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First post, YAY! could use some help as well

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Re: First post, YAY! could use some help as well

Postby MandyG » Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:44 am

Michael wrote:And I absolutely stand by the comment that "If you can barely afford the price of the bird, you can't afford to keep it." I guess if someone gives you the bird it may be different but the discussion assumed a new bird from the start. If the price of the bird is overbudget, then the lifeterm cost will be impossible to pay.


I'm really having a hard time trying to understand how that statement could possibly be true.

"If the price of the bird is overbudget, then the lifeterm cost will be impossible to pay".
If you're able to have $1,000 - $3,500 in your monthly budget for spending money then you're very lucky, but the majority of people cannot live that way. If we want something that's so expensive like buying a bird then most of us have to save a little bit (if not a lot) first. Just because we don't have that amount of money sitting around waiting to be spent does not mean we can't afford to keep a parrot.

"If you can barely afford the price of the bird, you can't afford to keep it."

As you pointed out in [url]viewtopic.php?f=7&t=320[/url] the start-up costs can be very high. That start-up cost doesn't come close to the monthly cost of a parrot. I really can't understand how you're even trying to compare the start-up costs to the maintenance costs.

And just to hopefully open your eyes a little bit, I could barely afford the price of my bird. And I mean I saved for many months. Today I would not be able to afford another bird, it would take me a long time to be able to save that amount of money again. But just so you know, I CAN afford to keep my bird, and my dogs, and maintain a 120g fish tank AND I have a horse (they aren't cheap to keep). And my animals get the best care possible. High quality food (they eat better than I do), treats, training, vet care, etc. I can afford the monthly costs of keeping each of those animals, and I'd be able to provide emergency vet care if it was necessary, because like any responsible pet owner, I do save up for emergencies. But again, I SAVE up for emergencies to have those funds there. Could I go out and buy one of these animals tomorrow if I wanted to? No. But that doesn't mean I can't take care of the ones I have, or take care of a new bird once I did save up for the initial cost.

So please, don't say that I can't afford to properly take care of my bird just because my circumstances are different than yours.
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Re: First post, YAY! could use some help as well

Postby Michael » Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:57 am

I still don't think you understand me. The way you prepare or allocate the actually money for getting a parrot is really none of our business or interest. This all has to do with how much money a person is willing to spend on a bird. Someone could be a millionaire and not be serious about owning a bird and just buy a cheap one and someone else can have a tough time financial and spend everything they have on their companion parrot. This really has no consequence. What it really comes down to is how much a person is willing to allocate for bird. The liquidity and cash flow situation is of no consequence. Someone could buy the bird on credit or save up money for it, the cash flow is irrelevant.

The point I am making is that if someone thinks that the price of the bird is really really substantial compared to their financial situation but could barely save enough to get the bird but not have any more money to spend beyond that (figuring they just need enough to get a bird) would cause a problem in the long run because as I wrote about in the cost of parrot ownership topic, as an owner you can expect to spend about the cost of the bird more on initial purchase for all supplies, and then spend another parrot's worth of cost yearly. Yes that may only be 1/12 of the cost of a parrot per month rather than 2x the cost of the parrot upfront. But this is all a matter of cashflow rather than being able to afford. If over the span of every year you could afford to buy that parrot over again, you are ok financially to take care of it.

The phrase "being able to afford" is not immediately connected to "cash on hand" because there are things like savings, credit, etc. If you don't have the cash on hand but can "afford" to pay off all the bird costs and additional costs of ownership across the year and lifespan, then you can "afford" the bird. If you buy it on credit and can't make the payments or you buy the parrot but can't pay the upkeep, you "can't afford" the parrot. That's really what my statements come down to. Don't take it the wrong way. If you are able to keep your bird in good health and good lifestyle, you are affording it and that is not the issue. The issue is someone looking starry eyed at a parrot in a bird store and saving up just the $1,000 the bird costs and not having another $2,000 that year to pay for the cage, food, supplies, etc.
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Michael
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Re: First post, YAY! could use some help as well

Postby MandyG » Thu Nov 12, 2009 2:35 pm

Thank you for clarifying and explaining what you meant. That meaning was not at all conveyed by your original statement.
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Re: First post, YAY! could use some help as well

Postby Michael » Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:07 pm

Perhaps it's just the subtlety in the understanding of the definition of "being able to afford."

Think about it. If someone can afford a house for $300,000 does that mean they have $300,000 to pay for the house up front? No way. But they can afford to make the mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities, and upkeep for the house. To afford is to be capable of inuring the costs without financial ruin. Affording something is not immediately related to cash availability.

So I still stand by what I said. If it takes 3 years to save up to have enough to pay the price of a parrot, it would be impossible to "afford" the upkeep which often costs as much as the price of the parrot on a yearly basis.

So Mandy, you've proven that you can be a responsible parrot owner and be able to afford a parrot in the long term as well as in the short term despite having a tighter budget. That is just a great example for others.
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Re: First post, YAY! could use some help as well

Postby liz » Thu Nov 15, 2018 6:19 am

For those who misunderstand responses. We at this forum consider our birds our kids. We not only care about ours but also all the others on the forum. We sometimes get a little sharp trying to get our points across.

May I suggest checking to see if you can find one on Craigslist. Those are the ones who need you and they remember where they were.
If you are near a rescue the best thing is to go visit the birds to see if one claims you. Navre did this then started volunteering. You can feel the love in his posts for all the birds in the rescues.

All my birds are rescues and I love them all very much. I am so grateful that I did not leave them where they were. They seem grateful too.
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liz
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BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
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Re: First post, YAY! could use some help as well

Postby Pajarita » Thu Nov 15, 2018 9:57 am

Liz, this is an old post that was used by a breeder to advertise its business [which is actually against the rules here].
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