Last updated: September 9, 2026
Introduction
The Pet Budget ("we", "our", or "us") operates the website thepetbudget.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit the Site, how we use it, and the choices you have.
Information we collect
The Pet Budget is a small informational blog about the cost of pet ownership. We aim to collect as little personal data as possible.
Pet cost calculator: Our pet cost calculator runs entirely in your web browser. Any numbers you enter are processed locally on your device and are never transmitted to us or to any third party. We do not see, store, or have access to your calculator inputs.
We do not currently collect email addresses, and we do not offer user accounts or newsletter sign-ups. We do not ask you to provide personal information in order to use the Site.
If commenting is enabled and you leave a comment, we collect the data shown in the comments form, along with your IP address and browser user agent string, to help with spam detection.
Cookies
We use a small number of functional cookies to keep the Site working properly:
- WordPress cookies: The Site runs on WordPress, which sets functional cookies for basic site operation — for example, to remember whether you dismissed the cookie notice, and to manage administrator login sessions. These cookies are not used to track you across other websites.
- SEO plugin cookies: We use an SEO plugin (Rank Math), which may set functional cookies related to site features such as internal link redirection. These are used for site functionality, not for advertising.
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some Site features.
Affiliate disclosure
The Pet Budget participates in affiliate programs. This means some links on the Site are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through those links — at no extra cost to you. These commissions help support the Site and keep our content free to read. We only recommend products we believe may be useful to our readers.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this Site may include embedded content (for example, videos, images, or articles). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if you had visited the other website directly.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal information. Because we collect almost no personal data, there is very little to share. If commenting is enabled, visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
How long we retain your data
Calculator inputs are processed in your browser and are never sent to us, so we retain none of that data. If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely so we can recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue. We retain the minimal functional data needed to operate the Site, and for no longer than necessary.
What rights you have over your data
You can request to receive an exported file of any personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes. Because we collect almost no personal data, in most cases we will hold nothing about you.
Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, you can reach us via the contact form on this site.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.