Financial Planning for Pet Owners

Financial Planning for Prospective Pet Owners

Get the lowdown on pets’ long-term financial needs from Janice Tan,experienced mother of two West Highland white terriers, before committing to anew fur friend. She shares tips to help prospective pet owners understand the financialcommitment required and how to include fur kids in their holistic financialplans so they can achieve their dreams with confidence.

“Pets teach us the greatest lesson in loving without expecting anything in return.”

Make room in your heart and your budget

Your love for a pet will not cost you a thing. However, maintaining a pet does. From her experience mothering two medium-sized dogs for a decade, Janice estimates that it can cost between $200–$300 per month to upkeep each dog. This may seem like a manageable figure, but pets are for life. Considering the average lifespan of a dog ranges between 10–15 years, pet owners are looking at spending $20,000 to $40,000 over the lifetime of caring for a dog.

Estimated cost of maintaining a mid-size dog

• One month: $200–300
• Lifetime (10–15 years): $20,000–$40,000 plus

Janice understands the desire to own a pet and can fully empathise withprospective pet owners. As an experienced financial planner, she encourages furparents-to-be to tailor a financial commitment roadmap as part of theirpersonal planning journey.

The process is similar to setting financial targets like saving for ahouse deposit and figuring out what is an affordable monthly mortgage, thenworking out a plan to achieve the goals. This may include saving for theone-time costs of acquiring a pet and setting up home, budgeting for long-termmaintenance costs, as well as setting aside sufficient buffer to handle anycontingencies such as medical expenses.

Can you afford a pet?

Check out the chart below for a list of essential costs when budgeting for a pet:

For pet owners willing to splurge, special treats, outfits, excursions to pet-friendly cafes and even staycations are an additional cost. Other variable costs like obedience school, TCM, physio- and hydrotherapy can bump up the costs significantly.

A lifelong commitment

We may easily fall in love with the cute, puppy dog eyes or wish to live out our childhood fantasy of having a pet for a best friend. Before committing, let’s take a moment to consider the long-term lifestyle changes and financial implications. Once you have worked out the details, get ready to enjoy the most unbridled joy a pet can bring.

Taking baby steps before committing

Janice shares ideas on how to get a taste of homing fur kids before deciding if this is the commitment for you. These activities help prospective pet owners decide if they are in the phase of life to factor in the necessary resources to help pets thrive.

1. Spend time with family and friends who already have pets to understand their experience and routine
2. Volunteer at an animal shelter to get up close and personal with pets by helping to feed, clean, groom etc.
3. Help out at adoption drives or fund raising

Author:

Janice Tan, APEX Advisory Group

^{Janice Tan is a founding member of the APEX Advisory Group established in 2008. Her ascent to the top IPP consultants was fuelled by grit and passion.She dug deep to transform her grief over losing both parents to critical illness into boundless energy: she is driven to empower clients with financial resilience to weather life’s adversities, and to live their dream lifestyle with thoughtful financial planning. She believes in paying it forward, drawing from her personal setbacks as a newbie to encourage and nurture newcomers to the financial advisory profession to achieve their full potential. All the industry awards, high regard from peers and praises from clients can’t match the sweet spot in her heart—it clearly belongs to her two West Highland white terriers named Cheeky and Tubby. Contact Janice to find out more.}