My budget session yesterday was an eye-opening experience for my ‘first 30 days’ budget client. The conversation went like this –
Brooke – how’d the last 7 days go, Sam?
Sam – I completely forgot to work my dog into my budget so when I went to get dog food, there was no cash fund for it!
Brooke – So where did the money come from for the dog food?
Sam – I ate out of the freezer the last week because I used some of the grocery money for dog food.
Lesson – Don’t forget the expense of the family pet!
Now Sam has a monthly cash pet fund of $200:
$50 dog food
$15 dog nail trim
$15 pet insurance
$20 dog treats
$25 dog nutritional supplements
$25 dog collars/leashes/tags/beds/toys
$50 Training
Then we are pushing to the pet’s emergency fund every month $155:
$40 dog grooming ($80 grooming every other month so she’ll have $80 ready when needed)
$125 vet bills, heartworm prevention, flea/tick prevention, teeth cleaning
Sam was shocked at how much she spends on her pooch and is excited about the $155 a month push towards the future expenses. NO NEED FOR CREDIT CARD DEBT when you plan!
