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A new year means a fresh start and a time for healthier habits for some of us. For others, it’s just a nice time to unwind and reflect.
Now, there’s no pressure to have, keep or follow a New Year’s resolution. But some of us have plans to save money next year, and that involves our tailmates, too.
If you plan on making savings next year, a budget is a place to start. We get it: you love to spoil them and so do we, and you can still budget for that.
Here, we discuss how to budget for your cat or dog without impacting your tailmate’s quality of life. Let’s get saving.
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The 15-minute pet budget audit
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It’s hard to make a budget unless you know how much you spend. Before you start thinking about a monthly budget for a dog or cat, it’s a good idea to do a 15-minute pet audit. Get your bank statements and monthly bills together, and find details like:
Monthly spend on vet costs or bills
Pet food spending
Pet gear spending
Pet-friendly days out costs
Toys or enrichment costs
This isn’t meant to be a judgmental process - just think of it as finding information and opportunity. As “petflation” becomes bigger, small changes can make a significant difference.
Why a pet budget is important
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We get that you want to spoil your tailmate and that they’re your whole world - we’re the same with ours! But spending can get difficult to manage if you don’t plan it.
Having a budget means your tailmate can get everything they need while maintaining your financial health. What we understand, we can better control.
Scaling your tailmate’s budget by age
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Young pet budget considerations
Deworming
Food and treats (appropriate for breed, each life stage and size)
Initial vaccinations
Preventative care, like check-ups and flea treatment
Spay/neuter costs
Supplies, like beds, collars and leashes
Training costs, like puppy classes (if needed)
Senior pet budget considerations
Accessibility considerations, if relevant
Emergency fund for unexpected health costs
More grooming needs
Specialised nutrition, if relevant
Supplements, if relevant
Vet fees, if relevant
Preventative health costs (proactive care)
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Flea, tick, and worm treatment
You’ll may need to treat your pet regularly for fleas, ticks and worms, especially if they’re outdoors often. You’ll need to factor this into your monthly budget.
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Grooming
A lot of this depends on your pet and their coat type, but all pets need some grooming. You may be fine doing this yourself at home, but some pets will need regular, professional groomer visits, which you should budget for.
Insurance
Our guide on switching pet insurance covers more on this.
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Regular vet visits
Regular vet visits are the cornerstone of preventative pet care. Insurance can’t cover the cost of routine treatment, but it’s still important to attend them to help keep on top of any health issues.
The fun stuff
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It’s not all doom and gloom with budgeting - you’ll factor in the fun stuff too.
Days out
Days out for your dogs - or even taking your cat somewhere if they’re lead-trained and like it - can form a key part of their enrichment and mental stimulation. Sometimes, though, you’ll need a budget for this - things like extra poop bags, treats and money for whatever pet-friendly pub, event or cafe you’ll go to.
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Enrichment activities
Thankfully, most enrichment is free, as your cat or dog will be happy with some training, homemade agility courses, or a playdate at the park. At other times, you may need to buy something for enrichment, like cat trees, puzzles, and toys.
Toys
It’s important to cycle through toys to maintain your pet’s interest, and this does mean, at some point, you’ll have to buy new ones. Our Christmas gift guide for tailmates has some toy ideas for pets, including budget options!
If your pet has lots of toys, you can also try putting half of them away and bringing them back out monthly to keep that “new toy” excitement without spending a penny.
Treats
Treats aren’t just there because your pet thinks they taste good; they’re essential for positive reinforcement training. Budget for this.
That's where access to handpicked Perks helps, with discounts on UK pet brands.
Unexpected costs (and how to prepare for them)
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Sometimes, unexpected costs come around. This can be vet bills if you’re uninsured, new types of food if your pet has an allergy, or home repair costs if your cat decides to turn your home into their own big scratching post...
Handling unexpected costs is all about having an emergency fund. If possible, you can either just have a general one for all of your costs or have a pet-specific one.
If you don’t use it by the end of the year - and hopefully you won’t need to - then you can put this money towards something new and fun for your tailmate or keep it for the next year.
How much should things cost?
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It depends on factors like where you are and your pet, but we have a few in-depth guides with research on average costs below:
Summary checklist for January 1st
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Here’s a quick checklist for January 1st to get started the right way:
Check bank statements from the last three months - where are the opportunities to save and how much are your regular buys in 2026?
Check your pet’s tags and collar - are the numbers still legible? Do they need a refresh?
Do a “health reset” for your pet - get a vet visit scheduled in and make sure you have their flea, tick, and worm treatment in-date and stocked up.
Look at subscriptions - "subscription creep" is a real thing, so if you aren’t using some of your pet subscriptions, bin them.
Put some older toys away and rotate them out monthly to maintain the “new toy” hype without spending anything.
Review how much of an emergency fund you’ll need based on last year, your pet’s health and any upcoming costs.
Update your pet emergency first-aid kit for the year if needed.
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