Do I Spend More On Food Or More On My Dog?
When it comes to breaking down my budget, I always spend the most on rent, of course. However, two things vie for second place: what I spend on food and what I spend on my dog. And honestly, both of these categories could use a little frugality. Let’s take a look at January 2022 to review whether I spent more on food or on my dog?
January 2022 Food Spending
I spend money on food in four different ways:
- Meal prep delivery from Hungryroot. I love their meals and this is the easiest way for me to consistently eat healthy.
- Grocery stores for some extras. I usually get dairy and a few other things from the local grocery store.
- Delivery food usually through Grubhub. I order delivery food far too often because I don’t particularly like to cook.
- Restaurants, usually, but not always, with friends. I also dine out a lot, usually socially.
Here’s the breakdown of what I spent in each of those areas in January 2022:
- Hungryroot meal prep: $169.82
- Grocery stores: $163.71
- Grubhub: $447 (ouch)
- Restaurants: $419.15 (more ouch)
So, in January 2022, I spent a total of $1199.68. I definitely need to cut back on food spending. I need to spend more at Hungryroot, because that food goes further. It’s also healthier. I clearly need to spend less on dining out and delivery. This is a no-brainer, and I plan to do better in February.
January 2022 Spending on Dog
I admit that I also spend a lot of money on my dog’s life. Here’s how that looked in January:
- $635.45 on his pet insurance. I think this is wholly worth it. Note, however, that I paid for the whole year in advance. So this is only about $53 per month; it’s just that I happened to pay it all in January.
- $585 on his dog walkers. He goes out with a pack on weekdays. The truth is that I could walk him myself and save the money. However, I believe that he benefits a lot from the pack socialization. Plus, I need the break from him since I work from home and we’re together all of the time. Furthermore, I earn more working during the time he’s gone than I pay for him to be gone.
- $92.49 at Nom Nom Now. He gets his fresh/frozen food delivered through this service. I think their food is healthy and he likes it, so I’m happy to pay this. We usually pay twice this in a month. However, I had some extra so we were able to cancel a delivery.
- $20 on BarkBox. This is one of his treats and toys deliveries. He gets a lot of these.
- $32.19 on Chewy. His favorite treats come from this delivery service.
- ~$150 on Amazon Subscribe and Save. This is his dog kibble, as well as more treats and toys.
So, I spent a total of $1515.13 on the dog in January. However, if you were only to count his pet insurance by the month, then I spent $932.68.
Spending $1000 Per Month Each On Food and Dog
I guess it’s a toss up as to which one I spent more on this month. It depends on how you calculate the pet insurance. Either way, I’m spending about $1000 per month on each of these categories. I could definitely stand to cut back. Interestingly, I think it’s easier for me to cut back on my food than on his. So, let’s try that for February and see how it goes. I’ll keep you posted!
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