Saving hundreds at the vet

Lady almost made a break for it when I took the dogs to the Quad-City Animal Welfare Center's low-cost clinic today. 

There were already about a dozen dogs, cats and their people in line with I got there and that was too much for Lady. She ran back toward the car and slipped out of her collar. Thankfully she remembered her obedience training and sat and stayed when I asked her too.

But the escape attempt aside, the visit went relatively well. Last year I spent $261.01 at my regular veterinarian to update Lady and Sophia's vaccines. At the low-cost clinic the same services only cost $114.

I also got six months of flea and heart worm preventative for all three dogs. At the low-cost clinic the medicine cost $300. At my regular veterinarian the same medicine would have cost $375.18.

In all I spent $414 today, but I saved $222.19. Now I love my regular veterinarian and will always take the dogs there when they're sick. But when it comes to getting their vaccinations and flea and heart worm medicine, I'll be heading to the low cost clinic.

Today's trip didn't strain my monthly budget either. Each month I put $50 in a jar to cover pet medical expenses, so I didn't have to dip into savings or charge the visit. I learned that lesson after I charged a $400 bill from last year's vaccinations. 

I've found the "stash-it-away-in-a-jar" method very effective in saving for pet-related expenses. The next item I'm going to be filling the jar for is a pair of professional clippers to make grooming the dogs at home easier.