It’s been widely reported that the pet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. I think I’ve spent enough at my veterinarian’s office to put most of her staff’s children through college.

But there are ways to keep expenses down. A recent article on msnbc.com listed 10 ideas, including seeking discounts for health care when you own multiple pets, patronizing free or low-cost rabies clinics and trading pet-sitting services with a friend rather than shelling out big bucks at a boarding facility.

But there are other ways you can keep more money in your wallet:
—But your dogs’ kibble in bulk, set aside what you need for the next week or two and freeze the rest. Make sure you are storing the food your dog is eating in an airtight container, preferably made of glass, stainless steel or another non-plastic material. Make sure the frozen food is also stored in your freezer in airtight packages. Food left exposed to air becomes rancid and stale quickly.
—Don’t go nuts buying your pets new toys all the time. This was a hard lesson for me to learn. Rotate your pets’ toys every few months so they are excited to see old favorites again.
—Another note on toys: if your pet likes to play with stuffed animals buy several from yard sales and the like. They are much cheaper and it doesn’t matter if your animal destroys them because they didn’t cost you $7 a pop! And if your dog likes squeakers you can buy them separately and sew them into the yard sale stuffies.
—Groom your dog yourself. This is easier said than done with some of the long-haired breeds such as poodles, shih tzus and Afghan hounds. But for short haired breeds, bathe them yourself (using dog-friendly shampoo!) and learn to clip their nails on your own. For dogs that absolutely hate the clippers try using a Dremel tool to file their nails. Just make sure not to leave the Dremel on one spot for too long as it becomes hot to the touch. I would imagine this tip is not going to go over well with cat owners, so I will leave this one for dogs only.
—Use reusable materials for litter pans. Washable pee pads are available online and cost less to use than constantly buying disposable pads and litter. Note: this is one piece of advice I do not follow. My dogs use pads indoors while I’m at work and I’m NOT throwing nasty pee pads in my washing machine. But that’s just me.

Happy saving! Anyone got any other tips?