Coping in a "ruff" economy

Make your own leash image above from Methods and Ideas.

Wendy Diamond at the Huffington Post offers these tips for the austerity decade ahead:

1. Buy your cat and dog food in bulk.
Good advice at any time, bigger bags are better. But not so big you have to drive your SUV to get them home. In fact, buying locally, within walking distance is a good idea. Don't live close to anything. Move.

2. Get rid of your dog walker.
I don't agree. Now more than ever we need to keep people employed and dog walkers are cheap, on the margins, most vulnerable. And you? Your time is well spent working, keeping focused.

3. Use old collars and leashes instead of buying new ones.
I totally get this one, having lost many leashes over the years. I started buying dollar store leashes, which are actually not bad. You can also make your own with a clasp from the hardware store and a length of leather or nylon or even ribbon.

4. Groom at home.
Well ya, duh! Grooming is special time between you and your pet.

5. Make your own dog toys.
Nice idea. Also the Sally Ann, Goodwill, or Value Village are good places for small stuffed animals and what not. Be creative. Hey, a stick works for most dogs.

6. Do keep your yearly vet appointment.
I agree. It's worth it just in peace of mind. But you might want to shop around for a new vet. I know my neighbourhood vet is great but expensive, so I'm looking.

7. Wash and dry your dog's paws in the mud room.
Ha ha. Mud room, imagine that!

8. Finally, adopt a dog!
This is well-intentioned advice, and a good message for people who have more than they need. Maybe they could adopt a homeless person too. But you have to think too about all those dog breeders struggling to eek out a living. That's never been a very profitable business for the vast majority. I imagine the price of purebreds is going to drop significantly, and probably most breeders are already thinking hard about how many litters to have this year, none of which is good for the economy. Are breeders going to have to retool just like the Big 3!

Wendy also has some good things to say about the importance of pets in stressful times, as social instigators and companions. More about that later.

I don't know much about coupons and such but this article is pretty good on pet saving too.