Don’t Forget Fido!

My budget session yesterday was an eye-opening experience for my ‘first 30 days’ budget client. The conversation went like this –

Brooke – how’d the last 7 days go, Sam?

Sam – I completely forgot to work my dog into my budget so when I went to get dog food, there was no cash fund for it!

Brooke – So where did the money come from for the dog food?

Sam – I ate out of the freezer the last week because I used some of the grocery money for dog food.

Lesson – Don’t forget the expense of the family pet!

Now Sam has a monthly cash pet fund of $200:

$50 dog food

$15 dog nail trim

$15 pet insurance

$20 dog treats

$25 dog nutritional supplements

$25 dog collars/leashes/tags/beds/toys

$50 Training

 

Then we are pushing to the pet’s emergency fund every month $155:

$40 dog grooming ($80 grooming every other month so she’ll have $80 ready when needed)

$125 vet bills, heartworm prevention, flea/tick prevention, teeth cleaning

 

Sam was shocked at how much she spends on her pooch and is excited about the $155 a month push towards the future expenses. NO NEED FOR CREDIT CARD DEBT when you plan!

 

Click here for annual dog care costs.