Balancing your household food budget can be challenging even before you add the additional cost of pet food. How can you frugally feed your four-legged family members? Here are some tips for saving money on your pet’s meals.
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Start by consulting with your veterinarian about what and how much your pet needs to eat daily. Be sure to ask what ingredients are important for your pet in both dry and canned food. Nutrition needs change over a pet’s lifetime, which is why manufacturers make foods for puppies and kittens, adult pets and senior animals. It’s particularly important to find out how many kilocalories your pets need per day to be healthy.
Armed with this information, find foods with the proper ingredients for your pet and compare prices. You may already be comparing the cost per ounce or pound of pet foods, but once you know your pet’s caloric needs, compare the costs per daily serving of the foods you’re considering.
Don’t sacrifice quality
Remember that poor-quality foods may cost you more in the long run if they cause your dog or cat’s health to suffer and vet bills to stack up. Search reviews of foods online and balance quality and price.
Ways to save on pet food
- Compare name-brand and generic or store-brand varieties. If the ingredients of two foods are the same, go with the cheaper choice.
- Sign up for loyalty programs and e-mail alerts from pet supply stores so that your ongoing purchases add up to savings in the future. When you receive notifications of sales, stock up on pet food.
- Browse online coupon sites for offers on name-brand products. Look for rebates that offer savings after the sale.
- Warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s often have the best overall prices on pet food. The downside is that their limited selection can make price comparisons difficult.
- Online sites like Chewy.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Dog.com and Amazon often offer great prices, so compare them with each other and with retail stores. Some websites offer small discounts if you sign up for regular periodic shipments of your chosen brand.
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