Budgeting as a Growing Pennsylvania Family: Caring for a Dog, Birds, and Child

Budget Breakdown is a content series where we ask real pet parents to showcase how much they spend on their pets every month. Inspired by Refinery29’s Money Diaries. 

About My Pets:

Pet names: 3-year-old Yorkipoo named Billy and 4 parakeets named Kuzco, Sweetpea, Ramona, and Flo

Location: Pennsylvania

Pet Health concerns: Sensitive stomach and situational stress in dog

Household: Two adults, one child, one dog, and four birds

Budget Breakdown:

*These expenses do not occur monthly, but are averaged or set aside as part of the monthly pet budget.

What financial planning did you consider prior to getting your pet(s)?

Before committing to our dog, we listed out potential monthly and yearly expenses, researched likely costs, and evaluated our current budget to see where those expenses would fit. We also thought through what sacrifices we were willing to make in order to have our dog, along with the long-term costs that could come up as he ages and needs more care.

When we decided to adopt our birds, we already knew they would be relatively low cost based on what their previous owner had been spending each month.

Do you believe where you live influences your monthly pet costs?

We live in a generally pet-friendly area in Pennsylvania, so we haven’t noticed a major impact on our routine monthly costs. The biggest difference tends to come up when we travel.

Dog-friendly places to stay overnight can be hard to find or more expensive, so when we plan a vacation and bring our dog with us, we make sure to plan ahead financially.

How did you decide what was the right food option for your pet(s)?

When transitioning our dog from puppy food to adult food, we compared different options based on ingredients, health benefits, the size he would be full grown, and what other owners with similar breeds were feeding their dogs.

We gained our pet birds when a friend could no longer care for them, so we continued feeding them the food they were already familiar with. For both our birds and dog, we now have subscriptions that deliver a bag of food monthly, which helps us save a small percentage each month.

How much food do you go through in a month?

We go through about one 5 lb bag of dog food and one 5 lb bag of bird seed each month. We also buy treats as needed for both.

Which Pet Releaf products do you use and why?

Stress Releaf CBD Edibites for Dogs (Bacon): We first started using these when our son was born because we noticed that our dog became stressed, especially when he heard crying. We saw a difference right away and also noticed calmer behavior during car rides, so we’ve continued using them daily.

Stress Releaf CBD Oil for Dogs: We use this in addition to the edibites during higher-stress situations like fireworks, thunderstorms, and long trips. When we use both together, our dog handles those moments much better.

Postbiotic: Our Yorkiepoo has a sensitive stomach, so we use this proactively to support his digestion.

Which products are you subscribed to and what savings do you receive by being subscribed?

Our monthly subscription includes the CBD Edibites. We save 15% and receive free shipping by subscribing.

How does having a child impact your monthly pet budget and priorities?

We got our dog several years before our son was born, and we adopted our birds about four months after our son’s birth. Especially when it comes to our son and dog, we view both as equally important.

Having our son didn’t change our pet budget or priorities. Our dog still receives the same care, and we haven’t reduced our monthly expenses in any of his categories. For larger expenses, like dental work later in the year, we start saving well in advance. We also like to keep categories for emergencies fully funded, even if we don’t use them often, because it makes those moments feel less financially stressful.

My husband and I also treat our budget as flexible. If one category needs more money one month, we can move money from another category to cover it. So while we usually set aside the same amount each month, that money doesn’t always have to stay in one place.

How do you budget differently for multiple types of pets (dog vs. birds)?

When we first added our birds to the household, we created separate budget lines for dog food, toys, and treats, and for bird food, toys, and treats. Over time, we realized that approach didn’t make the most sense for us, so we combined those into one joint category that covers food, treats, and toys for all of our pets.

We still keep separate budget lines for other expenses, such as vet fees, medications, and pet insurance for our dog.

Are there any shared expenses (e.g. cleaning, supplies, babysitting) that increase due to both pets and a child?

Thankfully, we haven’t experienced a noticeable monthly increase in shared expenses from having both a child and pets. All of our babysitters who come to our house are happy to also watch our dog without charging extra, and the birds are just along for the ride.

We probably do more cleaning, but it hasn’t felt like we’re spending significantly more on cleaning products. We keep our categories for our son and our pets separate, which helps us make sure we’re financially prepared to provide for everyone’s needs each month.