11 Ways to Find Affordable Pet Products and Save Money on Supplies
As much as we all love the furry members of our families, budgetary considerations also come into effect when planning pet care. Looking for high quality, affordable pet products is one of the best ways to ensure health and happiness without breaking the bank.
Taking care of a pet is a much more expensive endeavor than many people believe it to be. According to reports, pet parents drastically underestimate the cost of taking care of their beloved animal. The lifelong cost of ownership can reach 42,545 dollars for a dog, 30,942 dollars for a cat and 19,338 dollars for a pet rabbit!
Even when expensive pet visits are taken out of the equation, the cost of ownership still remains relatively high.
There are various recurring costs every single month – food, hygiene supplies, grooming, pet toys, routine vet checkups and others. Thus, looking for low cost pet care and supplies will be essential.
Luckily, you can discover low cost pet supplies effortlessly if you’re willing to put some effort into research.
Here’s our comprehensive guide to affordable pet care and the best options for accessing affordable pet products.
Decide Which Products Need to Be High Quality
There are certain products and pet supplies you shouldn’t be making a compromise on. These are the items that have to be high quality and that you’re going to be spending the most on.
Our suggestion is to spend on high quality food, supplements and veterinary services.
The importance of pet nutrition is paramount. Good food gives your pet energy, it assists the functioning of vital organs and enables the maintenance of a healthy weight.
There are even special medical-grade foods that can be used to address issues like chronic kidney disease and obesity in pets.
Don’t opt for the low-cost versions of foods, medicines and supplements. These are required to ensure the longevity of your pet. A good amount of your budget needs to be dedicated to these essentials. Other items are the ones you can be saving some money on.
Seek Discount Pet Products
Affordable pet products are available year-round if you know where to look for them.
Many pet shops will be offering cheap pet products in the end of the year and before updating their inventory with new products. Such promotional campaigns enable the stores to get rid of items that have been in storage for some time already.
You can easily go for discounted toys, pet beds, car accessories, decorations and others.
These items cannot spoil and they will not go bad in a warehouse (if properly stored). It doesn’t really matter if you’re getting a product out of an old collection. If you like it and you believe it’s a functional piece, you should definitely go for it.
Online stores often provide massive discounts. Shop for All Pets, for example, has an entire section dedicated to daily deals you can check every once in a while to see which items have become available at reduced prices.
Search for Loyalty Programs
Many pet stores are also willing to reward loyal members.
Loyalty discounts and special promotional codes are often provided via email newsletters or social media channels.
If you subscribe to receive such messages, you will be rewarded with special perks and discounts.
Thus, if you do have a favorite pet store, stick to buying from it. Sign up for newsletters and receive promotional supplies to be eventually provided with promo codes and other price discount opportunities.
Buy Affordable Pet Products in Bulk
Buying in bulk is another way to bring down the cost of pet products and supplies.
Everybody knows that bulk offers enable big savings and there are many products you can get in bulk to enjoy a price reduction.
Buying food in bulk is an excellent choice, especially if the particular product in consideration has a long expiration date.
You can also get hygiene supplies in bulk (cleaning solutions, puppy pee pads, cat litter, etc.).
Look for cheap pet products and supplies on the basis of items already in your possession. If your cat had a drinking fountain, for example, getting filters in bulk will give you a significant price reduction.
Look for Bargains on Social Media
Low cost pet care is possible if you’re relying on the right sources of information.
Social media like Facebook are excellent tools for uncovering fantastic deals on pet products and supplies.
Join interest groups and communities dedicated to pet care. Very often, members there will share information about discounts or sources of inexpensive supplies they’ve tested and liked.
When using such information, however, you have to remain vigilant about promotional messages.
Very often, companies will spam with their promo information and disguise themselves as regular members. In such instances, you risk getting low quality products that are being advertised as something else.
Make sure that the posts you decide to choose are produced by actual members or by brands that have a good reputation. If an offer appears too good to be true, it probably is.
DIY Products for Your Pets
Thus, you may want to consider making some of your own pet items in an attempt to save some money.Very often, the components and the supplies used to make pet products will be much more affordable than the actual item itself.
If you decide to opt for the DIY approach, make sure that you know what you’re doing. A toy, for example, should be made of non-toxic materials and it shouldn’t pose choking hazards. In the event of being uncertain, you should probably ditch the DIY route and look for affordable pet products that are made by professionals.
There are many tutorials and ideas for the creation of your own pet items – toys, chew accessories, pillows, clothes, leashes, etc. Look for DIY lessons that focus on the sturdiness of the materials and the quality of the final outcome if you want your pet to be safe and happy.
Don’t Fall for Fads and Trends
The pet fashion industry is a real thing. Even designers like Armani have seen the niche’s potential and they’ve started creating items for four-legged customers.
Obviously, such trendy items are going to cost a fortune without necessarily giving pet added comfort or quality of life.
While some trendy and fashionable items may look super cute, they’re way overpriced.
Avoid buying fashionable products for your pet. Regular items like accessories, clothes and carrying bags will be much more long-lived and they cost a fraction of the price of their designer counterparts.
Look for Additional Money Saving Opportunities
Some companies will give you additional chances to save money when you buy pet products from them.
At Shop for All Pets, for example, we believe that all of our clients deserve free international shipping, regardless of their location.
If you’ve ever bought items from an overseas store in an attempt to save some money, you know just how expensive international shipping can be.
This is an important additional expense to factor into the equation. An item that appears to be very, very affordable, can all of the sudden become really pricey when you add the shipping and delivery fees.
Thus, when doing online shopping, you should always check the delivery terms and conditions. There could be hidden fees and expenses that make the product anything but financially desirable.
Pet Product Coupons!
Affordable pet products aren’t available just online.
In fact, local supermarkets and pet stores may be giving you some wonderful opportunities to save money.
Coupons are a great choice if you want to buy the essentials and enjoy a reduced price.
You can find coupons in local newspapers or the brochures and booklets that supermarkets distribute among their customers.
There are also websites and online portals dedicated to couponing and presenting you with some of the best local deals as far as pet products are concerned.
Always Compare Prices Side by Side
If you really need to be doing budget-friendly pet product shopping, create a little spreadsheet and use that to keep track of the cost of essentials.
That’s the only way to make sure you’re getting products at the best price out there.
Many people assume that online shops are the ones that give the best prices. This isn’t necessarily the case.
The only way to find out the best source of affordable pet products is to know the price per unit for the important items you need. Enter this information into the spreadsheet and change it when you come across a better offer.
It’s also possible for one item to be more affordable in one product and for another to feature a lower price in a shop that has a high price tag for the first item. So don’t assume that just because one product is cheapest in the local pet store, all others will also be affordable.
Maintaining a price spreadsheet and doing comparison may seem to be way too consuming in the very beginning but you’ll soon get used to the process (and you may even memorize the price of some staples). The procedure is really worth it because it can produce some serious savings in the long run.
Stock Up on the Items That Are Affordable Right Now
Here’s one final tip that’s really intuitive and logical but still worth mentioning.
If you find out that a certain item you use a lot of is available at a discounted price, you should stock up on it. Canned food, for example, isn’t going to go bad for years. The same applies to hygiene and grooming supplies.
Buy a lot of the respective item when the price is down. You will enjoy saving a lot of money and you’ll also be free from having to worry about buying new supplies in the near future.
A Low Price Isn’t Everything!
Affordable pet products are available everywhere but we have one final tip for the selection of the right items.
Don’t look for the lowest price tag.
Instead, try to identify the best price to quality ratio.
The cheapest items out there aren’t always made of the best or the safest materials. They could break after a few months of use or even worse – they could injure your pet. Spending a bit more on a comparable item that’s of higher quality will prolong the use and give you a much better return on investment.