Counting Pennies

Pets are expensive. I have a dog and a cat, so I should know. Not only do you have the day-to-day expenses of food and care, but there’s always the chance of an emergency creeping in and costing you hundreds of dollars. So what do you do? You establish a budget to make sure you have adequate income to support your future pet.

“Just like any other member of the family, your pet’s needs must be considered and included in the family’s budget,” says Mechel Glass, Director of Education, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta, Inc. “This includes weekly, monthly and annual costs.” If you decide to take a vacation, who will take care of your pet when you are out of town? Will you need to board your pet? Will your pet need additional training classes to curb some bad behaviors? Will your pet require other needs that may not cost money but will require additional time out of your day? For example, if you live in an apartment or a high-rise building and do not have immediate access to a grassy area, you may need to walk your pet longer distances several times a day to get to a public park for play and exercise time. This may not cost you any money, but it will require additional time out of your day to care for your pet’s needs.

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