Cutting Expenses

Back in November Dolittler offered tips on 10 ways to save big on your pet’s Rx bill. Many, many good ideas. I started looking at those $4 prescription lists online, but sadly I NEVER found either the clomipramine or the alprazolam on any of them at the major pharmacies or big-boxes with pharmacies inside. Very discouraging. But, last week, while picking up Lilly’s latest batch of alprazolam at Walgreens, I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. It turns out … I can save money. Here’s how!

The original prescription was for the 6-week tryout on the alprazolam. We added it to the other drug after our behaviorist realized just how severe Lilly’s sound sensitivity is. So, I’ve been getting 6-week batches for about $26 ever since. In a year, that’s about $224.

BUT, it turns out that by getting a W Card from Walgreens ($35 for the whole family, including the dogs), I can get 180 pills (or three month’s worth) for just $12. In a year, that’s just $48. So, all I have to do is ask our veterinarian to write a new prescription for more pills. That’s it.

Why I couldn’t find this deal myself, I do not know.

It might not sound like much of a savings, but $35+$48=$83 compared to $224 is a lot to me. That’s $141, which will pay for a bunch of training classes, if we continue to take just one a month.

While I was on a roll, I also asked about the clomipramine, but for some reason that would cost nearly double what I’m currently paying through my veterinarian.

Other budgeting measures around here include:

  • Keeping most electronic things unplugged (not just off) when not in use
  • Drying clothes outside, rather than using the dryer
  • Sharing trash service since it’s silly to pay full price for one bag per week (thanks to monster recycling)
  • Driving only once per week (as much as possible)
  • Dumping a monthly cell phone plan and using pay-as-you-go instead
  • Breaking a bunch of long-held grocery shopping habits
  • Driving an old car that’s totally paid off and very reliable

I’ve never been a big spender anyway (at least on things I consider frivolous), but I’m always looking for ways to cut expenses. The less I spend, the less stressed I am. It’s just my make-up. I can’t explain. You, therefore, won’t see me sporting fake nails or a salon manicure. You won’t suddenly find that my hair is a different color. And, other than my wedding ring, you’ll almost never see me wearing any jewelry.

Last year, someone recommended I read The Complete Tightwad Gazette. It’s somewhat outdated (having been published in 1998), but it’s interesting. While some of the ideas where WAY out there to me, others are things I’ve always done.

For example, fellow writer and blogger Leah Ingram over at Suddenly Frugal, who offers all kind of good ideas, gave a shout out recently to the humble cheese grater. I had a good giggle over that. It would NEVER occur to me NOT to grate my own cheese.

Heck, when a recipe from Elizabeth Yarnell’s new cookbook Glorious One-Pot Meals called for pomegranate molasses, I did NOT drive to the specialty food store to buy some. I bought a bottle of pomegranate juice at Costco and boiled some down myself, as Elizabeth suggests in the book (that I already touted here and purchased … see I do sometimes spend). It took all of 15 minutes to reduce the juice to the desired consistency.

So, how do you save your cash-o-la?

In case you missed it, here’s a piece I did for Clean Run on how to save money and afford agility expenses. If nothing else, the graphic is worth a look. Very funny. (Their idea, not mine.)