Happily, no. We are a petless family at this time, and really enjoy it. We have had fish, which are lovingly buried in the backyard, and we enjoyed Bob, Bob2, as well as Bob3. We like the flexibility of taking off for the day or an overnight without having to worry about feeding and/or taking out a pet that is unable to care for itself. (I have 2 kids, and they have moved into the "caring for themselves" stage--how wonderful!) Is this a selfish attitude? Probably, but as much as I like animals, I don't love them, I hate cleaning up after them, and I am really not interested in having one. Of course, having a husband with allergies really does give us a reason not to have a pet.
Excellent article! I, too, suffer from allergies year-round. The medications either don't work, are too expensive or make me so tired that I sleep day and night.
Always, I keep a neti pot, Breathe Right strips and Sinus Buster nasal spray (all natural) around. I'm getting ready to try butterbur and nettles, which have been in the news a lot over the last year. I also do spicy Chinese food and add jalapenos to everything. (I pickle them in the summer months so I have them year-round, which is a lot less expensive than buying them.)
I have found a mixture of warm water, apple cider vinegar and honey really helps. It takes away the aches and seems to help me breathe easier. Since milk products do thicken mucus, I avoid them whenever possible - or choose goat products, which don't seem to cause as much trouble.
One thing I've noticed about the neti pot: It works too well. Sometimes I sneeze for two hours straight after using it.
3 cats and a wonderful Newfoundland dog named Freya.
Our cats cost us $1000 in January (one cat needed teeth cleaning then he and another got sick - oh boy). We took on the responsibility of caring for another living thing so we knew we had to be prepared for these wacky vet-bill-months every once in a while.
Tweeted too.
1. Dogs are den animals. A cozy crate is reassuring to them. Well after we quit requiring the crate when we left the house, the dog would sleep in it every night and spend the day there, voluntarily, with the door off.
We have an adorable Newfoundland but had we not trained her properly from the get go she may have ended up with bad habits that as a 105 lb adult would be impossible to contain.
A note about crates. We used one that had a movable inner wall so as our Newf grew we could expand how much of the crate she used.
I have a Chihuahua, who was a total impulse by. She's brought my family IMMENSE joy and my therapist actually credited her with helping me through my anxiety and some emotional conflicts. She's very loving and hilarious at times.
Having such a small dog with short hair means grooming in the sink, instead of paying for it. It also means that huge bag of food will last you months or even a year. She's easily portable, so taking her on trips means not having to pay for boarding. The biggest expense for most small dog owners is usually accident or illness vet bills. For this, I got pet insurance. About $25 a month covers her, which is far less per year than what I would pay if I didn't have insurance for her.
In the end, I'd say she's not that costly to maintain and what she does cost is outweighed by what she gives us in sweetness and playfulness.
I walk my dog with a collar, but my dog knows not to pull on the leash. Then again she walks behind or beside me. If the dog is choking on the leash, they may not be trained very well to walk on one. In my experience, a harness just makes them pull more.
I have had cats and dogs my entire life and my life is better with them than without them. My dog is my workout walking buddy so he keeps me in shape. To cut costs, I adopted my pets from pounds/animal control, animal shelters and pet rescue groups where the low adoption fee covered spaying or neutering, health check, vaccinations and microchipping. I then take them to local low cost vaccination clinics for their annual vaccinations but do take them at least once a year to our regular vet for health check, blood tests, dental cleanings, etc. I groom my pets at home (brush, bathe, clean ears, trim hair and nails). I have also heard that if your pet is ill or injured, a veterinary college is the best affordable option but I have not personally used one. Last but not least, the best way to keep your pets healthy is to feed them high quality pet food. The cost of high quality food far outweighs the vet bills you will have to pay due to health problems related to poor nutrition.
To find low cost spay/neuter & vaccination clinics near you contact your local animal shelter, animal control or humane society or go to: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/
We used to have pets growing up and I even lived on a farm where we raised sheep. Today, I live in subrbia with my husband and without any pets. Its better that way for us- because we're always on the run. We want to be sure we have that freedom!
I have 2 small 10year old dogs. Due to their age related health issues their monetary cost has increased, straining my budget. I have decided that when they pass, I will not bring another pet into my life. A decision that saddens me greatly.
We have pets! 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 hamster and 1 goldfish. In the past we have even had rats, mice, larger fish, degu and rabbits. I love having furry friends around and living in the country I love having dogs that bark :) The cost is definitely worth it to me when you get so much more in return!
I have pets now, and always did. I currently have two kittens, soon to be cats, that were rescues and are sisters, an old Maine Coon from my mom's house, and her sister's shih tzus, who are brothers.
They can get expensive, but I use Care Credit, and the vet I go to is so nice and he understands. I buy their food in bulk, between BJs, and the newly opened Aldi!!
When people ask why I have pets (and so many), I tell them that these creatures needed a home, and I gave them one. When I come home from work they're there to greet me, they're very entertaining with me, or among themselves, and they just make me smile (when they're not driving me nuts:)
Are they worth it? You betcha! We consider our feline an 'entertainment and mental health' cost. Saving by feeding him quality food for good health - but not letting him eat smorgasbord style. I also made him a scratching post out of scrap cardboard. That with a fresh box every now and then, and he does not need pricey toys!
I have pets two cats and one dog. My cats are nearly 15 and my dog is 10. I love them all. As they pass over time I will have probably one dog and a small one. Hopefully no cats unless I weaken and take in a stray. I need to keep my costs down because I am approaching the retirement years.
Pulled the plug on cable tv a month ago and couldn't be happier. Built an antenna from old wire coathangers and it works great. No more 80 bucks a month just to watch TV. Found the instructions in a video on Youtube.
THANK YOU. This was my first thought too.
Personally, if someone keeps spamming CL with their ad over and over, I will 1) Flag it and 2) Never buy from them.
All the tips in this post were great, except that miserable "repost often and break the rules of CL" advice.
While it's certainly unrealistic to be able to predict the exact amount of tax you'll owe, and that the interest to be gained is next to nothing, we should all aim to be more responsible that owing a reasonable amount on taxes is no big thing. We shouldn't fall prey to the psychological trick that because we're writing a check to the government instead of having it withheld that we're paying more. And if we do feel more pain in having to manually write a check to pay our taxes, perhaps it would encourage us to write our representatives to make sure they're using our taxes responsibly and the way we want them to. These are several reasons why is ok not to get a tax refund.
Happily, no. We are a petless family at this time, and really enjoy it. We have had fish, which are lovingly buried in the backyard, and we enjoyed Bob, Bob2, as well as Bob3. We like the flexibility of taking off for the day or an overnight without having to worry about feeding and/or taking out a pet that is unable to care for itself. (I have 2 kids, and they have moved into the "caring for themselves" stage--how wonderful!) Is this a selfish attitude? Probably, but as much as I like animals, I don't love them, I hate cleaning up after them, and I am really not interested in having one. Of course, having a husband with allergies really does give us a reason not to have a pet.
Excellent article! I, too, suffer from allergies year-round. The medications either don't work, are too expensive or make me so tired that I sleep day and night.
Always, I keep a neti pot, Breathe Right strips and Sinus Buster nasal spray (all natural) around. I'm getting ready to try butterbur and nettles, which have been in the news a lot over the last year. I also do spicy Chinese food and add jalapenos to everything. (I pickle them in the summer months so I have them year-round, which is a lot less expensive than buying them.)
I have found a mixture of warm water, apple cider vinegar and honey really helps. It takes away the aches and seems to help me breathe easier. Since milk products do thicken mucus, I avoid them whenever possible - or choose goat products, which don't seem to cause as much trouble.
One thing I've noticed about the neti pot: It works too well. Sometimes I sneeze for two hours straight after using it.
3 cats and a wonderful Newfoundland dog named Freya.
Our cats cost us $1000 in January (one cat needed teeth cleaning then he and another got sick - oh boy). We took on the responsibility of caring for another living thing so we knew we had to be prepared for these wacky vet-bill-months every once in a while.
Tweeted too.
1. Dogs are den animals. A cozy crate is reassuring to them. Well after we quit requiring the crate when we left the house, the dog would sleep in it every night and spend the day there, voluntarily, with the door off.
A puppy obedience certificate!
We have an adorable Newfoundland but had we not trained her properly from the get go she may have ended up with bad habits that as a 105 lb adult would be impossible to contain.
A note about crates. We used one that had a movable inner wall so as our Newf grew we could expand how much of the crate she used.
I have a Chihuahua, who was a total impulse by. She's brought my family IMMENSE joy and my therapist actually credited her with helping me through my anxiety and some emotional conflicts. She's very loving and hilarious at times.
Having such a small dog with short hair means grooming in the sink, instead of paying for it. It also means that huge bag of food will last you months or even a year. She's easily portable, so taking her on trips means not having to pay for boarding. The biggest expense for most small dog owners is usually accident or illness vet bills. For this, I got pet insurance. About $25 a month covers her, which is far less per year than what I would pay if I didn't have insurance for her.
In the end, I'd say she's not that costly to maintain and what she does cost is outweighed by what she gives us in sweetness and playfulness.
I walk my dog with a collar, but my dog knows not to pull on the leash. Then again she walks behind or beside me. If the dog is choking on the leash, they may not be trained very well to walk on one. In my experience, a harness just makes them pull more.
I have had cats and dogs my entire life and my life is better with them than without them. My dog is my workout walking buddy so he keeps me in shape. To cut costs, I adopted my pets from pounds/animal control, animal shelters and pet rescue groups where the low adoption fee covered spaying or neutering, health check, vaccinations and microchipping. I then take them to local low cost vaccination clinics for their annual vaccinations but do take them at least once a year to our regular vet for health check, blood tests, dental cleanings, etc. I groom my pets at home (brush, bathe, clean ears, trim hair and nails). I have also heard that if your pet is ill or injured, a veterinary college is the best affordable option but I have not personally used one. Last but not least, the best way to keep your pets healthy is to feed them high quality pet food. The cost of high quality food far outweighs the vet bills you will have to pay due to health problems related to poor nutrition.
To find low cost spay/neuter & vaccination clinics near you contact your local animal shelter, animal control or humane society or go to: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/
We used to have pets growing up and I even lived on a farm where we raised sheep. Today, I live in subrbia with my husband and without any pets. Its better that way for us- because we're always on the run. We want to be sure we have that freedom!
Yes, I have 3 dogs and a cat - all spoiled rotten!
I have 2 small 10year old dogs. Due to their age related health issues their monetary cost has increased, straining my budget. I have decided that when they pass, I will not bring another pet into my life. A decision that saddens me greatly.
We have pets! 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 hamster and 1 goldfish. In the past we have even had rats, mice, larger fish, degu and rabbits. I love having furry friends around and living in the country I love having dogs that bark :) The cost is definitely worth it to me when you get so much more in return!
I have pets now, and always did. I currently have two kittens, soon to be cats, that were rescues and are sisters, an old Maine Coon from my mom's house, and her sister's shih tzus, who are brothers.
They can get expensive, but I use Care Credit, and the vet I go to is so nice and he understands. I buy their food in bulk, between BJs, and the newly opened Aldi!!
When people ask why I have pets (and so many), I tell them that these creatures needed a home, and I gave them one. When I come home from work they're there to greet me, they're very entertaining with me, or among themselves, and they just make me smile (when they're not driving me nuts:)
Are they worth it? You betcha! We consider our feline an 'entertainment and mental health' cost. Saving by feeding him quality food for good health - but not letting him eat smorgasbord style. I also made him a scratching post out of scrap cardboard. That with a fresh box every now and then, and he does not need pricey toys!
I have pets two cats and one dog. My cats are nearly 15 and my dog is 10. I love them all. As they pass over time I will have probably one dog and a small one. Hopefully no cats unless I weaken and take in a stray. I need to keep my costs down because I am approaching the retirement years.
I have one cat. He's pretty low maintenance and hasn't required much in the way of surprise expenses, thank goodness!
I have five pets, 4 cats and 1 dog. I can't imagine my life without them.
no, the bf is allergic :(
Amazing. It seems there's nothing new under the sun - we have all the same issues with tax in the UK!
Pulled the plug on cable tv a month ago and couldn't be happier. Built an antenna from old wire coathangers and it works great. No more 80 bucks a month just to watch TV. Found the instructions in a video on Youtube.
Why would any normal person feel guilty about getting a refund? It's YOUR MONEY to begin with! The government was just taking it from you.
THANK YOU. This was my first thought too.
Personally, if someone keeps spamming CL with their ad over and over, I will 1) Flag it and 2) Never buy from them.
All the tips in this post were great, except that miserable "repost often and break the rules of CL" advice.
Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without!
For me, success is owing just enough that I don't get penalized.
Getting a refund is failure. It means I paid too much during the year.
While it's certainly unrealistic to be able to predict the exact amount of tax you'll owe, and that the interest to be gained is next to nothing, we should all aim to be more responsible that owing a reasonable amount on taxes is no big thing. We shouldn't fall prey to the psychological trick that because we're writing a check to the government instead of having it withheld that we're paying more. And if we do feel more pain in having to manually write a check to pay our taxes, perhaps it would encourage us to write our representatives to make sure they're using our taxes responsibly and the way we want them to. These are several reasons why is ok not to get a tax refund.