Post by Flora on Oct 21, 2020 22:35:07 GMT -2
How to keep mice on a budget!
If you're looking into getting mice but want to keep it cheap, here is a guide on how to care for mice on a budget. This is a guide to set up a budget and create a plan on what you're going to need and how much it will cost you. The upfront cost will still be a lot of money especially if you don’t have anything. You still need to be saving up your money and making sure you have enough to responsibly take care of them. I will also cover money saving tactics for the long term. This is also American dollars so sorry for the inconvenience if that isn’t what you use.
How to plan a budget
Basic Budget outline:
Vet bills- $100-$250
Cage- $40
Toys- $45
Food- $15
Bedding- $20
Other- $30
TOTAL COST: $250-$400
*This budget is customizable and you can use this article as an outline. Within the article there are also some ways to save more than the low end of the budget*
Vet Bills
Saving up for vet bills is especially important when you're on a budget. This is because if you get a surprise injury or respiratory infection you should be able to go to the vet as soon as possible. If you were not planning to spend that money or don’t have it at the time you will have to put the visit off and the illness might become worse. If you have money saved just in case you will always be prepared.
Cage
A cage for your mouse or mice is important because well that's where they will spend most of their time. The easiest way to save on a cage is to make a bin cage. This will cost you about $25 for the cage and $15 for the properly sized mesh. There is an article on making a bin cage for mice as well (Found here). The other option would be to get a second hand cage, tank (or one for sale during a $ per gal sale) or possibly build one yourself depending on prices of wood and other materials.
Toys
It is preferable for mice to have a variety of different toys and things to do. You should provide different climbing toys, hides, foraging toys, chews, and possibly hammocks. The cage should be cluttered and little space should be left open. You can make foraging toys yourself as covered in the “DIY toys” article; this is practically free if you make it out of an empty TP roll and stuff it with food or treats. These will also double as chews. Hides can be made at home as well but you will probably want to buy some as well. Try to keep it under $20 to fit the budget. You can make hammocks and climbing toys yourself using scraps of fabric or a yard of fleece from the store. This will cost you about $5-$12. How to make these is covered in the DIY section as well. An easy substitute for the clips used in that article is zip ties these will only cost a few cents to $1. You can also buy some store bought chews, foraging, and climbing toys if you want. You would have about $12-$19 for that.
Food
Your food may vary a bit in price but will generally be $8-$15. This will be an ongoing cost though so be prepared when it comes time to buy more. You can look at the diet article or the mouse food dissection in the diet section of the forum to help you decide what food you will be feeding your mice. You will also probably want treats which will cost $2-$4 depending on what you get. Stay away from fancy store bought treats as they are expensive and most likely unhealthy. Try something like pumpkin seeds which you can buy in bulk and they will last forever!
Bedding
Choosing the right bedding for mice is very important because they have very delicate respiratory systems. Some good options are ”ECO Bedding” or “Kaytee Clean and Cozy” but these can be expensive. Try an off brand version that you can buy a bulk bag for under $20. Make sure to look at the reviews so that you don’t end up with something dusty.
Other
Others include the wheel, water bottle, and the actual mouse or mice. The mouse or mice will cost about $10-$12 and the wheel is about $11 depending on what you get. The water bottle will also be about $7. You can look for some deals but there isn’t much you can do to save money on these things.
Things you might not think about
Other things that you will need to budget for are things like a bin to keep bedding in. Cleaning supplies like trash bags, paper towels, a spray bottle, and cleaning solution (water and vinegar solution is a great, cheap, pet-safe option). A scale, and bin to weigh your mice with. A notebook to keep health records in. A stand to keep the cage on if you need one. Many of these things you might not need or already have but if you're totally new these are things you forget about that you need to keep in mind when making a budget.
Keeping costs down long term
To keep costs down in the long term you're going to need to look at the ongoing costs like chew toys or things they destroy easily, bedding, food, and cleaning supplies. Try to make different enrichment toys out of free things like TP rolls or extra tissue to keep them busy so they don’t destroy other toys. Also use buying in bulk to get food and bedding cheap. Make sure to use a cheap cleaning solution like water and vinegar. Also don’t be wasteful with things like paper towels or use a reusable cloth that you can just wash when it's dirty.
All the little things you're going to do is what will add up. Just look for money savers in everything you're buying even if it will only save a dollar or two. Mice are reasonably cheap pets despite the large upfront costs. The keep up should cost you less than $50 a year if you are mindful of your purchases, But you must also remember to put the care of your mouse before your wallet. It isn’t worth losing your mouse if you skimp out on the vet, diet, or proper bedding and ventilation.
If you're looking into getting mice but want to keep it cheap, here is a guide on how to care for mice on a budget. This is a guide to set up a budget and create a plan on what you're going to need and how much it will cost you. The upfront cost will still be a lot of money especially if you don’t have anything. You still need to be saving up your money and making sure you have enough to responsibly take care of them. I will also cover money saving tactics for the long term. This is also American dollars so sorry for the inconvenience if that isn’t what you use.
How to plan a budget
Basic Budget outline:
Vet bills- $100-$250
Cage- $40
Toys- $45
Food- $15
Bedding- $20
Other- $30
TOTAL COST: $250-$400
*This budget is customizable and you can use this article as an outline. Within the article there are also some ways to save more than the low end of the budget*
Vet Bills
Saving up for vet bills is especially important when you're on a budget. This is because if you get a surprise injury or respiratory infection you should be able to go to the vet as soon as possible. If you were not planning to spend that money or don’t have it at the time you will have to put the visit off and the illness might become worse. If you have money saved just in case you will always be prepared.
Cage
A cage for your mouse or mice is important because well that's where they will spend most of their time. The easiest way to save on a cage is to make a bin cage. This will cost you about $25 for the cage and $15 for the properly sized mesh. There is an article on making a bin cage for mice as well (Found here). The other option would be to get a second hand cage, tank (or one for sale during a $ per gal sale) or possibly build one yourself depending on prices of wood and other materials.
Toys
It is preferable for mice to have a variety of different toys and things to do. You should provide different climbing toys, hides, foraging toys, chews, and possibly hammocks. The cage should be cluttered and little space should be left open. You can make foraging toys yourself as covered in the “DIY toys” article; this is practically free if you make it out of an empty TP roll and stuff it with food or treats. These will also double as chews. Hides can be made at home as well but you will probably want to buy some as well. Try to keep it under $20 to fit the budget. You can make hammocks and climbing toys yourself using scraps of fabric or a yard of fleece from the store. This will cost you about $5-$12. How to make these is covered in the DIY section as well. An easy substitute for the clips used in that article is zip ties these will only cost a few cents to $1. You can also buy some store bought chews, foraging, and climbing toys if you want. You would have about $12-$19 for that.
Food
Your food may vary a bit in price but will generally be $8-$15. This will be an ongoing cost though so be prepared when it comes time to buy more. You can look at the diet article or the mouse food dissection in the diet section of the forum to help you decide what food you will be feeding your mice. You will also probably want treats which will cost $2-$4 depending on what you get. Stay away from fancy store bought treats as they are expensive and most likely unhealthy. Try something like pumpkin seeds which you can buy in bulk and they will last forever!
Bedding
Choosing the right bedding for mice is very important because they have very delicate respiratory systems. Some good options are ”ECO Bedding” or “Kaytee Clean and Cozy” but these can be expensive. Try an off brand version that you can buy a bulk bag for under $20. Make sure to look at the reviews so that you don’t end up with something dusty.
Other
Others include the wheel, water bottle, and the actual mouse or mice. The mouse or mice will cost about $10-$12 and the wheel is about $11 depending on what you get. The water bottle will also be about $7. You can look for some deals but there isn’t much you can do to save money on these things.
Things you might not think about
Other things that you will need to budget for are things like a bin to keep bedding in. Cleaning supplies like trash bags, paper towels, a spray bottle, and cleaning solution (water and vinegar solution is a great, cheap, pet-safe option). A scale, and bin to weigh your mice with. A notebook to keep health records in. A stand to keep the cage on if you need one. Many of these things you might not need or already have but if you're totally new these are things you forget about that you need to keep in mind when making a budget.
Keeping costs down long term
To keep costs down in the long term you're going to need to look at the ongoing costs like chew toys or things they destroy easily, bedding, food, and cleaning supplies. Try to make different enrichment toys out of free things like TP rolls or extra tissue to keep them busy so they don’t destroy other toys. Also use buying in bulk to get food and bedding cheap. Make sure to use a cheap cleaning solution like water and vinegar. Also don’t be wasteful with things like paper towels or use a reusable cloth that you can just wash when it's dirty.
All the little things you're going to do is what will add up. Just look for money savers in everything you're buying even if it will only save a dollar or two. Mice are reasonably cheap pets despite the large upfront costs. The keep up should cost you less than $50 a year if you are mindful of your purchases, But you must also remember to put the care of your mouse before your wallet. It isn’t worth losing your mouse if you skimp out on the vet, diet, or proper bedding and ventilation.
