Having a pet can be a very rewarding experience but it can also be expensive. A few weeks ago I adopted a cute cat named Emma. She has adjusted well to her new surroundings and we already love her so much.
I just need to figure out how to mesh my frugality with being a pet owner but so far it seems to be working out well and I’ve tried a few money-saving hacks to keep costs low. Here’s how I added a pet to our family practically for free, spent less than $100 on initial necessities, and will continue to care for my cat on a budget.
Adopting vs. Buying From a Breeder
I think the first savvy move I made was adopting my cat from a local shelter vs. contacting a breeder to purchase a pet. My family has been wanting to add a pet to our household for some time now, but I always figured it would be expensive considering all the initial expenses.
I was out with a few friends one night and I randomly mentioned wanting to own a cat since I had so many fond memories with our family cat when I was growing up. Coincidentally the next day, one of my friends showed me a flier for an adoption event at the animal shelter in our town. According to the ad, all cats and dogs 6 months and older were free while animals younger than 6 months were the regular $90 fee.
I figured I had nothing to lose so my son and I went to the shelter and that’s where we met Emma and chose her. She’s 2 so it was no cost to adopt her and she was also previously spayed which was an extra bonus. The shelter also sent her to an animal hospital for a wellness checkup and to get shots before we could take her home. All in all, I think I spent $12 on a shot when I picked her up from the vet.
Adopting Emma at the shelter was a great choice because it saved me quite a bit of money and my new cat was still properly cared for at the animal clinic. If you’re interested in getting a new cat or dog, I’d highly recommend checking with your animal shelter first to see if they have anyone who might interest you or any upcoming free adoption events.
Shopping for Basic Necessities
I was excited to shop some basic necessities for our new cat but I made sure to keep the list short and to the point. Different pets need specific things so the list may vary depending on which animal you’d like to own, but most pets need food, a place to sleep, tools or supplies for grooming, food and water bowls, and items to pick up their waste.
For Emma, I went to Walmart and the dollar store. No, I didn’t buy any dollar store pet food or litter. I’m not that cheap and do believe quality makes a difference and can go a long way. I purchased small things like her feeding bowl and two toys at the dollar store just to save a few bucks.
Here’s a complete list of what I picked up:
- Wet Food
- Dry Food
- Feeding Bowl
- Litter Box
- Litter
- Bed
- Toys
- Scratching Post
- Treats (that she hated by the way 🙁
- Grooming Supplies
- Catnip
Everything came out to around $70 which wasn’t bad. She hasn’t slept in her bed at all so I probably could’ve saved the $10 I spent on that along with the nasty smelling salmon snacks I got her. I also still need to get a carrier, but we haven’t been back to the vet yet so it’s not as urgent.
Preparing for Future Expenses
Now that we’ve got basic needs out of the way, I’m planning out how I’ll budget and prepare for future expenses. I’ll be on the lookout for any used carriers and I also plan to do some grooming for my cat at home. The fact that cats already groom themselves pretty well is an added bonus.
There are just some expenses that I won’t be able to get around though like food and litter. Like I said, I don’t necessarily want to get the cheap stuff and I want to feed my pet healthy and quality food so I just need to budget for it.
I added about $40 to our monthly budget which will be dedicated to pet expenses. For wet food, I purchased a variety pack for $12-14 and it usually lasts us around a month. I also signed up to receive coupons and offers from local pet stores so I can take advantage of any sales they have on food. Whatever I don’t spend on pet expenses I will start putting into a pet emergency fund because unexpected pet expenses from unexpected family expenses.
I’m hoping to dedicate a few hundred dollars for emergencies and prepare for future visits to the vet as well for additional shots. When it comes to pet insurance, I’ve done a lot of research on the topic and I haven’t decided if I will go with it yet. I like that you can pay according to risk and according to recent tests, Emma is pretty healthy.
Deductibles are low and premiums are very small but I want to make sure my money is being put to use should be ever need the insurance to kick in, even if it’s only a small payment each month.
Overall, a pet shouldn’t cause you to run out and get a second job in order to cover the increased expenses. If you prepare your budget, stick to essentials only, and establish a pet emergency fund, you should be fine and be able to enjoy the companionship of a new furry family member.
Do you have any pets? Do you do anything specific to keep costs low? What do you think about pet insurance?
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Choncé says
She’s very high energy, haha! That’s a really good point though. While the premiums are low, I’ll also be saving each month one way or another might not make a huge difference.
Ashli @ The Million Dollar Mama says
Aww, she’s adorable! I have a chihuahua and we had a cat who recently passed away from cancer. We didn’t (and still don’t) have pet insurance. Despite the costs involved with treating our cats illness, it still would have worked out more expensive over the course of her life if we had’ve taken out pet insurance.
Choncé says
So sorry to hear about your cat! 🙁 That’s interesting to hear about the expenses.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
Great post Chonce! We adopted our two cats from a shelter two years ago. One was 5 years old and one was 6 weeks. We absolutely love them. I’m a big promoter of the #adoptdontshop movement and we have regularly donations go out of our bank account for the humane society. Such an important cause and so many hurt pets who need a home.
Choncé says
Sounds like a great cause! At the shelter, they told me my cat would probably prefer to be the only pet in the house but I’m hoping that’s not the case because I’d love to get another one in the future so they can interact together.
Mrs. ETT says
We’ve had pet insurance for the past 2 years, as well as a Vet fund in our budget. I’ve decided not to renew the policy at the end of its term this time. Instead, I will take the money I save for renewal, and add it to the Vet fund, which will double what I am saving. There are so many exclusions with pet insurance, I can almost guarantee that our cats will suffer from something that isn’t covered (’cause cats are contrary). If something terrible does happen, well, we now have a fully funded emergency fund (hooray!) that I would be more than happy to use.
Choncé says
Insurance in general seems to have so many exclusions unfortunately. That’s great that you will double your vet fund!
colinashby says
I want to get a dog so bad but trying to wait until I finish paying off my student loans. The costs are something to watch out for. My brother’s dog got into his trash, ate some dental floss and plastic, and ended up having to get emergency surgery ($$) to get the stuff out of his stomach. The dog is fine now but the larger than expected vet bill was surprising.
Choncé says
Wow, that’s crazy. I like dogs but I feel like they are too much work for me, haha. I like how cats are self sufficient.
Katie says
Emma is a beauty! I “adopted’ two kittens from my parents back in 2012. Since I grew up (and still live in) a rural area of the US, I’ve always thought pet insurance is a bit superfluous. I may eat crow for that thinking later down the line – but I hope not!
I probably spend an average of $25-$30 a month on them. I could probably save some money on the litter we use – it’s a name brand and I bet there are cheaper options that work just as well. Anyone have suggestions?
Their food is probably where I COULD save a lot, but I prefer to spend more on a higher-quality, grain-free option. Hopefully a good diet is saving me in vet bills!
Choncé says
Thanks Katie! I use name brand litter as well. It’s called Tidy Cats I believe. I actually find it cheaper long-term to buy it in bulk if you can stand having a huge tub of cat litter around your house 🙂
hollyatclubthrifty says
Our dog died in July. He was almost 14 years old! He was an extremely inexpensive pet to keep because he was extremely healthy until the end. I miss that guy! I think we’ll get another pet soon. We will definitely adopt from a shelter. i would never pay for a pet and encourage breeders.
Choncé says
Sorry to hear that 🙁 Adopting from a shelter is the way to go.
Kristin says
Ooh, my mom had Banfield pet insurance for years for her cat and she said it was pretty much a waste of money. Over the years, I’ve added $$$ here and there to my pet fund. Now that I have FOUR pets over the age of 10, that money I’ve saved is coming in handy. None of mine had any issues until their senior years, so I’m glad I’ve added money to my fund over the past decade.
Oh – I order all my pet food and supplies thru Chewy.com. As long as you don’t live in FL, there’s no sales tax and you get free shipping on orders and get a discount if you do the auto-order. I’ve definitely found this cheaper than ordering thru Petco or Petsmart.