Pet Expenses

   I do believe if you decide to have an animal, you have to commit to properly caring for said animal. Vaccinations, flea and heartworm prevention, food, etc. All of that stuff costs money. If you can't afford the cost of care, then you can't afford the animal. Some people overlook this when they're doing their budget, and then when it's time to make a vet visit, they pass because they don't have an extra $150. Which jeopardizes the health of their pet and isn't fair to them. And they don't use preventative care because the monthly doses are expensive. A 6 month supply of Trifexis - heartworm, flea and intestinal parasite combo pill - was $90. Ouch. However, choosing a combo pill instead of purchasing a med for flea and heartworm individually was a $50 savings.

   One opportunity to save on vaccinations is to check with your local Humane Society. Sometimes, they will offer vaccinations for dirt cheap (a whole set for $20-$30). Unfortunately, our dog is not spayed and because our county feels so strongly about every animal being fixed, they will not offer us the discounted services for our "in-tact" female dog. Bummer. Another way they stick you, is a $30 fee on a rabies tag for in-tact animals. Typically a rabies tag is only $6 if your animal is spayed/neutered. I passed on the tag altogether. I have the certificate - it's good enough for me.

   I saved on this vet visit by purchasing a package my vet offered. For an extra $40 now, Willow's 6 month check-up, parasite check and vaccinations ($80) will be free. It was a $40 savings. Same savings concept as paying your car insurance every 6 months instead of monthly.

Shopping in Bulk

   If you don't have a member card to a wholesale warehouse store like Sam's Club, Costco or BJ's, I highly recommend investing. The membership is usually about $100 a year. If you have a parent or sibling in town, consider going halvsies on the membership fee and one person in each family gets a card. In Ocala, we have a Sam's Club. My mom and dad have a card, and we have the other one.
   Purchasing meat and dry goods in bulk can be a huge savings for your grocery bill. Produce is trickier because you have to be sure to eat it all before it goes bad or it's wasteful. Yesterday I spent about $100 at Sam's. The same amount of food would have cost me probably twice as much at Publix - my other primary choice for groceries. Here's the breakdown:

   I bought a 5 pound (80 oz.) bag of shredded cheddar cheese for $10.96. **Shredded cheese freezes well. The texture and taste is absolutely fine when it thaws. This week's Publix price for the same cheese is $2.99 for an 8 oz. bag. For the amount I purchased, that's an $18.94 savings....for cheese! I use 4 - 1 quart freezer bags and package it when I get home. One bag goes in the fridge, the other 3 in the freezer until needed.

   Speaking of freezer bags, Sam's sells Ziplock quart freezer bags in bulk (a box of 4 boxes 54 count ea.), 216 bags for $10.97. Publix has 50 count boxes for $4.89 each. That's 200 bags for $19.56, a savings of $8.59 when shopping at Sam's.

   The biggest bang for your buck is the meat section. I found pork chops for $3.28/lb vs. $3.99/lb at Publix. On the 4 pound package I bought, I saved $2.89. Not a huge savings, but still good. Now boneless, skinless chicken breast, I won't buy anywhere else but Sam's. They consistantly sell this product for $1.77/lb. Publix's sale price for chicken breast is usually $2.79 and regular price is $4.99/lb. I bought 2 packages of chicken breast for a total weight of 13.5 lbs. At Publix's regular price, I saved $43.47 by shopping at Sam's and even if Publix had a sale, I still saved $13.77. I package the chicken breast and pork chops in freezer bags in 2 person servings. When you take it out to thaw, throw in some marinade and dinner is ready to cook!

   If you eat a lot of produce, you can save a bunch there too. I usually only buy berries, lettuce and asparagus there. Paper products and toiletries are another place to save - shampoo/conditioner, vitamins, razors are a huge savings, toothpaste, you name it, they probably have it in bulk. 

   If you manage a family of more than two people and you're not buying in bulk, you're wasting your money. Period.  

Finally Making Progress

   We noticed our credit card bill was creeping back up into the "unaffordable" range since January when we had great success in drastically cutting our bill. Our goal for June was to get it back into our comfortable zone. Well, we did it! In comparison to February-May's bills, June was - at a minimum - $500 lower than any other bill since January. We followed a simple rule of thumb, "If you can't put it in your belly or in your gas tank...don't buy it." Anything that was not a necessity was put on the back burner.
   In addition to the low(er) credit card bill, Ian has been killing it at work. His hard work really paid off this month with a nice little commission pay check. All that extra is going right to the savings account and NOT toward a high credit card bill. #success
   Our goal for the next few months is to enjoy the summer, the boat and the hunt camp without spending a bundle. The urge to buy new fishing and camping equipment will have to be squashed! Make due with what you have is the key. Remember, there are people out there that are happy with less than what you have.