Genius Alternative to Pet Insurance and Promo Code Money Saving Stories!
One of our favourite Smart Cookie Money Groups are the Knight family ( you can view a video of these beauties telling their story if you scroll down on our Money Group Page. They are each incredible examples of women who are LIVING and OWNING their richest lives. Yesterday ( or rather, very late last night), Melanie Knight sent me a genius SC tip that I had to share with you all! Enjoy Smart Cookie Melanie’s advice below.Thanks Melanie – you and your family are inspirations!
High Interest Savings Account Instead of Pet Insurance
My partner and I set have set up a high interest savings account for our dog Shea, putting aside $30.00 each, each month. We found this a better plan then pet insurance because plans cost more the older your dog is. Shea is 5, so getting a plan now means a higher price point each month. We looked into it, it would cost +$30.00 for the lowest rung insurance and wouldn’t cover common aliments in older dogs. Also, most pet insurance has a deductible of $100 – $500. If your pet is diagnoses with something not on the list of insured illnesses, you have to fork it over the full price! We cant afford those kinds of hits. We considered putting the deductible amount aside but then figured we could just not give our money away and save it ourselves.
We have also heard horror stories at the dog park about people WITH insurance still spending thousands on treatments that were not covered or having to pay a huge deducible before treatment could start.
So my partner, who is very responsible, collects our monthly contributions. After only 5 months we have $300.00 and we haven’t missed the $30 at all. We will use this money to cover her regular check ups each year and will go toward an emergency care if she needs it. So even those annual bills that creep up don’t hurt our spending plan.
We feel in control of our money and can see it grow instead of disappear.
Why You Should Always Search For a Promo Code
I just saw your promo code tip, and remembered there was one for a marathon I wanted to sign up for. So I just signed up for the BMO 1/2 marathon next year and got 40% of for being within the first 40 people to sign up!!
Thank you again to Melanie for sharing, and if you’re heading out shopping this weekeng check out this Smart Cookie Video with ABC News and Out Smart Your Spending Emotions!
Your Comments
I have worked in veterinary medicine for about 5 years, and I can tell you ….saving $360 – $500 in a savings account a year is not going to help you much in the way of veterinary care- without pet insurance. An othropedic surgery done by a specialist can run anywhere from $3500 to $6000- and that does not include post operative care. Dental procedures can be $890-$1600. Cancer in your pet generally cost about $2000 to diagnose and find, through radiographs, repeat visits, bloodwork, and medications. Actual treatment in the way of chemotherapy and surgery would probably cost another $6000 to $8000. I spent about $6000 last year on medical care for my own pets, as well as my rescue pets….and that is with my employee discount and getting medications at cost! VPI (veterinary pet insurance) is a well respected company that has been in business for over 20 years. Most pet insurance companies don’t last 10 years so that should tell you something. Today, the smart cookies show discussed pet insurance and told viewers that there was no insurance company that covered routine care. That is just NOT true. They also stated that pre-existing conditions were not covered……also NOT true. VPI is the only insurance company that not only covers genetically predisposed conditions, but also has a cancer rider that covers cancer treatments. I bet you all thought that cancer would get you dropped from your policy? Or that they would not cover Wobbler’s- a condition that is common in Great Danes. Well, they do! The are one of the only companies that offers insurance to exotics- yes, snakes go to the vet too. The have routine care that covers vaccines and heartworm prevention and dental work, spays and neuters, and such. VPI also offers emergency coverage- where you can choose your level of coverage and deductable. They cover all conditions, because it is emergency coverage. With the money put away in savings, let’s just say a pet owner would be much better prepared to pay the $500 deductable and not have to foot the $5000 emergency vet bill when their cat gets hit by a car or their dog gets bit by a snake.
Look into it yourself before you just believe what you were told on TV….especially when not all of the information was given in the first place.
Arianna T.
http://www.allaboutdecoy.com
http://www.petcarevb.com
http://www.petinsurance.com