hospitals left, and even the one we have here locally keeps becoming a source of interest for the for-profit medical/hospital cartels/companies.

Second, our bonds, as my kids rudely found out at banks, do not appear to be usable as any form of "currency" other than bank deposit...maybe at a mugh higher level than "consumer"...and so such an idea was completely impossible for my feeble brain to conceive! ;)

Thank you very much for the explanation...I have learned a lot today. Take care! :)

Are you referring to me???

It sure seems that way, because I am the one that disagreed with you. My intent was not to be rude. I believe my response was straight forward & concise, AND I clearly stated it was In My Opinion.

You state yourself that you are "gullible" and "naive". What if another person also gullible and naive, based on your recommendation, deposited their money with a vet, and the vet didn't keep proper accounting practices or went out of business, died...whatever you can possibly imagine...and the person wasn't able to easily get their funds back, if at all? How would you feel then?

I stick by my belief that it is not wise to place your money in a Federally un-insured account (not to mention one that doesn't pay interest). These threads are not only for your benefit, but for the benefit of anyone else that may come along in the future and read them. If sharing my 2cents makes someone a little more informed and/or possibly helps someone to stop and think before deciding where to place their money (especially those that have little of it as is), I'm good with that.