Sunday, January 31, 2010

Lifestyle Inflation: Dogs

Lifestyle inflation, my will power is getting weaker. I cannot resist you much longer. Since I started my foster dog hobby I have been spending above my budget. I've been able to cover those extra expenses with extra jobs and other misc. income that was not already assigned to my mortgage payoff spreadsheet. Of course, if I had applied that money to my mortgage I would be farther ahead by now.

But I am not sorry that I started fostering dogs. It is helping me to estimate how much extra I need to save if I want to continue fostering. So far I think I should add at least $100 a month, maybe even $150 with treats, food and gas for shuttling them all over town.

Today I had a dog trainer come out and give me a free evaluation for my dogs. I could take my dog to the classes at the Humane Society but they have a set schedule and they are group lessons. The dog trainer will come out to me and teach me how to train my dog and my foster dogs too with all of their individual behavior issues. I signed up for one hour next weekend at $40/hr. That's the discount rate for foster dogs, usualy it's $60. There are also group lessons at the park for free every other weekend for her clients.

Today she showed me how to hold the leash and correct my dog when he tries to pull ahead. I am supposed to practice with him for at least 15 minutes, twice a day. Great...doggy homework. We went for a walk this afternoon and he stayed by my side for the most part. Maybe the fact that I am PAYING for lessons will motivate me to take him for a walk everyday. It is hard since I am carpooling and they have been leaving work late. When I get home there is maybe 5 minutes of daylight left. Don't even ask me to get up early. I'm not a morning person.

$40 an hour is more than I have budgeted for my dogs but I am hoping that I will learn a lot and will be able to to apply the lessons to all of my dogs. That way the dogs and I will coexist more peacefully and maybe I can make them a little more adoptable.

8 comments:

Popular Girl said...

Animals are so worth it. Imagine coming home to just the cat now that you know what it feels like to rescue dogs? (and you know I think "just a cat" is pretty darn good) Training yourself to be able to train your foster dogs is like taking a night school course and will help you with all the dogs to come and make them more adoptable. Not having a mortgage is a great feeling, but you must have some pretty great feelings every day from those animals too. Good luck with the training.

Over the Cubicle Wall said...

You are doing a good thing, which is worth every penny.

Daizy said...

Popular Girl, that's true. All of those wagging tails make me smile every day when I come home from work. They bring a lot of life and excitement to the place.

Daizy said...

Over the Cubicle, if I could only train them to do plumbing while I was at work...or any home improvement at all. Do you think the dog trainer can teach me that?

Over the Cubicle Wall said...

The trainer might be able to teach you that, but not for only $40/hr :p

Daizy said...

How much do plumbers get? $80/hr? Perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree...haha.

TheDogIsland.com said...

I applaud your determination to keep your best buddy around but the truth is that in this economy a lot of people simply can't make it. That's why The Dog Island is such a great alternative. You can ship your buddy over for free and release him into a dog only community where he can live free of stress, leashes and fences. He will have all his needs taken care of and become part of an accepting dog family.

Daizy said...

Thedogisland, that's a good one. I like the part where is says only rich people can vacation there. And the part where is says sometimes they kill and eat eachother. I will be making my own dog island right here thank you. Just as soon as I can buy enough fence. They can chase rabbits all day long.