by Hope
I have written about bartering many times. Trading services for services has been a mainstay in our lives for a long time. Here are some of my earliest posts regarding things I bartered for:
Barter Win – Homeschool Tuition – 2014
How I Got into Bartering – 2015
I’ve bartered for Tae Kwon Do lessons, homeschool co op tuition, competitive gymnastics training, and so much more over the years. And now, I’ve gone and done it again. This time, it isn’t for the kids, it’s for the dogs.
Saving on dog expenses
One of my biggest dog expenses is boarding them when I want to travel. We now have 7 dogs! Boarding them is EXPENSIVE!
So when the local kennel we use needed help me their website, you KNOW I jumped on it. Score!!!
In exchange for two full weeks of boarding, to be used when needed, I am re-doing their website. AND, he will continue to use my services in the coming years. I cannot explain how exciting this is. It will literally save me thousands of dollars.
I LOVE our kennel. Anyone who owns pets know how hard it is to find someone who loves your pets and takes care of them the way you do. We have been really blessed with this one…here’s pics of 4 of our dogs getting “pup cups” during their last boarding stay.
Opie – unknown breed, recent adoption, very skittish, almost 2 years old – a work in progress
Cali – basenji mix, our old, fat lady, adopted four years ago, she’s pretty skittish still but much better then when we got her, multiple scars on her face from being shot when a bb gun or something similar – almost 8 years old
Jake – retriever mix, Gymnast dog and they LOVE each other, great dog, well-behaved and well trained – 4 years old, adopted earlier this year
Addie – a sharpe (sp?) mix who is about 1 1/2 years old, she is my heart dog, a free Facebook find we got a year ago this past May as a puppy – I adore this dog, she is my constant companion
I used a few of my free days for our state fair trip. And some of my days will cover our family trip to New York. But I am super stoked to find this cost saving measure that will really make traveling a bit more cost effective.
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager helping clients grow their business and work more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, & tech solutions. She’s recently become an empty nester as her 5 foster/adoptive kids have spread their wings. She lives with her 5 dogs in a small town in NE Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She struggles with the travel bug and is doing her best to help each of her kids as their finish schooling and become independent (but it’s hard!) She has run her own consulting company for almost twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the Spring of 2015 and feels like she has finally in a place to really focus on making wise financial decisions.
OMG I have a soft spot in my heart for pups – yours are adorable! My heart hurt hearing Cali’s history of abuse, but so glad she found you to give her a loving home! <3
What does your pet budget look like?
Their food is part of my $400 a month grocery budget. I have a “floating” $200 that goes from month to month just in case, but it rarely gets touched. I did call today to get some heartworm pills ordered and I know one will have to go to the vet in January. If I use any of the $200, I typically just refill it from my “spending” money…which I get $200 a month. But I typically put it toward other things. Like right now, I’m not taking it at all since I’m saving for our New York trip. Does that make sense?