Pets SAVE You a Boatload of Money -- In Many Different Ways

Lots of comments left on my post titled How Much Money Can Pets SAVE You? and I thought I'd share them with everyone.

First, pets save your kids from allergies (not to mention saving you the cost of dealing with them):

Kids that grow up with pets typically have better immune systems than those who do not. There is a potential for allergy medication and kleenex savings here. Not to mention the improved quality of life for your kids.

Next, they save you on security expenses:

My little Lhasa apso is the best watch dog there is. I have a lot of peace of mind and no need for an alarm system even though I live in an area that is not the safest.

They also keep you house-bound so you don't spend money on going out. And even while you're at home, they save you money too:

My husband and I have two kittens, and it encourages us to go home and spend time with the cats instead of going out (and spending more money).

Other friends with cats say they have canceled or downgraded their at-home entertainment options (internet, cable TV, renting movies), because they'd rather play with their cats!

Yep, they sure do keep you at home -- and help to keep you physically fit, not to mention make you happier:

Since we got our dog, we notice that we take more pleasure in staying home, and so we often choose to stay in rather than go out and do something that costs money. We also feel happier in general, which I think probably reduces our urge to splurge to boost our moods. We definitely are motivated to walk more, and we take more pleasure in even short walks - this also boosts our mood, and increases our overall fitness.

Of all the things we've spent money on in the last year and a half, I think we least regret buying our schnauzer. He helps keep our lives centered on love, caring, home and family - values that are very important to us. Comparing the joy we take in caring for him to the ephemeral pleasures of expensive toys and entertainment helps remind us that consumption is fun, but doesn't last and only makes you crave more. Caring is what gives your life meaning and sustainable happiness.

More on cutting out entertainment expenses:

I've turned down several invitations for a night out on the town since I got my puppy in August last year, because she was too little to leave at home by herself for several hours. Savings? At least $300 on dining out and alcohol by now. Now she's 8 months old so we leave her at home for nights out, but sometimes after going out, we get asked to head out to a nightclub or casino after a party winds down by friends who haven't quite had their fill of entertainment, and we always turn that down to go home to see the dog. It still saves us money on entertainment costs, and we still maintain an active social life.

Sometimes she saves us money on vacation costs (although this is not necessarily always a positive) because we sometimes have to turn down weekends out of town because there's nobody to take care of the dog.

Oh no, I feel the hassle factor kicking in. ;-)

They help you save on TV service, find you new friends and get you to explore:

When I moved into my apartment, I knew I would be getting my Doberman puppy a couple months later. Knowing that he would take up much of my time I decided not to get TV service. That was one year ago and I still have no TV service. Don't regret it at all.

Along with forcing me to get out to walk him regularly, it also allows for making many new friends. I am constantly finding new places to go and some are places I probably would've never visited if it wasn't for the dog.

And they can make you money. Good money:

We breed our family pets, and get around $500 per puppy.

We adore having puppies underfoot and make a nice little nest egg out of it.

I wouldn't even suggest we make a profit given the cost of having dogs but we certainly break even on the whole 'pets' thing, and come out way ahead in any satisfaction measurement.

(Expecting our 4th litter this year - we're excited already :))

Now I'll add one more --  they could save your life. ;-)

Comments

[Anne]

Yea! I'm so glad to see you considering both sides of the pet debate. :)

[Anne]

Yea! I'm so glad to see you considering both sides of the pet debate. :)

[Chee Kui]

The way you look at having a pet is very unique ;)
Yeah, but the amount of money that you save might not be boatloads though. Gotta think about the pets' food, shelter, health, entertainment and lots of other stuffs..

[Tyler]

Breeding the pet - just one more thing that causes too many puppies to be put down unnecessarily because of the greed of money on the owner's part. I agree with the entire article though on everything else.

[Bob]

You forgot exterminator. My Basset is good at catching mice.

[Shah]

The comment on kids' immune systems was quite ignorant. My wife's a physician and she she sees lots of kids who's parents think they don't have allergies because they have been around pets all the time. Then it turns out the kids have had the sniffles for months on end - and guess what, it's pet allergies!

[Charles]

It is just plain irresponsible to promote the breeding of dogs! Over-population of dogs and cats is a big issue. I agree with the rest of the post though...

[jess]

I feel it is ignorant on your part to encourage others to breed by posting the price that you gain from each puppy. We already have an overpopulation of dogs and cats in our country, we don't need any more idiots out there breeding just for the money! I agree with the rest of the post though!