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When we first started working the baby steps, I looked for any and all ways to save money so that we had more to put towards our debt. One thing I started doing was grooming my dogs myself. At the time, we had two dogs, a Shih Tzu and a Pekingese, who are unfortunately no longer with us (RIP Champ and Cookie).
My mom and dad groomed their dogs themselves and after talking to my mom about it, I decided to give it a try. The day I was going to go buy some clippers, I called my mom to tell her and coincidentally, she had already ordered me a set (unbeknownst to me) and they were scheduled to be delivered in just a couple days.
The clippers came with a how-to DVD that I watched and while poor Champ (pictured below) looked a little like a naked rat afterwards, I would call it a success. I’ve been grooming our dogs ever since (with just a few exceptions).
While there is an initial up-front cost to buy the clippers, it’s likely the same or less than the cost of one grooming. For example, these clippers are very similar to the ones I use now, and they currently cost $54.99. I checked with our local big name pet store and grooming there starts at $68. You can literally save money with your first haircut! If you have two dogs that need groomed (like I did) and you get them both groomed four times a year, you could save over $500 a year by doing it yourself. That’s extra money to put towards your emergency savings, debt snowball, college savings, retirement, coffee fund, etc. And who knows, maybe this could turn into a side hustle and help you pay off debt even quicker if you’re in baby step 2 like we were. Either way, it might be worth a shot!
Before: Cena (and Luna offering moral support)
After: Cena (and Luna) Look at all those spots!
A couple notes:
-Every dog I’ve ever groomed hates getting their face and legs/feet trimmed. Know that this may lead to questionable looks at the dog park until their hair starts to grow out a bit.
-You might need an extra pair of hands to help hold the dog while grooming and/or trimming their nails. If the thought of trimming nails intimidates you, check with your vet. Our vet offers free nail trimming with an exam.
-If you’re buying clippers, spend a little more for the cordless ones. It makes a big difference!
-Another way to save money on grooming is to get a breed that doesn’t require it. Might seem obvious but we’ve not always considered that when choosing our dogs in the past. For example, Luna (pictured above) doesn’t need to be groomed.