With a proposed $700 billion dollar bailout being tossed around on Capital Hill, the slowdown of the economy is hitting American’s hard and leaving many wondering how they will survive. For the millions across the country who are pet owners and would never consider giving them up, new methods for saving some cash are in desperate need.  This is why I thought I’d use today’s post to shine some light on what is often a dark situation, budgeting for pets.

Among the things that have to done for your pet, obviously feeding them is the most important. What do you when you know table scraps are not good for them, yet the costs of pet food are too high? One thing you may want to look into is signing up for a club membership at places such as Sam’s or Costco. These types of retailers often give you a savings of 10% for buying in bulk and are very cheap compared to buying food from a specialty retailer.

Another money saving tip involves keeping your pet as healthy as possible. By giving them vitamins, making sure they are spayed/neutered, and seeking second opinions when taking them to the vet, you could potentially being saving yourself thousands in unnecessary costs. In addition to this you may want to consider buying pet supplies online.

Keeping playtime as cheap as possible is also a good idea. Forget about expensive toys and get back to basics. Pick up a stick or ball of yarn and don’t be afraid to get dirty during playtime. Hit the dollar stores for some cheap toys and remember that it’s not what you play with your pet; it’s the time you spend with them that’s most important.

The trick to saving cash is to be smart and make sure you need what you are getting. Try not to splurge, think about what you want compared to what you need, and make decisions that will keep you r pet healthy.