This year I’ve been using a budget app called YNAB to track our spending. Month to month, it’s helped tremendously in keeping us on track even when unexpected expenses have crept up.
Now that we’re reaching the end of the year, I’m able to look back and tabulate how much we’ve spent in different categories, which is how I know we’ve spend $2,312.95 on Toes this year. This includes her kidney food and fluids, vet visits, boarding costs, and most of her kitty litter (some of these purchases might have accidentally been filed under grocery spending).
$2,312.95 is not a small amount to spend on a cat. I remember when I was younger being in awe of how much my family members would spend on vet visits and treatments for their pets. But once Toes was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, I totally got it. Even though she’d only been our cat for a couple of months, I wanted to do everything I could for her. I’m fortunate we’ve been able to afford her care and to have her boarded when we go out of town.
What I like about the YNAB approach to budgeting is that it’s focused on making sure you’re spending money where it matters most to you. For David and I, that’s meant controlling our costs in some areas so that we can spend more on the things we love like travel, fitness, the arts, Magic: The Gathering, and our Toes girl.
Sarah Zureick-Brown 