I received this in a email and I was sure you all would like to see it too.

*******************

Jennifer and Jim kept getting huge water bills. They knew beyond a doubt that the bills weren’t representative of their actual usage, and no matter how they tried to conserve, the high bills continued.

Although they could see nothing wrong, they had everything checked for leaks or problems: first the water meter, then outdoor pipes, indoor pipes, underground pipes, faucets, toilets, washer, ice maker, etc. — all to no avail.

One day Jim was sick and stayed home in bed, but kept hearing water running downstairs. He finally tore himself from his sick bed to investigate, and stumbled onto the cause of such high water bills.

Apparently this was happening all day long when they were not at home. Knowing that few would believe him, he taped a segment of the ‘problem’ for posterity.

Whenever I have extra bread, cereal, or crackers to throw out, I like to put it in the yard for the animals.  It doesn’t take long for the stuff to get eaten.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.  

It doesn’t take long for pet owners to figure out just how expensive animals can be.  Sometimes it’s like owning a child.  Some of the expenses you may incur are shots, neutering or spaying, an invisible fence, litter box, cat litter, food, leashes, toys, chew toys, cage or home, travel carrier, and more.  Although these things can be expensive, there are some ways to help you save.

1)  Sign up for a freecycle account.  Just last week I gave away a 3-tier cage.  There are others giving away pet accessories and some freecycle groups will allow pet listings.

2)  Consider adopting an animal from a rescue organization.  A few years ago, we adopted a cat for $80.  She was spayed, declawed, and had all of her shots.  The $80 adoption fee was much less expensive than paying the vet bills for a kitten.

3)  Find an older veterinarian.  When I was growing up, my family always took our animals to an older veterinarian because he was less expensive.  He had been out of school for years and he did not have the expenses that younger vets have so he was able to offer cheaper rates.  I was fortunate to find an older veterinarian where we live now which is good because we adopted a kitten last year.  The vet that we use does not charge for office visits.  He only charges for the cost of his supplies.  I was able to save over $60 on my kitten’s first round of shots.  (Some people may not agree with going to older veterinarians.  I am trying to save money.  It is not my goal to put someone else through college.)

4)  Consider using a veterinary school for care.  Some veterinary schools offer services to the public.  Of course, you’re not seeing someone with experience, but these students are supervised by their instructor.  If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you may just consider using their services for basic needs such as vaccinations.

5) Groom your pet at home.  Trim their nails, wash them, give them flea treatments, and cut their hair.  All of these expenses can really add up quickly. 

6)  Keep your dog in a fenced-in yard and keep your cat inside.  When animals leave your yard, they are more susceptible to parasites, injury, and other dangers.

7) Research, research, research.  If you’re thinking about getting a new pet, then I strongly urge you to research price of the pet and the needs that they have.  Because of our research, we have kept ourselves from purchasing a chinchilla, a hedgehog, and I’m sure some other critters as well.  We simply found that these pets were not for us.

8)  Research the different brands of food.  Most expensive doesn’t always mean best.  For a while, we were able to buy an equivalent generic of the brand we wanted to use. 

9) If you are brand loyal to the pet food you purchase, then visit the company’s website. Sign up for their newsletter and special promotions.  Many companies will email you coupons and special offers. 

10) Check your local veterinarian’s bulletin board.  I can’t tell you the number of animal postings I’ve seen on vet’s bulletin boards.  I guess if you have an animal that needs a home, a vet’s office would be the place to post the ad because those people are likely to care about animals.  Many people will give their animals away if they know they’re going to a good home.

Well, that’s my list of 10 ways to save money with pets and animals.  I can think of a few more ways, but I want to hear from you too.  Can you add something to this list?

image by Karen

Now that Cuddlebug is potty trained (woohoo!) I’ve been getting rid of some of his diapering accessories.  I was going to put his table top changing pad in my yard sale pile, but my cat decided to use it for her new bed.

She just lays there on the dresser, soaking in the sun from the windows.  At least this is keeping the cat hair off of my bed!  Looks as though my cat is being thrifty too by finding new purposes for old items.   ;)

Speaking about someone with too much time and money on their hands, there is evidently a whole new world of robots. Now those cute will robot puppies will be playing soccer. I am sure that there is something wrong with such cute puppies playing soccer.

I have a confession …
I think I could waste time watching this for at least 5 minutes. But I really don’t think we should waste our money on this when there is so much to fix like cancer, AIDS, and childhood diseases. Sorry, puppies.

I really have been wanting a cat playhouse for the cat we rescued.  She’s only about 7 months old now and she really enjoys climbing, scratching, and playing. 

This past weekend, our family made a trip to the newest pet store in town.  I knew that cat houses were expensive, but I was almost entertained at how much money people will pay for these things.  I thought it was even funnier when I saw what they were made of.

I found my husband and told him I knew what his new profession could be . . . making cat houses.  Well, I don’t think my husband’s giving up his day job anytime soon (lol), but I thought I’d pass along some info on making your own cat toys and furniture.  I’m sure many of you thrifty people out there could benefit from this.

• How to Make Cat Jungle Gyms and Playgrounds
• Build Your Own Cat Tree
• Expert Village has a series of videos you can watch on building your own cat toys.
• Do-It-Yourself Cat Tree
• This idea involves using shelves and brackets.  The downside is you have to mount them to the walls.
• How to Build Cat Trees
• How to Build a Quality Tree House (this one looks more complex)
• Sloped Scratching Pad
• In case you still need a bit of help, you can download six plans for $9.95. 

Here’s a really cool play tower from Target that’s only $28.  The problem is, it is made of PVC pipes that pop together.  With a 2 and 4 year old in the house, I don’t think it would last for long.

Give us your thoughts.  Have you made your own cat toys, perches, trees, etc?  How did they turn out?