Dog owners who are looking to lower expenses amid the current cost of living crisis might be able to do so with some clever money-saving tricks.
Recently, the Dogs Trust charity found a third of owners are worried about the cost of looking after their pet. In response to this, Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert shared helpful tips and tricks for dog owners who are looking to cut costs.
The consumer experts shared the guide in their latest newsletter, which provides different ways to save money and cut down on costs every Tuesday.
The guide reads: "From vet bills and vaccinations to boarding your dog in kennels when you go away, there are all kinds of expenses to consider when it comes to owning a dog."
The experts recommend looking out for cheap online deals for pet food and buying in bulk in order to save, as opposed to picking up a smaller bag of kibble at your local supermarket.
They also suggest visiting your local butcher, as they might have scraps or treats that they would be willing to give away or sell at a low price.
The MoneySavingExpert guide also shows how much vaccines, microchips and neutering should cost so that you don't overspend. While this can depend on the vet and your dog's breed, they say vaccines should cost £40 to £70 for a puppy, microchipping should put you back £15 to £20 and neutering should cost between £100 and £400.
This comes after the Scottish SPCA reported a huge rise in rehoming queries last year. The first nine months of 2022 showed a threefold increase in calls from people who were seeking to give up their pets.
Charity chief executive Kirsteen Campbell said: "It's now plain that the cost of living crisis is even harder than the pandemic, which caused a lot of hardship for many pet owners."
If you want to read the entire MoneySavingExpert guide, you can do so on their website.
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