12 Easy Ways to Save Money on Pet Food
Owning a pet is not only a time commitment, it is also a big financial commitment. Pet food, toys, vet bills… It can really add up! If you’re looking for a simple way to cut back on pet care costs, I’ve got good news. You don’t have to break the bank to meet your pet’s nutritional needs. Check out these 12 ways to save money on pet food!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I will earn a commission if you purchase through my links, at no cost to you. For more info, Please read my full Disclosure.
The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association estimates that the average cost of owning a dog is $3,242 per year while cat ownership is estimated at approximately $2,083 per year. While the costs may vary from household to household, this is a clear example of the financial commitment of bringing a new pet into your home.
One of the major costs associated with pet ownership is the price of pet food. After all, you don’t want to skimp on your pet’s nutrition and well-being! Right?
If you’ve been searching for a solution to reduce your pet care costs, you’ve come to the right place.
Check Out These 12 Easy and Effective Ways to Save On Pet Food!
#1 – Take Advantage of Free Samples
While I’m not suggesting that you can feed your pet entirely for free, you can take advantage of free samples in order to lower your pet food bill.
If you are feeding a veterinarian requested diet, check with your vet’s office! Often, food manufacturers supply veterinarians with samples for their clients as a marketing aid.
While the samples themselves aren’t large, they can quickly add up!
Another place to check for samples is online.
Start by going straight to the source. Many pet food retailers will offer samples directly from their website.
In addition to the brand websites, there are many sites dedicated to compiling deals and samples. This makes it easy for you to find offers that fit your current needs.
Examples include:
Note: Pay careful attention when signing up for free samples online. While there are many out there that are truly free, others will require a shipping cost. Depending on the sample, this may negate any savings you experience from receiving the sample.
Don’t forget to keep an eye open for samples at your favourite pet stores!
Companies will often send samples when releasing new formulas or during a marketing push. If you know your local pet store staff, they may even give you a heads up when samples are available.
This is a good reason to get to know your local pet store staff better…
#2 – Sales, Discount Codes, Coupons and Other Deals
You may not be able to score free food, but discounts are the next best thing. Scoring coupons and discount codes may be easier than you realized, you just have to know where to look.
Much like the online free samples, it’s always a good idea to start your coupon search with the company itself. For example, Purina offers a full page of coupons on their website that you can take advantage of and Hill’s has a ‘Special Offers’ page with some great deals.
Don’t forget to join the company’s mailing list to stay up to date on all the latest deals.
Another great place to score deals directly from the company is to follow their social media accounts. Often companies will share exclusive contests, coupons and discount codes just for their followers on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
There are also a number of websites dedicated to sharing coupons and deals for your convenience. While these sites aren’t usually pet-specific, many include a pet section for easier navigation.
Examples include:
You can also watch deal sites like Groupon to pick up deals specific to your favourite pet store. For example, the site often runs coupon and promo codes for PetSmart.
#3 – Watch for Rebates
In addition to saving money upfront when purchasing your pet’s food, you may also be able to cash in a rebate and receive money back.
Pay attention to any signage when purchasing your pet food as some companies will provide rebate-related information to retailers in order to help get the word out.
In addition to instore signage and advertising, rebate options may be displayed directly on the pet food bag itself.
Check your bags over carefully before throwing them away, you may find a surprise!
Finally, try doing some online research to find out fi you can find a rebate specific to your pet’s food online.
While many rebates are advertised in store, you will occasionally find additional rebates available online.
#4 – Sign Up for VIP and Loyalty Programs
Most of the points on this list focus on an instant savings, but what about the long game?
If you are loyal to a specific pet store or pet food brand, check to find out if they offer a VIP or loyalty program. These programs often allow you to work towards discounts or free product with repeat purchases.
For example, if you shop at PetValu, you may want to check out the Your Rewards Program. This includes the buy 12, get 1 free Frequent Buyer Program (only for specified brands) as well as a 5% Case Discount Program for cans of wet food.
#5 – Don’t Be Swayed by Brand Names
There is a misconception that in order to feed your pet high-quality pet food, you must purchase the best known and most expensive brands. However, I’d like to challenge you to reframe your thinking slightly when it comes to pet food.
Rather than buying based solely on the brand of dog food and its reputation, try digging into the ingredients and nutritional value of the food itself.
There are many GREAT foods on the market that don’t have the name and notoriety of the biggest brands.
The difference? Often simply that they haven’t been around long enough to gain the same reputation…
Take the time to review the ingredients in your premium/name brand foods and compare it to some of the lesser known brands and you may find a lower cost alternative that will provide your pet with all the same great nutrition!
Nervous about trying something new? You can always reach out to your veterinarian for their advice!
#6 – Ask Around to Find Savings
If you’re looking to save money on a specific brand and/or formula of pet food, why not reach out to your network for their help?
You can post on your social media platforms asking your friends and family or even post in a local Facebook group for your region asking if anyone has seen a sale on that specific food.
Sure, you my come up empty handed, however, you may discover there is a sale nearby that you weren’t even aware of!
What do you have to lose? A couple minutes of your time…
#7 – Join Pet Store Mailing Lists
Many pet stores have e-mail mailing lists available that you can sign up for to receive their latest news and offers.
Why would you sign up to receive their ‘junk mail’?
Those newsletters often contain information about upcoming sales and even exclusive coupons and discount codes for their followers!
While traditional mailing lists are less common, you may also be able to sign up to receive flyers from your local pet store (if they still mail them).
This is another great opportunity to make sure that you don’t miss out on any great sales. Just make sure that you set some time aside to go through them when they come in! A flyer that is instantly set aside ‘for later’ isn’t going to help you!
#8 – Compare Recommended Serving Size and Price
If you read the packaging on your pet’s food, you will notice that it contains a recommended daily service size. This information is incredibly important!
Not only does this help you ensure that your pet is getting the nutrition that they require, but it will also help you find a good deal…
Often, we dismiss higher priced foods when looking for a good deal. But this may not actually be the key to saving money!
Lower-quality foods often contain a large quantity of ‘fillers’. These are ingredients that hold no real nutritional value, they are just there to bulk up the food.
What does this mean for you?
In order to meet your pet’s nutritional needs, you will need to feed them a larger helping and will, therefore, burn through the food faster.
To find the best option, you will need to do a little math…
Don’t worry, there’s a calculator on your smartphone for all the math haters.
Divide the total volume of the bag by the amount of food needed for each meal. This will tell you how many meals you can get out of a single bag (or package).
Then, take the total price and divide it by the number of meals. This will tell you the cost per meal.
If you are looking to save money, you want to find the food with the lowest cost per meal, not the lowest overall cost per bag. Sure, that cheaper food may only be $25 versus $40 for the higher-quality bag, but if you need 2 bags to cover the same number of meals, you’re actually spending more!
#9 – Buy Food in Bulk
It’s common knowledge that we can save money by buying items in bulk, that theory is what companies like Costco are built on.
But have you been applying that same theory to your pet food purchases?
Contact your local pet store and find out if they offer additional savings if you are purchasing in bulk. Many offer a discount depending on the quantity that you are purchasing at any given time.
No discount available at your local store?
Depending on how big your planned order will be, it may be worth reaching out to the manufacturer directly!
There are two important factors that you should take into consideration if you plan on buying in bulk:
- The expiry date of the foods that you are purchasing
- Storage methods for the food to prevent early spoilage
Remember, a bulk order isn’t going to save you anything if you’re throwing half of it away!
#10 – Cook Your Own Food and Treats
Most pet owners didn’t switch to homemade food options as a way to save money on pet food, however, with careful planning, it can be done!
The biggest concern with making your own food is to be sure that you are meeting all of your pet’s nutritional needs.
Therefore, you want to follow the guidance of a professional.
Leverage resources like the VetSpecialists Directory in order to find a qualified veterinary nutritionist in your area, or reach out to a professional open to online consultations.
Do you feed your pet a combination of wet and dry foods?
Consider switching to making only the wet food portions or ‘toppers’ for your pet’s food while continuing to feed their nutritionally balanced dry kibble.
If the idea of making your pet’s food makes you nervous, you can always scale back your goals slightly by focusing instead on making your pet’s treats rather than paying commercial prices.
Not only are homemade treats generally cheaper, but they allow you to control the ingredients and avoid many of the recalls that we have seen over the years on mass produced pet treats.
Dog owners, check out my recent post ‘Easy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats’ for some great recipes and inspiration!
#11 – Search for Online Sales
Have you ever jumped online to search for a good online sale? Why not do the same with your pet food purchases?
It has been said that the Internet is the way of the future, and our spending habits reflect it! Recognizing that many customers prefer online purchases, we’ve seen an increase in the number of brands that are moving online.
The online marketplace is incredibly competitive, and we are the ones that ultimately benefit from that!
Before you make a purchase, take the time to do some online sleuthing. Often you can find the same products available at your local brick and mortar stores at a lower price point!
Just don’t forget to factor in shipping costs!
#12 – Delivery Subscriptions
If you know that you will be purchasing an item regularly, like pet food, why not take advantage of a delivery subscription?
These regular deliveries will not only save you the hassle of remembering when to stock up next, but they also come at a discounted cost!
Looking for some options? Check out the delivery subscriptions available at Chewy.com or Amazon. These programs are convenient, cost-effective AND you save on gas by having it delivered to your door!
Do you have any tricks to save money on pet food that I missed? What was the best deal that you ever scored?
I’d love to hear your success stories in the comments!
I started buying portions of food early on when I had just one pup. when we brough home our second furbaby we switched to 17 kilo packs. Years passed and now I find myself buying 17+17 bindles. It helps to save a lot! around 5% of price of 17 kilo and 17 kilo gives best coin per kilo ration as is. it allows us to buy the best for them we can find here and do not worry about the robbing a bank
Buying in bulk is a great way to score some additional savings!
I guess I’m lucky in that my three dogs all eat the same food so I’m able to purchase a gigantic bag of dog food and it lasts a while. I have noticed as of late it seems like the price of dog food has gone up and I try to look for coupons whenever possible or purchase at one of the big box stores These are great tips to be cognizant of.
I’ve definitely noticed the rise in dog food pricing as of late as well with 2 large dogs here. We feed them a specific food to the one dog’s allergies which limits where we can get it, but I am always on the look out for coupons and deals!
We have our dog food delivered, and it’s so much easier. I don’t have to wrestle a 40 or 50 pound bag into a shopping cart anymore.
That is DEFINITELY a perk of choosing a delivery option, isn’t it?
Love these tips! I hate to admit how much we spend on food for our two big doods! ? We just substituted with a new bag that’s half the cost and still grain free to help cut down on costs! You’re totally right on digging more into the ingredients!
We spend a lot on pet food due to Dav’s LONG list of allergies. It really limits the options that are available for us but it also taught me a lot about digging into the ingredients of the food and treats that we’re giving them. You’d be surprised by the quality of some of the lower-priced alternatives!
Great post! I have 2 large dogs so we go through dog food like crazy. I get our dog food at Costco.. It is significantly cheaper then pet stores & the Kirkland brand is rated very highly. It’s made by the same company that makes Taste of The Wild. I also used Chewy for prescription food. Using the subscribe & save, it was about $10 less then in store. Now, I order most everything from Chewy because it’s a lot less then in store.
I am a HUGE fan of ordering online to save money. The world of online retail is more competitive which often drives great deals. You just need to go into it with a solid idea of the local costs for comparison to make sure that you’re not paying more when you factor in shipping costs on some sites.
These are some really great tips. There are so many costs that come with owning pets, many of which you really can’t skimp on! It’s great to know there are ways to reduce some of them while still looking after your pets the way you should. Tha M you for sharing!
Exactly – you can’t really cut vet bills outside of shopping around to find the best-priced vet in your area. However, that’s one area that I’m okay with spending a little more as long as I know that I have someone that I can fully trust with the health and welfare of my pets. With food, you can get great quality food, potentially even the same brand and formula that you already like, but at a savings… There really is nothing to lose except a little time searching out deals.
Buying in bulk has always been a huge help, as I can normally get a discount! I have two big dogs and the amount of food they get through is crazy. Thankfully they eat the same food, and I don’t have to worry about specific dietary requirements for just one. Dogs are expensive when you add up the vet bills, food, toys, etc, but I wouldn’t change a thing – really great post, loved all the tips x
With two dogs here, I totally understand that! We have a lot of dietary requirements for Daviana due to her list of allergies but we’re lucky in that Indy has no allergies to worry about. This means that we can pick a food that fits her needs and he’s good to go.
These are all great suggestions! Owning pets can be expensive, but those little (or big) fur balls are worth it!
They definitely are! I can’t imagine life without ours!
Combining a number of great suggestions on your list should definitely help reduce the costs. Popular brand dog food purchased at the supermarket on a consistent basis can add up to a fortune over time. We always look out for specials and ways to reduce our own food cost, so why not do the same for your pets? Some of these tips I hadn’t heard of, but by the time I finished reading this post, I feel inspired to combine a few to still provide great food of nutritious value, while not breaking the bank!
Exactly! I’m surprised by the number of pet owners that will do some or all of these tips with their own grocery shopping but never considered applying the ideas to their pet’s food. As you suggested, we combine a few of these approaches to save as much as we can with ours. With Dav girl needing a specialized diet due to her allergies, their food bill can be really high if we aren’t smart about it!
I don’t think that I’ve ever bought in bulk for bunny food, I will have to check that out and see about that. Right now I just buy the 25lb bag and largest thing of hay that the store has, but it would be so awesome if they would sell that in better sizes.
When I used to have a pet, I always used to buy hay and shavings in particular in bulk. It was a great way to save a little bit, and it’s not like it goes bad too quickly for you to store it.
This is a great guide! To me it seems that everything you’re suggesting could also apply to looking after human children. So you’re saying that we should treat our fur babies as we would treat our human babies, right? :o)
Crazy concept, isn’t it? lol
My local vets loyalty program was such a great way to save money when I used to buy food for my cat. I also used to find that bulk ordering saved a fair few pennies too. Thanks for sharing these tips x
I think a lot of people overlook just how valuable a good loyalty program could be! You’re buying the food yet, so why not cash in on the free food you could be earning??
I spend so much on my cats. They are so spoiled. I try to buy their food and bulk and I’m definitely a fan of coupon sites.
Can’t go wrong with coupon sites, right? A couple minutes of your time can score some great savings!
The cost of food and things, is certainly something to be mindful of when you decide to get a pet. We got some
Guinea Pigs, and I can’t believe how much they cost me ? great tips to keep the cost down ?
The costs add up and fast! In the process of working on this article, I decided to do the math on how much we spend on pet food each year… I sort of wish I hadn’t hahaha
These are such great tips on how to save money for pet food! It can definitely add up, especially if you have more than one pet!
That it can! We have 2 dogs and 2 cats, so we pay quite a bit for pet food each month. It’s amazing how much of a difference these simple steps can make.
YOur all ideas, suggestions and thoughts are super amazing..this blog is really very beneficial and helpful for the pet lovers..i haven’t any pet but wish to have a one soon..will surely keep these important facts in my mind..Thanks for sharing…
Thank you!
Great tips, especially the one on branded items. Avoiding brand labels is a tip people should apply to every aspect of their lives. I avoid branded items as much as humanly possible
There are often GREAT alternatives available if you’re able to look past the brand name!
Excellent advice. It can certainly be expensive to feed your pet but these tips will help a lot of people save money. I have found for my dog that buying the more expensive high-quality kibble saves us a lot because she eats less of it than the cheaper brand, plus the store we buy from has a loyalty program, so we get discounts regularly.
Exactly! That’s a point that I definitely wanted to make sure to share – we save a lot going with higher quality food as well for the same reason. People often look at the price tag and size of the bag, but they forget to look past that to the serving sizes and how that impacts everything.
I don’t have any pets, but I remember the cost of the food and other bits we used to have to pay out for the guinea pigs we had. These are really useful tips, I like the idea of making/baking your own treats; at least you know exactly what is in them when you are giving them to your beloved pets.
Thanks for sharing!
Aimsy xoxo
Yes! I have one dog with A LOT of allergies. That’s what actually pushed me to start making their treats. She is so limited on what she can have and finding treats that would fit that meant either paying A LOT or skipping out on treats altogether. However, by making my own, I’m able to give her something that she enjoys.
Great tips! My little guy has a really sensitive stomach so when we found a brand that didn’t cause him any issues, we stuck with it. But I do always try to buy it when the store has offers/ discounts on and he gets it in the biggest size bag available to save money that way. And that means we only need food about once every 6 months which is great x
Sophie
We have to stick with a specific brand and formula for a similar reason – Daviana has a LONG list of food allergies, and it’s the one food that we’ve found she can eat without it triggering any issues. It means that we can’t use all the tips on this list, but we can still leverage quite a few of them!
These are such great tips- I love loyalty programmes so need to look into more of these. I wish I could get away with not feeding my cat big brand names but alas, she’ll only eat Sheba and hunts for birds if she doesn’t get it! 🙁
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
We have to feed a more expensive brand name for our dogs due to Daviana’s allergies, so I understand the struggle. However, some of the tips here can make a big difference like coupons, discount codes, online sales, buying in bulk and more.
These are excellent tips, although I don’t have pets, I plan to own one soon especially a cat. Love the idea of free samples and buying in bulk to save cost
It’s amazing how quickly expenses like pet food can add up However, with some ‘smart shopping’ you can avoid breaking the bank!
We just had our puppy 16 days ago and we can feel the added expenses but it is all worth it! Soon, he will be adjusting to some type of food a little less expensive and easy to prep.
It is completely worth it! We spend a small fortune on pet expenses with 4 pets in the house, but it is completely worth it!
We have two pups and appreciate these tips. Having two can be expensive and buying in bulk is our favorite.
It can definitely add up fast! With two ourselves, I totally understand. We also buy in bulk for the same reason.
I’ve started making my own for the girls! We still have wet food and nuts for them, but I always try and add a bit of fresh tuna into their diet as well. I eat it regularly, so it’s no bother to share with them.
Thank you for these excellent tips! These will definitely prove useful.
That’s a great way to add a little fun to their diet. We add eggs for the pups in the same way – they are super healthy for them and we enjoy them, so why not share?
Great information!