Saving Money: Pet Care

Since the beginning of November, Todd and I have been scrutinizing our expenses.  We realize that our dream of full time RVing will not be possible if we are frivolous with how we spend money.  I am almost positive that my mother is rolling her eyes right now as she’s reading this (I love you, mom!) because she already feels that we go above and beyond frugality.  For us, we believe there is always room for improvement and we have found a way to cut down the expenses on one of our largest expenses: the animals!

Presently, we live amongst 7 animals.  Please do not report us to pet hoarders!  It’s not like that at all, though sometimes at night when we are all in bed (oh yes, we fit in a queen sized bed with two large dogs and 5 cats) it feels like we may have taken in one or two (or 5!) too many strays.  I believe that when we decided to take in all of these animals, we chose to take on the responsibility of feeding and caring for these animals to the best of our ability.

Recently, we have found ways to save money on caring for our critters.

Spay/Neuter

Prices for spay/neutering can vary.  We have paid over $250 for one of our kittens to be spayed whereas we have paid less than that amount to have 3 kittens spayed/neutered at a no-kill shelter.  After being unhappy with our local vet, we decided to look elsewhere and found a place that spays/neuters cats for $35 (boys) to $45 (girls)!  They have a program that if you have more than one cat, you buy one spay/neuter and you get one free.  We have had 6 of our animals spayed/neutered at this no-kill shelter and have been very pleased with the results and how our animals bounced back after their surgeries.

Kitten Kaleidoscope!

Food

We purchase very high-quality food for our dogs that is formulated for their breed to help keep their joints healthy and to maintain a healthy weight.  We could buy the food at a pet store for $55+/bag; however, Amazon carries the same brand for $44/bag! We also found that our cat food is $8/bag less expensive at BJ’s versus the same exact brand at WalMart.  In other words: shop around!

Vaccinations

Our vet charges an arm and a leg to vaccinate our pups; however, there are clinics that are offered at Pet Supplies Plus that come around every few weeks to vaccinate dogs and cats starting at $10!  By doing this, you avoid the fee that the vet charges just to see your pet, and it helps your pocketbook!  Also, the no-kill shelter offers these vaccinations for a fraction of the price as well.

Flea Treatments

Flea treatments for the dogs are extremely expensive at $10/dog per month and we have been purchasing product from WalMart for the cats.  I found that Fipronil has the same ingredients as Frontline and Advantage flea and tick control.  This can be used for both dogs and the cats.  We purchase this product in bulk (30cc’s) from a seller on eBay at $52.97 delivered to our door and administer it ourselves.  The treatments last us 5 months for all 7 critters to be free of fleas and ticks.

Buddy and Lana on Christmas Morning

Cat De-wormer Treatment

Our cats are great hunters and because of this, they tend to get worms from their prey a couple times a year.  We have tried the $8/bottle over-the-counter product from WalMart and Tractor Supply with no luck until we take the cats to the vet to get treated.  After doing some research, I found that Praziquantel is a generic form of de-wormer that kills tapeworm and is used in many vet clinics and shelters to help cut costs.  We now purchase 20 capsules of Praziquantel a year from a seller on eBay to keep on hand and administer to our cats when they have worms.  The cost is $19.99 and each of our 5 cats can be treated 4 times!

Grooming

Being Labs, our dogs do not need groomed; however, they need their nails trimmed.  Lana has black nails so it very difficult to cut her nails without having a bleeder.  Buddy’s nails are easier to trim because you can see the quick; however, he cannot stand to have them done.  I wait until he is zonked out before I can cut his nails.  We didn’t purchase any fancy schmancy nail-clippers, just regular ones that can be found at the dollar store or WalMart. 

I have yet to find an alternative for the dogs for their heartworm medication: if you know of anything, please let me know!

I want to make it clear that even though we save money on flea treatments and de-wormers, we take our dogs to the vet twice a year (for their heartworm shots and general checkup) and cats when needed.  I believe that when we took these strays in, it became our responsibility to care for them and to keep them healthy!

DISCLOSURE:  These items have been provided for informational purposes only.  Please note that I am not a veterinarian.  Please consult your veterinarian before administering these items to your pets.

What do you do to save money on your pets?

Thrift Store Finds

We purchase the majority of our clothing from a thrift store in Akron, OH.  This place is enormous and it’s {nearly} impossible to walk out empty-handed.  We like the quality, assortment and prices offered on their clothing.  They also have shoes, household items, seasonal items and even some new clothing available; however, we focus on the gently used clothing.  I try to make the trek twice a year to update my wardrobe (or to replace the items that are worn out or have stains on them because I cant seem to eat without getting food on me!) and it just so happens that we were able to get there this past Sunday before our 3^rd (and final) Thanksgiving celebration with family.

What we walked out with:  6 shirts for me, 2 light jackets (one is a London Fog that looks brand new) and a camo shirt for Todd.  The total cost: $17.88.  Less than $20 and I have new shirts for work and play!

In years past, I had to try on clothing in the corner of the store to ensure they fit.  It is hard to tell how a piece of clothing will fit when having to try it on over another piece of clothing which led to purchasing a couple of items on each trip that really did not fit well and therefore went straight into the donate pile of clothing.  Now, the thrift store has dressing rooms!  Out of the 14 items I tried on, only 6 pieces fit properly. 

This is what I got:

 

 

Before washing and putting away my new clothing, I decided to go through my closet and purge the items that I don’t like, don’t fit and I don’t wear. 

I decided to get rid of all of my t-shirts except for 3 of them which I will use as pajamas, to work around the house and to exercise in.  It really kills me to get rid of clothing that I’ve never worn: I’m not sure why I decided to purchase the shirts as souvenirs in the first place because I have always looked horrible in them.  Now, someone else can enjoy them.  I was able to purge 15 items before adding my new thrift store finds to the rotation.  The clothing I purchased is {mainly} short sleeved.  I have a grey sweater, two black sweaters and a tan sweater I can wear over them to stay warm through the winter months.  I would like to invest in a couple of halftees (beige and black) so that I can wear my clothing spring, winter and fall.  

I wear the same clothing week in and week out.  It has been a constant struggle  process to try to downsize my wardrobe.  Even though I still have more than I need this is something I am consciously working on.

Do you shop at the thrift store?

What has been your experience?

Are you able use the one-in, one-out rule?

Fall Fun on a Dime

Early in October, Todd and I took the Covered Bridge Tour a county north of us.  There are 18 covered bridges in the county, and we had a blast taking the pups to go explore them on two different days.  The first day, we were only able to get bridges 1-13 complete, but two weeks later, we were able to see the rest of them.  There are only 18 true covered bridges, but one of them that we saw was on flat land (#6) which is why we have pictures of 19 covered bridges.

Of all the bridges, this one was my favorite...the last one of the bunch:

We have lived in this area for nearly 7 years now and we had no idea at the beauty that was surrounding us.  I enjoy finding these jems and experiencing them together.  We had a blast over two days of touring these covered bridges and it only cost us the price of gas.  We had great conversation, many laughs and made a lot of memories.  Really, that's what life is all about, isn't it?

Make it Do

I have a favorite quote that I’ve heard stated two ways:

1.)    “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.”

2.)    “Buy it used, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

I like the second version best and this mantra is always going through my head every time my husband wants to purchase a new item.

As I walk around our home, I am constantly reminded about how we “make it do” from room to room.

For instance, our house needs the electricity rewired.  I cannot run the dishwasher and the bedroom air conditioning at the same time without blowing a circuit.  Nor can I use our small convection oven (I use this in the warmer months so that we don’t heat up the whole kitchen using the oven!) and the microwave at the same time due to this same reason.  We have plans to fix the wiring, but it is not high priority right now.  These are just minor inconveniences in my view.

Todd has wanted a king size bed for a little over a year now as our fur-family has grown.  We share our bed with 150 lbs of dogs and sometimes three 6+lb cats!  Add to that two overweight adults and I will admit it gets a bit cramped.  Please note that all the animals tend to take over my side of the bed – which leaves Todd able to sleep with his legs outstretched as I wake up curled in a ball most mornings trying to dodge animals (if you are contemplating letting an animal sleep in your bed – please keep this visual in mind!)    I keep trying to put off the purchase of a king sized bed because we purchased a nice locally made mattress just 4 ½ years ago.  I really like our sleigh-bed that Todd brought into the marriage and the mattress we have is extremely comfortable!  No matter how many times he shows me California king sized beds on Craigslist and how inexpensive they are, I am not budging on this issue until it is time for us to get a new mattress.

Case in point: Hubby is all sprawled out while I'm in the corner with 2 large dogs on my side of the bed!

We came to a compromise recently when we purchased a {used} ottoman from Craigslist for $35.  The ottoman is 48” long by 27” wide: plenty of room for a pup (or both!) and a few cats if they so choose to snuggle up with the dogs.  We realized within an hour of owning the ottoman that the color choice was not the best (beige) for animals, so we are using a camo throw on top of it to hide black dog hair and dirty paw-prints!  Voila.  Hubby is happy that he gets even more space in bed, and he has his precious Lana right there next to him at all times during the night.  Buddy, on the other hand, still chooses to sprawl out on my side of the bed, but luckily he likes to sleep at the foot of the bed, so it’s not too much of a bother.

I have a laptop that is 3 years old.  It’s big and clunky compared to what is out there in the market (and what everyone else seems to be using right now) but it does what I need it to do.  I asked Todd to do something on it for me (yes, I’m the one with a degree in Computers & Information Systems but I have to ask my husband to fix my computer!) and he said, “I don’t know how you work on that thing! We can go and get you another one.”  No, thank you.  I cannot justify getting a new one until this one dies on us.  Let is also be known that I don’t do well with change and I finally figured out how to use this laptop!

I believe we (mainly me) will always have a “make it do” mentality, but we will definitely be replacing the breaker-box in the near future as well as getting a new bed in the next 5-7 years.  We are strategically putting purchases of little importance off to continue our focus on paying down the mortgage.  Right now, we are on track to have the mortgage paid in full by October 2014!!  This goal helps us to keep our spending in line because we can only imagine the freedom we will have in one short year when we own our home free and clear.

Do you “make it do” around your home?

I’d love to hear about it!

  

Updating the Kitchen for $125

My husband and I purchased our home in 2007 at auction fully aware that it was a complete fixer-upper.  We liked the fact that we could make the home into what we wanted it to be and were prepared for it take several years to complete.  We did not have a conventional mortgage: instead, we had a personal loan with a bank that was just enough to pay for the home.  Our plans were to fix up the home so that we would qualify for a conventional mortgage.  After shelling out a lot of money for a new roof, the next task was to update the kitchen and bathroom and paint all the walls so that the house would appraise for what we needed to install a new septic system that was required within 12 months of purchasing the home (side note: a new septic in our area is the price of a brand new car! Ridicules!!).  The goal was to complete these renovations as quickly and as inexpensively as possible. 

This is a photo of the original kitchen and cabinets (please note: that is carpet on the kitchen floor!):

This is the kitchen with some extra cabinets installed, new appliances, and a buffet area that now houses our microwave and gives us great storage!

We had these beautiful new cabinets, but we needed counter-tops for them.  To save money, we used stick-on tiles that appeared fancy schmancy, stripped the grey exterior paint from the disgusting cabinets and replaced the doors with more modern cabinet doors from a salvage home improvement store.  We found out after year 2 or 3 that the stick-on tiles were not the best option because they warped and started to turn up at the edges. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of what the kitchen has looked like for the past 5 years.

Memorial Day weekend, Todd and I went out shopping for real tiles to replace our kitchen counters.  We found a great deal on neutral colored tiles at Lowe’s for $0.57/sq ft!  For $60, we purchased enough tiles to redo our counters.  We purchased mortar and grout for pennies on the dollar thanks to damaged bags at Lowe’s (original price was over $23/bag: we got for $3/bag).  The only other expense was a tool to cut the tiles that cost $50.  So for less than $125 and a lot of physical labor, this is what our kitchen looks like today.

I absolutely love the way the kitchen turned out.  Everything that used to be on the counters (convection oven, toaster, can opener, bread box, flour/sugar jars, etc.) are now housed on either the baker’s rack or in the cupboards (thanks to some major decluttering!). 

I enjoy our kitchen so much more now than I ever have before.  We have learned one very valuable lesson with this house: quality is better than trying to do something as inexpensively as possible!  Because we did not do this when we first moved into the home, we have already had to redo our bathroom (in 2010)  and now our kitchen.  We know better now for upcoming home improvements to spend a little bit more money and make improvements that will last a long time! 

It just so happens that this improvement was inexpensive to complete and we got great deals on the supplies needed!  Win-Win!

Summer Fun on a Dime

I am a cheapskate.  There, I said it.  It is no surprise to most of you, because you know me.  I am always looking for ways to cut our spending.  I have noticed this year that we are doing more fun things together that don’t require money.  I love me a good fair (and fair food!), but the prices are becoming outrageous at $7+/person, plus $6 for a sandwich, $3 for a bottle of water…you get the gist.  When all is said and done, a few hours at the county fair became a $50 ordeal!

Instead, we have been doing the following this summer:

Scenery

Mill Creek State Park 

Mill Creek State Park 

Nelson Ledges

Nelson Ledges

Big Creek State Park

Happy Puppies: Salt Fork State Park

Stony Brook State Park (New York)

Stony Brook State Park (New York)

Stony Brook State Park (New York)

Pool

We don’t actually own a pool, but we got out a few times with the pups to go swimming!  Our Buddy boy just loves the water!  The pups love to swim, and we get a great laugh at watching our little otters in the water having a good ‘ole time.

Big Creek State Park

Salt Fork State Park

Salt Fork State Park

Car Show and Petting Zoo at a Local Festival

(We spent $3 total to get into the petting zoo and to feed the animals – it was worth it!)

Celebrating

4th of July Fireworks 

4th of July Fireworks

Cousin's Wedding Out of State

Camping Weekend with Family

Making Memories with Niece

Exploring

I’m sad that summer is officially over; however, I look forward to the leaves changing and the cooler temperatures.  We have plans of enjoying another season (fall) on a dime by going on hikes with the pups at surrounding state parks, taking a road-trip through the county north of ours that has 18 covered bridges, and getting away to Cook Forest in western Pennsylvania the first week of November

What have you been up to this summer?

Three Weeks without a Cell Phone

In our home, we don’t own many new or extremely nice items because we (a-hem, my husband) are really hard on everything that we own.  Not only are we hard on what we own, things get lost  misplaced all.the.time.  It is extremely frustrating to me, but it is what it is.

At any rate, several weeks back, Todd and I went to WalMart to pick up oil filters and oil for our vehicles.  Todd set down his phone (a new to us Windows phone from my mom that Todd loved and planned on keeping for many years) to look up an oil filter number, and when he found it, we walked away to get the next item on our list.  15 minutes later when we realized he forgot his phone on the shelf, it was gone.  I had faith that the cell phone would still be there when we went back to get it.  Todd on the other hand had no faith that his phone would still be there.  Sure enough – it was gone (I blame his negative attitude on this).  We checked with the automotive desk and customer service for three days after the phone went missing, called our carrier and reported it stolen, had it blocked and went on our merry way.

Todd was addicted to his phone.  He is the only one who has internet on his phone: I just have calls and texting.  He loved going online while he was at work and on the days we both worked, we texted back and forth all day long.  We texted about stupid piddly stuff, and we called each other when we were on our way to work and on our way home from work: nothing really important.

Todd was so upset that his phone was stolen that he said he didn’t even want a cell phone.  Of course, this statement was made out of anger, and a few days later, he came around to the idea of getting his phone replaced.  We were planning on changing our cell phone carriers after our contracts were up, so Todd was without a phone for a couple of weeks.

I noticed a few things while Todd was without a phone.

• We had a lot more to talk about at dinnertime and throughout our evenings together
• I was able to concentrate more on my work instead of checking my phone every 15-20 minutes for a new text
• It really isn’t that bad not being “connected” to one another throughout the day
• Todd really can survive without being online while at work

I have considered going without a cell phone altogether; however, Todd worries about me on my 1 hour drive to and from work each day (witha vehicle that has over 175,000 miles on it). We have decided to downgrade our cell phone plans from a contract to prepaid services*.  By doing so, we are saving over $600/year on our cell phones.  By downgrading our services, Todd and I have agreed that we will be talking less to one another to and from work each day.  It has truly been relaxing driving to and from work listening to podcasts and books on CD without being interrupted, not to mention it is a lot safer!

*For anyone wondering, Todd is going with StraightTalk for his cell phone provider.  He will have unlimited talk, text and internet for less than $45/month because we will be paying every 6 months (to get A discount).  For me, I am going to be with the same carrier (AT&T) but downgrading to their “pay-as-you-go” plan which will give me 250 minutes a month and unlimited texts for $26.63/month after tax.  We are going from spending $128/month for cell phone service to around $70/month and not being locked into a contract. 

Have you tried going without a cell phone for a week?

What has been your experience?

Acting Poor

There was an article written earlier this week about “acting poor” to give you choices.  I feel like this is what Todd and I have been doing more so now than ever before.  Make no mistake, we spend money on things that are important to us; however, for everything else, we make it ourselves (thank goodness for a handy hubby!), buy used, shop around, or do without. 

There are so many people we know who say “I couldn’t live like you do.”  I don’t understand what we are doing that makes people think that we do not enjoy our life or that we live a life of poverty.  We feel quite the opposite, actually.  We feel know we live a life of abundance!  We lack for nothing.  We have traveled, experienced and learned so much because we aren't afraid to jump in with both feet (homesteading, raising a pig, raising chickens, remodeling a house) and  have had more fun than most people we know.  We have done more in our short marriage than some people have done in their entire lives!

Here’s the thing:  We take pleasure in finding a good deal and saving our pennies.  I find satisfaction in making my own baked goods from scratch, making enough homemade laundry detergent that lasts the entire year for $3.62,  growing of our food, shopping at thrift stores, browsing flea markets, going to garage sales, cancelling the cable, downgrading our cell phone plans, attempting to be more energy efficient by using the dryer and dishwasher less and installing smart strips as well as negotiating prices for our utilities.  We take pride in going on cheap dates together.  Again, this may seem extreme to some people, but we do this so that we can spend our money on what is important to us: experiences together!  Annual anniversary trips, surprise birthday fun, investing in time together and spending time and traveling with family. 

If acting poor enables us to do all of these things together, I will gladly give up the smartphones, new cars and eating out multiple times a week.  For us, it's worth it.  Not only does acting poor enable us to create lasting memories together, it also enables us to reach for our goal of financial independence. 

Hire a Housekeeper or Do It Myself

I enjoy having a clean home, really I do, but the truth of the matter is: it is rarely ever  never completely clean.  Yes, counter-tops are wiped own, the dishes are clean and put away, the floor may be swept (twice a month if I’m lucky), and the bed may be made (twice a week), but that is about the extent of our “clean” home. 

I was sitting at home thinking about all I had to get done on Memorial Day weekend to make the house half-way clean.  Sweep the floors, clean the bathroom, put away clean laundry, etc.  And then it dawned on me, I don’t think we have cleaned the baseboards since we moved in February 2007!  This may be because we (by “we,” I mean Todd) have redone the main living areas of our home which included new flooring, painting, new baseboards and trim, new doors and closets, and the like over the years, but still, we have yet to do a deep cleaning of our home.

I found a company with a coupon online that would come in and do a deep cleaning of our home (6-8 hour service) at a discounted rate for Mother’s Day.  I talked to Todd about it and told him I wanted to hire someone to come and clean our house thoroughly twice a year and then maintain it every 2-3 weeks.  I was ready to give the woman a call and set up an appointment…until I saw what was on her list of services.

This is the actual list of services from the company.

When I read through each item on the list, I put a time on how long it would take to complete these tasks on my own.

• Wipe down the outside of the microwave: 1 minute
• Clean inside of microwave: 5 minutes
• Wipe ceiling fan in master bedroom: 5 minutes

After I went through the entire list…I realized that I can do this!  The list didn’t seem as overwhelming when I put a time to complete each item on the list.  It will not be completed in one day, but if I do one section a day, I can easily deep clean our home within a week to two weeks at the most.  I spend too much time online as it is, if I just cut my time online and replace it with cleaning 30 minutes an evening or in the mornings before work, we will have the clean house I always wish we had. 

I am taking this list, printing it up, and will go through each and every line item on the list of services on my own and see how long everything takes to complete.  Hopefully, within the next month, I can report to my fellow readers that I have completed the list in its entirety as well as kept up with maintaining the cleanliness of our home.  Who knows, maybe we can even invite some people over and not have to clean like mad-men the entire morning before they arrive!  How nice and relaxing would it be to already have a clean home and not have to worry about anything but enjoying time with company! 

The Chickens Are Earning Their Keep

 

 

We have been getting a consistent supply of eggs from our 7 hens since the beginning of the year.  A co-worker had put dibs on fresh brown eggs since November of last year.  A price was agreed upon and then we (patiently) waited for the first dozen eggs to become available.

We are finding that the new breeds of hens we have right now are not as consistent at laying eggs as our originals.  Their eggs are also smaller than our original hen’s eggs.  Due to a problem with a hungry red tail hawk this past winter, we lost 3 full-grown chickens in the span of a month; one of them being one of the original red sex link hens who was our best layer.  Let me tell you, our red sex links lay an egg almost every single day and their eggs are huge: we are talking XL or XXL.

In January and February, we sold 5 dozen eggs to my coworker friend as well as another coworker.  The proceeds from the sales are almost enough to purchase another 50 lb. bag of chicken feed.  The best part is: we still have more than half a bag of food for the chickens to (hopefully) last us another month or two.

My goal for this year was to spend no more than $50 on chicken feed by supplementing their diet with mealworms, table scraps, food from the chicken garden and free food we get from friends and family that is expired.  So far this year, we have purchased 1 bag of chicken food for $17.24.  This is about $4 more than what we usually spend on their food, but we needed it and it wasn’t worth driving 30 additional minutes to get it from our usual supply store. 

As mentioned, we still have more than half a bag of food left for the chickens.  Assuming we sell another 5+ dozen eggs in the next month and a half, we will have more money from the sale than the food costs to feed the chickens.  Not only that, we eat our fair share of chicken eggs throughout the week! To me, this is a win-win scenario!

Are your chickens earning their keep?

How many do you have?

 

Recipe: Homemade Laundry Detergent (HE Washer Friendly)

Yield: 10 gallons 

Ingredients:

• 1-14.1oz. bar of Zote Soap (the pink stuff found in the laundry isle)
• Water
• 1 cup Borax (optional)

Equipment Needed:

• 5 Gallon Bucket (you can get these free from the local bakery)
• Stir Stick
• Cheese Grater
• Funnel
• Cup

 

Instructions:

I forgot to mention: Shake well before pouring.

 

 

Zote soap usually sells for less than $2.00/14oz. bar at WalMart or Target; however, it is not available where we live (we looked at 10 different stores within a 50 mile radius of our home).  That being said, I ended up purchasing 6 bars on eBay at $3.12/bar.

Price Breakdown:

What we were using before the homemade detergent:

 

100 loads at $7.69/jug

Price per load: $0.0769/load

Homemade Detergent:

 

Zote Soap: $3.12

Borax (I had on hand – I would say I used $0.50 (or less) worth)

Price for 10 gallon batch: $3.62

Price per gallon: $0.362

Number of loads per gallon: Approximately 16

Price per load: $0.023

The real question: Does it work?

I have been using this detergent solely for about a month now.  I have seen absolutely no difference between the detergent we had been using and the homemade detergent.  For 1/3 the price of the store-bought detergent, hubby and I both agree that the homemade is just as good (if not better) than the store-bought detergent. 

My husband has a stinky, labor-intensive job that makes his clothes almost black after a full day of work.  Unlike the homemade detergent I’ve made in the past, this stuff leaves his clothes clean and smelling fresh.  I decided to use the borax in our detergent mainly because of how dirty his clothes get at work.  Hubby recently washed several of his jackets, and before he went outside, he opened up his jacket and told me to “smell.”  It smelled nice and clean – and I love it!  ((Yes, I like when laundry has a scent to it.  When we wash sheets and the comforter, I lay in bed and sniff for a few days before my nose gets used to the scent.))



Do you make your own laundry detergent?
What has been your experience?