Unless you fall into that extremely small percentage of the extremely wealthy in our society, you are very probably feeling the pinch of these tight economic times we’re experiencing.
And if you’re reading this blog, you are most certainly an animal lover and very probably have more than one animal companion in your family. But it may seem increasingly difficult to cover the costs related to their care, right? And cutting corners by buying poor-quality food, or by ignoring important medical issues, or — God forbid — by giving them up altogether, is simply not an option!
Take me, for example. At the current moment I have (I’m counting on my fingers and toes now) . . . 15 animals in my household, barn, or chicken coop. These include dogs, cats, chickens, and horses. These 15 animals translate into a lotta “bread,” if you get my drift. Moolah, “dough,” plain ole hard cash.
(. . . some women have huge shoe budgets; my “shoes” just happen to be animals . . .)
So here’s my best kept secret tip for saving money on the animals:
Whatever supplements you provide them with on a daily basis, just leave off for two days each weekend.
Voila! Easy as pie!
There is even evidence that this can be healthier for your animals than keeping them on the same supplement regimen every day (this goes for you too, re your vitamins and supplements, by the way). For example, Dr. Richard Pitcairn, D.V.M., in his Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, actually advises fasting your dog or cat occasionally, even off of food, to help cleanse their systems. This occurs naturally for their wild cousins who have to hunt for a living, and can actually enhance their overall health.
This fasting approach obviously does not apply to necessary medications. OR if your animal is weak or ill and needs special supplements every single day. And it does not mean you should diminish or cut back on the nutritional value of your animals’ food in any way, shape, or form. All you’re doing is fasting your healthy animals off their supplements for two days a week.
I won’t mention how much my animals’ daily supplements add up to, but let’s say you spend $2.00 a day on yours. That’s $730 a year, right? So if you take out two days a week where you don’t spent that, you save a whopping $312 a year! (If my math is right.) That’s pretty impressive — and maybe enough for car insurance for six months! Well worth considering.
Pocket those savings or put them in a jar and see what they add up to after a few months. I’ve never done that, but just writing this makes me think I should start. Mine should add up to enough for a vacation in Cancun, Mexico next year!!!!
Oh. And buy Dr. Pitcairn’s book. It is worth its weight in gold!
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IF YOU WANT TO GET A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR BUCK ON THE SUPPLEMENTS YOU DO BUY FOR YOUR ANIMALS, CHECK OUT THESE POSTS:
Is Your Pet’s Food Making Him Sick? Try Adding Blue-Green Algae
What’s the Big Deal About Blue-Green Algae?
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