Can I Afford This Pet? Calculator
PROCalculate if I can truly afford a dog by analyzing my discretionary surplus against real ownership costs including food, vet care, insurance, and hidden lifestyle expenses.
Example Usage
“I make $4,500 a month take-home and have $3,400 in bills and savings contributions. I want to get a Golden Retriever puppy in Austin, Texas. I work from home 3 days a week and travel about 2 weeks per year. Run a full affordability analysis - can I actually afford this dog, and what’s my true monthly cost including a dog walker twice a week?”
Skill Prompt
This skill works best when copied from findskill.ai — it includes variables and formatting that may not transfer correctly elsewhere.
How to Use This Skill
1
Copy the skill using the button above
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Paste into your AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.)
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Fill in your inputs below (optional) and copy to include with your prompt
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Send and start chatting with your AI
Suggested Customization
| Description | Default | Your Value |
|---|---|---|
| Size category affecting food and medication costs | medium | |
| Cost of living tier for my area | medium | |
| Frequency of professional grooming required | low | |
| My work/life patterns affecting service needs | homebody | |
| Level of pet insurance coverage | standard | |
| My monthly net take-home pay | 0 |
Research Sources
This skill was built using research from these authoritative sources:
- American Pet Products Association (APPA) Industry Data 2024 Official industry statistics on total pet spending, providing baseline data for food and vet care market sizes
- NAPHIA State of the Industry Report 2024 North American Pet Health Insurance Association's report on average accident/illness premiums ($749/year avg for dogs)
- Reddit: Cost of Dog Ownership 2024 Real-world user breakdowns of inflation-adjusted costs for 2024, highlighting price hikes in food and vet care
- Rover Cost of Dog Ownership Report Comprehensive annual guide breaking down low, medium, and high-budget scenarios for dog owners
- NerdWallet: How Much Does a Dog Cost? Financial planning perspective on one-time vs. recurring costs for surplus calculation logic
- ASPCA Pet Care Cost Breakdown Authoritative baseline for minimum care standards, establishing expense floor
- CareCredit Lifetime of Care Study Landmark study analyzing total lifetime cost of pets ($20k-$55k), essential for long-term forecasting
- Reddit: What's Your Dog Cost Annually? Recent community data points confirming current monthly spends ($200-$500/mo) for calculator accuracy