Most of the time ferret care expenses are like any other expense; if a
person saves for it then it's not a major burden.  Are other things given
up so that the savings can be accumulated?  Of course.  Life is a series
of choices, though.  You have to take care of the big rocks first, then
you can fit in the little ones among them.  There was a wonderful letter
recently from someone whose ferret had run her about a dollar a day.
That's a fine way to plan your savings for future costs.  Take it out of
your pay up-front, just like your pre-planned savings for retirement, for
rainy-day needs (job loss and such), for future major purchases (car, home
down payment, and so on), for tuition, for care for your parents in old
age -- whichever is appropriate for you.  Set aside what you need for
essentials, and what is left is what you can spend on the stuff you'd like
but don't need when you plan your budget.  If you spend even less than that
then you can really win big time with extra savings.  Anyway, you won't
have quite the fancy things that some will have, but you won't be hungry
if you save up-front, and your ferrets will have the care they need and
deserve.  You'll have taken care of the IMPORTANT things.  I think Caity
had a good point on that score since for personal owners (as opposed to
shelter folks) it so often, again and again and again, simply is a matter
of having enough self-discipline to save up-front or to know that you are
willing to give up non-essentials for the important stuff (so able to know
the difference, the first step toward logical money management).  Could
ferret-care money matters still get out of control?  Sure.  No one can know
what is down the pike in terms of accidents, catastrophic illness, etc.,
but the chances of not being able to afford veterinary care become quite
low with basic, simple financial pre-planning.  it's like any other costs
that way.  You give up something else to have what is important, same as
even more important decisions; your future is largely in how you CHOOSE
to budget your love, time, attention, and money.  Except for love they are
all limited resources for just about everyone, after all, and actions are
louder than words.  So, all any of us ever does is to try to do the best
with what little is held, and if patches on clothing save Patches the
ferret by allowing funds for an operation it's a net gain in love and
choice.
[Posted in FML issue 3071]