Veterinary savings don’t get a ton of press with financial bloggers. But the price of dog spaying forced a bit of shopping around on behalf of little Zara once she reached her 6-month birthday.

You could argue that this is not the sort of birthday present most of us would want, but such is the life of an urban pet. And, as aging humans, we too are subject to various proddings, inspections and other personal violations, all in the name of good health.

The local veterinarian office answered the call and indicated that they would be pleased to conduct the procedure and had some availability over the next couple of weeks. Ah yes, and the costs would be $1,300 plus applicable taxes. Ouch, and I wasn’t even the one going for the procedure.

It’s kind of a personal thing between you and your dog

Now on the one hand, dog spaying is not the type of thing one would think to negotiate. It’s kind of a personal thing between you and your dog. A just-get-it-done-and-move-on kind of a thing. Can’t do comparisons on Kijiji (more on Kijiji techniques here). Not something to bid on over at eBay. And our friends who ship the smiling packages aren’t in that business. Yet.

Second call was to a vet a little further afield, in a neighborhood with fewer Starbucks. Down to $850, all in with the necessary shots included, plus taxes. How can the government add taxes to dog spaying? Hopefully this isn’t a line item somewhere between softwood lumber and dairy in the new NAFTA agreement or we may see duties as well as taxes.

Anyway, with about $500 saved with just a second phone call, I wondered how far I could take this. I reached out to a buddy with 2 dogs to see who he used. Turns out he had paid a similar $850 but had heard talk that the local Humane Society (SPCA for my American friends) will do the spaying for much less. Buoyed by the success of my first two phone calls, I elected to do some online research to pursue this new lead.

Kind of a dial-in lottery for veterinary savings

The Humane Society site indicated that they do perform the operation, but you need to call early on the prescribed day each month to secure your spot. Kind of a dial in lottery for veterinary savings. Not the most high-tech solution. But the price was an incredible $150, all in. Worth a few minutes of aggressive dialing to secure a spot.

The waiting room was less plush than the local vet and there were no dog-eared (sorry about that) magazines on the coffee tables. And no complimentary coffee. But when Zara emerged, she had proudly attained the same infertile status as any of the dogs whose owners had paid nearly ten times as much. She continues to enjoy ball fetching with occasional returns to her master, unproductive squirrel chasing and even has a few doggy boyfriends, all platonic of course.

What unusual things have you been comparison shopping for? Share your stories!

For saving ideas that can add over $2 million to your net worth over the next 10 years, check out Cashflow Cookbook. Available here.

Spring is here!

That means it’s time for the annual clothing pilgrimage. The winter gear moves down into the giant Tupperware containers in the basement crawlspace, and the spring and summer collection is liberated upstairs to the bedroom dresser. There’s probably a better way to set up the dusty crawlspace to reduce the head bonking and sneezing, but let’s save that for next year. Actually, that was the plan last year as well.

Everything gets laid out on the bed for inspection. But something happened to your spring togs over the winter. A small moth hole here, a few pieces starting to push fashion boundaries there. Oh, and those pants are looking a bit frayed along the bottom. And it seems they, ahem, shrunk some over the winter. Somehow.

Time to refresh the wardrobe.

Where better to find some new gear than the mall? The trip offers an invigorating traffic jam or two, a rousing parking space hunt, and then the blanching effect of 3 hours of fluorescent lights and some denatured music. Browsing the clothing racks, it looks like the good stuff is all at full price and the sale rack holds only the most garish patterns and XS sizing. Out comes the credit card to load up on the good stuff anyway, because, well, it’s the good stuff! Never mind the clothing costs. It’s worth it. But once the bills are all tallied, let’s just say you won’t be adding much to your TFSA for a while.

When did cashiers start taking email addresses?

Because I don’t want to give it to them. After all the scanning, beeping, and swiping was done, the clerk asks for your email address. Seriously? Who would fall for that one? The last thing any of us need is more junk email. By refusing, you dodged an additional daily onslaught. Nice work.

But what if those emails include something of value? Like real discounts of 30, 40, or 50%? And since they come from the store you just bought from, they are likely to be of interest to you. Maybe it’s worth giving the cashier your email address after all…

The problem, of course, is that clearing out email isn’t a fun task, and adding dozens more from retailers only adds to the misery. Many of the retailers will send out these offers daily, too. For those of us who don’t make daily clothing purchases, this is an issue.

Email rules to the rescue!

By setting up rules you can automatically divert these offer emails to dedicated mailbox folders. You can set up mailboxes for a specific retailer like Banana Republic, or for a category like clothing. And it works for more than just clothes! You can stash away bargain codes for travel, home repair bits, or whatever it is that you buy. The rules scan your inbox for relevant emails and then quietly whisk them away to their new home, ready for you on purchase day. Your inbox stays clear, and your discount codes are ready when you need them.

Here are the steps:

For Mac Apple Mail

1. To set up mailboxes, go to mailbox/new mailbox, then pick its location and give it a name.
2. For the rules, got to Mail/Preferences/Add Rule and unleash your inner programmer. It’s not so hard — just pick “From”, copy the email address from one of your offer emails, and tell it what folder to send it to.
3. Repeat for all the different offers you’re getting, and you’re done! Your offers will be ready and waiting in their new homes.

For Microsoft Outlook

1. To set up folders, go to New Items/Folder and give it a name.
2. For the rules, go to Tools/Rules then click the “+” to add a rule that moves emails from specific senders. Pick “From”, copy the email address from one of your offer emails, and point it to the right folder.
3. Repeat for all your different offers, and you’re done! Your offers will be ready and waiting in their new homes.

Not working right?

Recruit a tech-savvy friend or family member for some help or check your basement for a teenager. They know how to do these kinds of things.

Once the rules are in place, your inbox stays clear and the latest offers are at the ready to help you cut down on clothing costs. Of course, let’s not squander the savings on extra gear! Get them working for you by paying down some debt or increasing your savings.

For some great tips on how to do that, check out my book, Cashflow Cookbook. It’s jam-packed with recipes for savings that can save you millions.

Let me know how it goes!

Where to Store All of These Loyalty Cards?

Ok, so they are stacking up inside your wallet, layer upon layer. Thankfully with no cheese or sauce in between. Messy in the pants or purse. Save me from getting another loyalty card.

“Would you like to join our soup club?”

“Are you a member of our fish market?”

“You should take advantage of our frequent sock buyer points program.”

Good lord, where will I store all of these cards? How will I remember all of the member numbers and passwords? And will they shower me in junk email?