How To Save Bits Of Money?

[Sian25]

Okay so unfortunately I had to quit my job a few weeks ago due to illness. My partner works but it's a big drop in our income. I am not too ill to work altogether, it was just my job as a care worker that I really struggled with to the point i was continuously physically sick. So I had to quit and am currently trying to set up my own dog walking business (and also selling personalised toy boxes). I've sold quite a few toy boxes but I've not managed to walk any dogs yet although there has been some interest. So anyway my point is that income is far from what it was and I'm trying to save bits of money where I can.

My two boys are booked in to be neutered next month and paired up with a sow each so I will have 4 to care for. Now I know people are probably thinking this is a silly idea when I'm talking about money issues. Please note, my pets will ALWAYS come first. If there ever came a time where we were really struggling for money and the pigs needed vet treatment then undoubtedly the pigs would get their vet care before food went in our mouths.

So I'm trying to just save bits of money here and there wherever possible.

1. Hay - my boys currently have either dustfreehay timothy hay or alfalfa king timothy hay. They are both quite fussy when it comes to hay so does anyone know of any cheaper alternatives of the same type of luscious, green quality? We go through a lot of hay as my boys do waste a lot too so I think hay is the main expense.

2. Pellets - these are not really an issue as they seem to last forever. But maybe they will go down a lot quicker once the girls come along. They are currently on burgess excel. Are there any cheaper alternatives that are good quality and not sky high in calcium?

3. Washing fleeces - I have ziggys piggies liners and although they are recommended to be washed at 40 degrees, I often wash at 60 but I don't want to ruin them. When I wash them at 40 I sometimes add dettol laundry cleanser (4.50 per bottle that lasts around 15 washes) and other times I add paragon flea and mite detergent which is more expensive again. What would be the cheapest way to clean fleece? 40 degree wash lasting around 2 hours with added anti bac or a 60 degree wash lasting around 3 hours?

4. Heating - my heating is always set to 20 degrees so the temperature in our house does not go below that. It is set to 20 for the guinea pigs. To be honest, a lot of the time (especially when doing house work I am far too hot and would turn the heating off if it wasn't for the pigs). Could the heating be turned down slightly or is it best to leave it at 20 as this is what they're used to?

5. Dehumidifiers - my boys have their own bedroom and it has an ensuite bathroom with a shower in. There is an extractor fan on the ceiling but I purchase the unibond 360 dehumidifier for their room which is a non electrical one but you have to replace part of the dehumidifier regularly. I have recently opted to use the bath in the main bathroom rather than the shower in the guinea pigs bathroom as I was getting increasingly concerned about the steam from the shower. However I have continued to replace the dehumidifier as their room is along the hallway from the main bathroom. Do you think the dehumidifier is still necessary? I would like to use the shower though and do think it's more economical but do you agree it's not a good idea with it being in the guinea pigs room despite the dehumidifier?

I think that's all I can think of at the moment but if anyone else has more tips, please let me know. Thanks

 

[span]

Two small savings - I used to use the dettol laundry cleanser but have recently found one by Wizz which you can get in pound shops. The bottles are smaller, but even buying two (or three or four!) works out cheaper per ml than the dettol one.

With pellets, I order mine on a subscription from Amazon and save 15%

With your dog walking business, are you registered on the care job sites? There's often people on there needing dog walkers.

I think you've made the right decision with your job, having worked in the industry, I didn't even manage a month before I had to leave. Good luck with everything

 

[Sian25]

@span thank you for the tips. Is the wizz anti bacterial? And is it scent free?

Also in regards to care work, I am gutted that I've had to leave. I worked there for almost two years and to begin with i didn't have any issues. It was not the 'messy' side of the job I couldn't deal with but I suffer from OCD and anxiety and things have got worse in the last few months. I got to the point where I struggled to give medication to clients as something in my head was telling me I was overdosing them (although in reality I wasn't) I would check medication was right over and over but once I got home I would still panic I have overdosed or given wrong meds and I would be physically sick. I would also have bad nightmares every night about accidentally causing harm to the vulnerable people I was looking after. When I was less ill, I found the job so rewarding and I actually enjoyed it but I just got to the point where I couldn't go back (I couldn't even work my notice) and this is not something I would normally do.

I hate being stuck at home and want to be back working (a different job) but it's so frustrating and also worrying how I'm not managing to get any work dog walking. It's a lot harder than I initially thought it would be. Thanks for your good luck wishes though

 

[Wiebke]

Okay so unfortunately I had to quit my job a few weeks ago due to illness. My partner works but it's a big drop in our income. I am not too ill to work altogether, it was just my job as a care worker that I really struggled with to the point i was continuously physically sick. So I had to quit and am currently trying to set up my own dog walking business (and also selling personalised toy boxes). I've sold quite a few toy boxes but I've not managed to walk any dogs yet although there has been some interest. So anyway my point is that income is far from what it was and I'm trying to save bits of money where I can.

My two boys are booked in to be neutered next month and paired up with a sow each so I will have 4 to care for. Now I know people are probably thinking this is a silly idea when I'm talking about money issues. Please note, my pets will ALWAYS come first. If there ever came a time where we were really struggling for money and the pigs needed vet treatment then undoubtedly the pigs would get their vet care before food went in our mouths.

So I'm trying to just save bits of money here and there wherever possible.

1. Hay - my boys currently have either dustfreehay timothy hay or alfalfa king timothy hay. They are both quite fussy when it comes to hay so does anyone know of any cheaper alternatives of the same type of luscious, green quality? We go through a lot of hay as my boys do waste a lot too so I think hay is the main expense.

2. Pellets - these are not really an issue as they seem to last forever. But maybe they will go down a lot quicker once the girls come along. They are currently on burgess excel. Are there any cheaper alternatives that are good quality and not sky high in calcium?

3. Washing fleeces - I have ziggys piggies liners and although they are recommended to be washed at 40 degrees, I often wash at 60 but I don't want to ruin them. When I wash them at 40 I sometimes add dettol laundry cleanser (4.50 per bottle that lasts around 15 washes) and other times I add paragon flea and mite detergent which is more expensive again. What would be the cheapest way to clean fleece? 40 degree wash lasting around 2 hours with added anti bac or a 60 degree wash lasting around 3 hours?

4. Heating - my heating is always set to 20 degrees so the temperature in our house does not go below that. It is set to 20 for the guinea pigs. To be honest, a lot of the time (especially when doing house work I am far too hot and would turn the heating off if it wasn't for the pigs). Could the heating be turned down slightly or is it best to leave it at 20 as this is what they're used to?

5. Dehumidifiers - my boys have their own bedroom and it has an ensuite bathroom with a shower in. There is an extractor fan on the ceiling but I purchase the unibond 360 dehumidifier for their room which is a non electrical one but you have to replace part of the dehumidifier regularly. I have recently opted to use the bath in the main bathroom rather than the shower in the guinea pigs bathroom as I was getting increasingly concerned about the steam from the shower. However I have continued to replace the dehumidifier as their room is along the hallway from the main bathroom. Do you think the dehumidifier is still necessary? I would like to use the shower though and do think it's more economical but do you agree it's not a good idea with it being in the guinea pigs room despite the dehumidifier?

I think that's all I can think of at the moment but if anyone else has more tips, please let me know. Thanks

Hay - You could consider buying bulk or get a bale from a local equine provider. That won't be dust extracted and there is a bit of a risk to get the occasional hay mites (which you can fairly easily get on top of they are the mildest of all skin parasites), but it is going to be A LOT cheaper than if you buy from a pet shop!

Washing: It is enough to wash on 60 or 90 C once a month for each change if necessary. I don't use the dettol, just plain on-bio powder and have never had any problems in over 6 years.

We turn the heat off in our house at night. Guinea pigs thrive at the same temperatures as humans; ideally between 15-25 C, so you can lower the room temperature to your liking. So far, our indoors temperature has never been lower than 16 C after a really frosty night of nearly -10 C.
A snugglesafe for my old and frail piggies and a fleece (or two depending on the size) over the cage will do the trick, as the piggies are warming it up with their own body heat. Alternatively, a cardboard box filled with soft hay (to prevent eye pokes) also makes a nice insulation chamber for sub-zero nights.

Dehumidifier: There is really not need for extra measures with healthy guinea pigs. Regular airing for 5-10 minutes is much healthier and just as effective.

Veg - look in the supermarket for marked-down veg before closing time.

 

[span]

Yes it is anti bacterial, I'm not sure about scent free though. I'll have a look at the bottle when I get home.

That is a shame, but you have to do what is right for your health. Don't think of it as being stuck at home, think of it as time to explore other things you want to do!