How to Spend Less On Your Pets—While Still Totally Spoiling Them

glamour.com:

doesn’t reflect the sentiment. In fact, revealed that one in five pet owners have actually gone into debt to pay for their pets, and for 21 percent of them, the debt is more than $1,000.

From hulking bags of kibble that get gobbled up within weeks to adorable squeaky toys that get micro-shredded within minutes, pet parenthood and its many accouterments can definitely come with a hefty price tag.Here’s an eye-opening breakdown of some of the numbers you’ve deliberately avoided crunching: Owning a dog can run you an average of $480 to $3,470 per year, depending on factors like the breed and where you live, according to . (And those costs tend to be much higher in the first year, as anyone who’s acquired a can attest.) A cat can be less spendy but can still run you an average of $634 a year, according to the .And, of course, the same factors that are increasing humans’ cost of living are also making it more expensive to own a pet: In February, the cost of pet food increased by 3.7% and veterinary care by 5.8%, according to statistics.

All of this is to say, the cost of owning a pet is increasingly not a fluffy topic. Of course, half the fun of having a pet is buying adorable accessories and seeing their excitement when presented with a particularly delightful toy or treat.

So to help you strike a happy balance, here are some ways to spend less on your pets while still totally spoiling them.It pays to sign up for a subscription for pet basics you know you’ll constantly re-buy, like food, kitty litter, and biodegradable poop bags.