a dog on a budget

                 

(This is a dog I had growing up, she's still in Illinois, loving life I'm sure!)

As our finances are becoming a little more stable, we're starting to talk about things that are extra. Something that falls into this category is a dog. We've wanted a dog for a while, but we've put it off for a few reasons.

First, space. We live in a small apartment, have for the past couple years, and will for another year. Neither Alex nor I are fans of tiny dogs, but the apartment size would dictate having no bigger than a medium sized dog.

Second, the money. First, we'd have to pay for a dog, which is an expense, but not the biggest one. For us, we'd have a pet deposit we'd have to pay, as well as monthly pet rent. That's all before buying food, vet bills, toys, etc.

Third, time/commitment. We like to go places, and Alex is traveling a bit for work. That would mean that when we both go somewhere, we'd have to find someone to watch the dog, pay to kennel the dog, or take the dog with us. Being so far away from family (most of them live in IL) will make it hard to find someone to watch the dog, and I hate the idea of kenneling a dog.

I've realized that getting a dog is one of the easiest things to procrastinate. We may not get one while we are still living in the apartment, but hopefully as soon as we buy a house!

Maybe getting a dog isn't quite as important to us right now as we thought...perhaps a turtle would be a good idea?

I'll keep you posted!