I have two cats who moved in with us four months ago when they were abandoned by our former neighbors. I found out the owners had moved when one of the cats came to me injured. That was a huge vet bill, but it was an emergency. The 2nd one went into heat and that's how I found out she needed to be spayed. Animal control recommended a low cost clinic for spaying and told me about weekend clinics for vaccinations at pet supply stores. I'm taking both of them this weekend for the "Luv my Cat" vaccination pack. While the cats have cost a lot recently, they work for their keep. One acts like a dog and follows the kids when they are outside. The other keeps varmints out of my garden.
I also have 2 hens and 8 chicks that are growing quickly. I haven't needed to take them to a vet and it's a good thing because there aren't any vets that care for chickens nearby. I'll have to take them to a country doc. The hens give me eggs every day, but they are also like dogs and come running over to play with me whenever I'm outside. They work for their keep by turning the soil over in my veggie garden. So even though I've had to outlay cash to care for the pets, there is a quid pro quo.
Ok Julie,
We are first time new homeowners, so new in fact, our first mortgage payment hasn't even been made yet (due the Apr 1). The loan we received was for $131,240 30 year fixed and 5% interest. We are working on one income right now, as I am a full time student, but will be graduating at the end of the year and going into the workforce at which time we will become a two income household and able to navigate paying extra (whether it be an extra payment yearly or extra monthly). What do you suggest for us as new homeowners who are still trying to figure all of the financial's out?
As a vet's assistant, I have a small zoo of animals. I have a golden retriever, a labrador retriever, 3 cats that live w/me, 2 cats that live with my mom but I'm financially responsible for, a mouse and a betta fish. I couldn't imagine coming home to an empty house so their companionship far outweighs the costs. The cats get cheap toys on sale or from the dollar store or are random things around the house. The mouse loves cardboard egg crates and toilet paper tubes. All are fed a good quality food twice a day and aren't overfed, which can lead to all sorts of health issues.
Zoi and Brutus JUST LOVE the taste of bitter orange (apple), so we tried Tabasco sauce which was recommended by our vet. Um, Brutus just LOVES the taste of Tabasco sauce! Sigh. We're luckier than most, though. They're pretty well-trained, but every puppy dog likes the taste of forbidden fruit (a.k.a. Mommy's new strappy sandals...thanks a LOT, Zoi--well, it was my fault).
I HIGHLY recommend Everlasting Treat balls for a dog who is tired of a Kong and who likes to play fetch. I also recommend the Target brand of tie out (cheaper, stronger, and stands up to crazy weather better than other brands in our experience) and to always supervise puppies on tie outs in the yard.
I have a 5 year-old cat and a 2 year-old dog. Both were rescues from local shelters.
My cat knows when I wake up in the morning so even if I try to sleep in he starts jumping on me for his food. Unless I'm over at my boyfriend's house I NEVER get to sleep in.
And my dog is my best buddy and my favorite piece of gym equipment, haha!
My place would be so quiet and boring without them!
We have a 6-month old pug puppy. She's a great cuddler, clown, and companion when one of us is away. There are a lot of costs in the beginning -- initial vaccinations, spay surgery, bowls, toys, bed, tags, leash/harness, etc. but hopefully the expenses will taper off as time goes by.
Just a note on the last one... for small family owned businesses, it's not always best to use a card, especially for a small purchase. There's a fee for the business each time a credit card is used, so if you want to support a small business, it's better to pay in cash.
I have two cats: one that I got as an adult from the local humane society and one that I got as a young adult from my vet's office (I took the one cat in for her shots and came home with two cats -- this happened about a week after my grandmother's funeral so maybe I was trying to fill a hole in my heart). My fiance has an old tomcat that he inherited from his sister and has cared for about six years even though he's not a cat person.
Combining our cat families will be interesting, to say the least. After one of our older cats "moves on", then he wants to get a Sheltie-type puppy from the local humane society, but he's convinced that three animals should be our maximun household number to avoid living in a chotic zoo (like his sister's house).
I am actually a person that _loves_ spreadsheet and minutia. Which makes it even more surprising that I'm only getting around to tracking our spending starting this month. Sort of ridiculous, really! I'm going with excel, because it's already on my computer and I already know how to use it. For the first couple of months, I think it's going to be important to really track what we're spending versus what we're bringing in. So that's the prime calculation each month's worksheet does for me. After that, we'll be in a good position to look at our different categories and make real decisions about what to do with each one.
Yes, I own 2 cats, a 11-year old Siamese mix female - Blitzy and a 2-year old domestic short-hair - Joey. It is of course an additional expense to have pets, since they are like kids, they depend on us, and we owe it to them to provide the best possible care within our means. Both mine are rescues and have had very rough lives. I buy them the best food and give them a lot of love. And are they worth it? Absolutely. they bring so much joy, love, and laughter in my life.
I don't have a pet right now because I live in an apartment that doesn't allow them and I'm not financially or time secure enough to make the commitment. But I volunteer weekly at the animal shelter and I can't wait to get my own!
First of all we don't have pets the pets have us. Our pets are always rescues. Which saves us money. We also save money by buying leashes, pet bowls, toys etc at the thrift shop. Or we get them free. We go to the low cost vet clinic. We buy pet food at the pet store with the lowest prices and use both their coupons and the manufacturers . When I see my teenage son snuggle up with our dog Ruby. I forget about all the hassles and cost of owning a pet and I realize that its all worth it.
I have a cat and an aquarium with some fish. I trained my cat to use the toilet so I don't have to buy litter or deal with the smell/mess. I think pet ownership is DEFINITELY worth the cost. It's loyal companionship for a lot less time and money (and back-talk) than a child.
I have a kitty and he's a monster. Plus I just moved back in with my parents and they have two cats. Now I can't move out with him because I'll end up getting another one.
Two house rabbits. Their upkeep is fairly affordable although it helps to get some supplies such as hay from the local rabbit rescue rather than the pet store.
I have cats. To save money, I buy them high quality food - which saves on health costs in the long run. I also buy canned food in larger cans, so it lasts for a couple days. I'm also a frequent user of loyalty programs - so I at least get a little refund for my purchases.
Instead of pet insurance, I've also set-up a fund where I automatically put the amount I'd pay for pet insurance into a savings account to be used only for emergencies. My cats are young now, and hopefully won't need any expensive treatments for years. But if and when they do, I'll have money saved up and won't have to worry about what my pet insurance does and does not cover.
As much as we would love to have a pet we simply cannot afford to at this stage of our lives. Both of us were raised with dogs and with our own family had dogs and cats. We are very much aware of the cost involved but the return is truly priceless. However,that we now live on our social security and our other investment/retirement money, that was supposed to be used for all the fun things in life, is being used for medical & dental expenses and sometimes just for the necessities in life we cannot justify the expense of pets. We do, however, love to visit with the neighborhood dogs as they are being walked by our house - we actually know the dogs names better than their owners' names.
I can't believe how uninformed some of you complainers are. Somewhere, at some point you signed up for something and they sold your name and address to Netspend. Since it's a prepaid debit card, it has no value at all without being activated and loaded. If you don't want it, trash it.
And the woman who started this thread commited a federal crime by opening her husband's mail. Heck maybe that was the card he was going to give his mistress and now he got caught.
I started using Netspend so I would not have to use my main account on the internet and for my monthly play money budget. Then I started noticing my play money was coming in days ahead of my bill money. I've switched Netspend to my main account and have had no problems. Paycheck comes in 1-2 days early, $5.00 monthly fee, if I need to send a Moneygram I just point and click. Heck they'll even mail a money order for you.
I have two fabulous kitties . . . they make me laugh every single day! Wonderful little buddies to each other, and to me! I can't imagine my life without them!
I have one dog, a Westie named Gus. Think the little white dog from the "Cesar" dog food commercials. He's the love of my life! I don't know what I'd do without him. I'll eat ramen noodles and live in my car before he goes without.
I have a few shortcuts that help me keep our family from going out to eat.
If I am making a casserole I always double it and put one in the freezer. If I am going through the effort once I might as well make another one.
I buy a large size pkg of chicken breasts with the bone and skin on and cook them in the crockpot with onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. I end up with 2 things, homemade broth and diced cooked chicken that I put in individual freezer bags portioned out for recipes that call for cooked chicken.
I cook quite a few things all at once and then freeze. I normally use a day when I am home from work with a sick kid or a rainy Saturday. The blog OnceAMonthMom is super helpful for this task.
I buy a large qty of hamburger meat and brown it ahead of time and season one half for mexican dishes and the other half for Italian. I then portion the meat into freezer bags and use as needed without the hassle of browning meat when in a hurry.
I just recently started using www.allrecipes.com menu planner. LOVE IT!!!! I was using my google calendar but I find most of my recipes on allrecipes anyway and it is so easy. I try and keep 3 weeks ahead but only print out a shopping list for one week at a time.
We have three cats, and occasionally foster other cats for a rescue group. Having other animals (besides us!) in my home means unconditional love all around, and it keeps me grounded - I'm reminded that my human issues and concerns, while a big deal to me, are really tiny in the grand scheme of things.
I found a $20 dollar bill on the ground today next to 7 11 it wasnt there a few minutes ago and then it was lol it was awesome
I have two cats who moved in with us four months ago when they were abandoned by our former neighbors. I found out the owners had moved when one of the cats came to me injured. That was a huge vet bill, but it was an emergency. The 2nd one went into heat and that's how I found out she needed to be spayed. Animal control recommended a low cost clinic for spaying and told me about weekend clinics for vaccinations at pet supply stores. I'm taking both of them this weekend for the "Luv my Cat" vaccination pack. While the cats have cost a lot recently, they work for their keep. One acts like a dog and follows the kids when they are outside. The other keeps varmints out of my garden.
I also have 2 hens and 8 chicks that are growing quickly. I haven't needed to take them to a vet and it's a good thing because there aren't any vets that care for chickens nearby. I'll have to take them to a country doc. The hens give me eggs every day, but they are also like dogs and come running over to play with me whenever I'm outside. They work for their keep by turning the soil over in my veggie garden. So even though I've had to outlay cash to care for the pets, there is a quid pro quo.
Ok Julie,
We are first time new homeowners, so new in fact, our first mortgage payment hasn't even been made yet (due the Apr 1). The loan we received was for $131,240 30 year fixed and 5% interest. We are working on one income right now, as I am a full time student, but will be graduating at the end of the year and going into the workforce at which time we will become a two income household and able to navigate paying extra (whether it be an extra payment yearly or extra monthly). What do you suggest for us as new homeowners who are still trying to figure all of the financial's out?
As a vet's assistant, I have a small zoo of animals. I have a golden retriever, a labrador retriever, 3 cats that live w/me, 2 cats that live with my mom but I'm financially responsible for, a mouse and a betta fish. I couldn't imagine coming home to an empty house so their companionship far outweighs the costs. The cats get cheap toys on sale or from the dollar store or are random things around the house. The mouse loves cardboard egg crates and toilet paper tubes. All are fed a good quality food twice a day and aren't overfed, which can lead to all sorts of health issues.
I don't but would love to have a toy poodle. My husband thinks animals belong outside.
Zoi and Brutus JUST LOVE the taste of bitter orange (apple), so we tried Tabasco sauce which was recommended by our vet. Um, Brutus just LOVES the taste of Tabasco sauce! Sigh. We're luckier than most, though. They're pretty well-trained, but every puppy dog likes the taste of forbidden fruit (a.k.a. Mommy's new strappy sandals...thanks a LOT, Zoi--well, it was my fault).
I HIGHLY recommend Everlasting Treat balls for a dog who is tired of a Kong and who likes to play fetch. I also recommend the Target brand of tie out (cheaper, stronger, and stands up to crazy weather better than other brands in our experience) and to always supervise puppies on tie outs in the yard.
I have a 5 year-old cat and a 2 year-old dog. Both were rescues from local shelters.
My cat knows when I wake up in the morning so even if I try to sleep in he starts jumping on me for his food. Unless I'm over at my boyfriend's house I NEVER get to sleep in.
And my dog is my best buddy and my favorite piece of gym equipment, haha!
My place would be so quiet and boring without them!
We have a 6-month old pug puppy. She's a great cuddler, clown, and companion when one of us is away. There are a lot of costs in the beginning -- initial vaccinations, spay surgery, bowls, toys, bed, tags, leash/harness, etc. but hopefully the expenses will taper off as time goes by.
Just a note on the last one... for small family owned businesses, it's not always best to use a card, especially for a small purchase. There's a fee for the business each time a credit card is used, so if you want to support a small business, it's better to pay in cash.
I have two cats: one that I got as an adult from the local humane society and one that I got as a young adult from my vet's office (I took the one cat in for her shots and came home with two cats -- this happened about a week after my grandmother's funeral so maybe I was trying to fill a hole in my heart). My fiance has an old tomcat that he inherited from his sister and has cared for about six years even though he's not a cat person.
Combining our cat families will be interesting, to say the least. After one of our older cats "moves on", then he wants to get a Sheltie-type puppy from the local humane society, but he's convinced that three animals should be our maximun household number to avoid living in a chotic zoo (like his sister's house).
I am actually a person that _loves_ spreadsheet and minutia. Which makes it even more surprising that I'm only getting around to tracking our spending starting this month. Sort of ridiculous, really! I'm going with excel, because it's already on my computer and I already know how to use it. For the first couple of months, I think it's going to be important to really track what we're spending versus what we're bringing in. So that's the prime calculation each month's worksheet does for me. After that, we'll be in a good position to look at our different categories and make real decisions about what to do with each one.
Yes, I own 2 cats, a 11-year old Siamese mix female - Blitzy and a 2-year old domestic short-hair - Joey. It is of course an additional expense to have pets, since they are like kids, they depend on us, and we owe it to them to provide the best possible care within our means. Both mine are rescues and have had very rough lives. I buy them the best food and give them a lot of love. And are they worth it? Absolutely. they bring so much joy, love, and laughter in my life.
I don't have a pet right now because I live in an apartment that doesn't allow them and I'm not financially or time secure enough to make the commitment. But I volunteer weekly at the animal shelter and I can't wait to get my own!
First of all we don't have pets the pets have us. Our pets are always rescues. Which saves us money. We also save money by buying leashes, pet bowls, toys etc at the thrift shop. Or we get them free. We go to the low cost vet clinic. We buy pet food at the pet store with the lowest prices and use both their coupons and the manufacturers . When I see my teenage son snuggle up with our dog Ruby. I forget about all the hassles and cost of owning a pet and I realize that its all worth it.
I have a cat and an aquarium with some fish. I trained my cat to use the toilet so I don't have to buy litter or deal with the smell/mess. I think pet ownership is DEFINITELY worth the cost. It's loyal companionship for a lot less time and money (and back-talk) than a child.
I have a kitty and he's a monster. Plus I just moved back in with my parents and they have two cats. Now I can't move out with him because I'll end up getting another one.
Two house rabbits. Their upkeep is fairly affordable although it helps to get some supplies such as hay from the local rabbit rescue rather than the pet store.
I have cats. To save money, I buy them high quality food - which saves on health costs in the long run. I also buy canned food in larger cans, so it lasts for a couple days. I'm also a frequent user of loyalty programs - so I at least get a little refund for my purchases.
Instead of pet insurance, I've also set-up a fund where I automatically put the amount I'd pay for pet insurance into a savings account to be used only for emergencies. My cats are young now, and hopefully won't need any expensive treatments for years. But if and when they do, I'll have money saved up and won't have to worry about what my pet insurance does and does not cover.
A house without cats is not a home! I have two :-)
As much as we would love to have a pet we simply cannot afford to at this stage of our lives. Both of us were raised with dogs and with our own family had dogs and cats. We are very much aware of the cost involved but the return is truly priceless. However,that we now live on our social security and our other investment/retirement money, that was supposed to be used for all the fun things in life, is being used for medical & dental expenses and sometimes just for the necessities in life we cannot justify the expense of pets. We do, however, love to visit with the neighborhood dogs as they are being walked by our house - we actually know the dogs names better than their owners' names.
I can't believe how uninformed some of you complainers are. Somewhere, at some point you signed up for something and they sold your name and address to Netspend. Since it's a prepaid debit card, it has no value at all without being activated and loaded. If you don't want it, trash it.
And the woman who started this thread commited a federal crime by opening her husband's mail. Heck maybe that was the card he was going to give his mistress and now he got caught.
I started using Netspend so I would not have to use my main account on the internet and for my monthly play money budget. Then I started noticing my play money was coming in days ahead of my bill money. I've switched Netspend to my main account and have had no problems. Paycheck comes in 1-2 days early, $5.00 monthly fee, if I need to send a Moneygram I just point and click. Heck they'll even mail a money order for you.
I have two fabulous kitties . . . they make me laugh every single day! Wonderful little buddies to each other, and to me! I can't imagine my life without them!
I have one dog, a Westie named Gus. Think the little white dog from the "Cesar" dog food commercials. He's the love of my life! I don't know what I'd do without him. I'll eat ramen noodles and live in my car before he goes without.
I have a few shortcuts that help me keep our family from going out to eat.
If I am making a casserole I always double it and put one in the freezer. If I am going through the effort once I might as well make another one.
I buy a large size pkg of chicken breasts with the bone and skin on and cook them in the crockpot with onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. I end up with 2 things, homemade broth and diced cooked chicken that I put in individual freezer bags portioned out for recipes that call for cooked chicken.
I cook quite a few things all at once and then freeze. I normally use a day when I am home from work with a sick kid or a rainy Saturday. The blog OnceAMonthMom is super helpful for this task.
I buy a large qty of hamburger meat and brown it ahead of time and season one half for mexican dishes and the other half for Italian. I then portion the meat into freezer bags and use as needed without the hassle of browning meat when in a hurry.
I just recently started using www.allrecipes.com menu planner. LOVE IT!!!! I was using my google calendar but I find most of my recipes on allrecipes anyway and it is so easy. I try and keep 3 weeks ahead but only print out a shopping list for one week at a time.
We have three cats, and occasionally foster other cats for a rescue group. Having other animals (besides us!) in my home means unconditional love all around, and it keeps me grounded - I'm reminded that my human issues and concerns, while a big deal to me, are really tiny in the grand scheme of things.