Your budget food and treat tips

sharky

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
Most of us are trying to tighten or at least maintain a budget ... I realized the treat budget was getting slightly $$$$ ... So instead of re buying the "junk: treats I was I get or buy sample bags( 3oz to 3lb ) of different cat foods and refill the nice plastic junk containers with tasty and healthier kibble "treats".. this method cut the treat bill from 50-75% as some samples are free and some stores are fine with you taking one a trip if you are a regular

For canned food I am introducing some foods with by products, this was after a talk with the vet who said YES to by products over any grain ... I also buy the case which depending on store gets me a 10-20% discount...

For dry I use a BIG bag mid line premium with a small bag of a high end
 

darlili

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
3,310
Purraise
14
Location
Illinois
Funny you mention samples of food as treats - the last few weeks Science Diet has been passing out samples of their new Nature's Best (dry and wet) by Union and Northwestern train stations in Chicago.

At one point a very lazy merchandising rep was just letting people take cases of the wet food! Anyway, I've now got a stock of this and actually, as a treat, it seems to be going over pretty well. Certainly a tad less expensive than the $5 per ounce organic chicken treat I picked up at Petco last month!
 

carolina

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
14,759
Purraise
215
Location
Corinth, TX
No more treats in my house.... Bugsy turned out to be allergic to chicken, and I feel bad treating Hope and Lucky, and not Bugsy.
I am saving more on my food, and continuing feeding Orijen/Acana for dry, Tiki and NB for wet...
Cutting the treats definitely freed up some $$$ to keep up with their food... The kitties don't really miss it, I don't think...
 

motoko9

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 22, 2007
Messages
998
Purraise
59
Location
East coast
You guys will probably laugh at me, because this one is so obvious: buying in bulk.

Yes, I've long been aware that for most products (not just pet food), buying the larger size usually saves a little money. Sometimes I can't find my brand in the larger bags, though, so for a long time I just bought the smaller size without thinking too much about it.

You can imagine how I felt when I actually did the math the other day and realized that for some brands, buying the larger size can save you up to $1 per lb. of food.
 

furryfriends50

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
717
Purraise
15
Location
USA
I also use sample packs of food for treats (but only if they don't have corn or soy in them). I switched from friskies wet to sophistacat wet because it was $0.10 cheaper per can and is grain free with by-products lower down on the list than friskies.

50% of their food right now is raw, and for raw i buy the meat on sale and get whole chickens as it is much cheaper than buying just chicken thighs for example. I did the math and i save $1000 a year feeding only 50% raw.
 

ebrillblaiddes

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
May 22, 2009
Messages
750
Purraise
5
Originally Posted by motoko9

You guys will probably laugh at me, because this one is so obvious: buying in bulk.
This. I always buy the big bags. I don't know why cereal box sized boxes of cat food even exist, since it's not like I'm giving the cats back somewhere in two days.
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
I don't buy treats, or only buy them when I have a pretty much free/if not free coupon. They'll survive without treats.
 

missymotus

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
9,234
Purraise
254
I don't buy treats for my cats.

I buy their meat in bulk from a wholesale butcher, much cheaper for me that way and I have a separate freezer to keep it in.
 

jack31

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
1,819
Purraise
15
Location
Cincinnati, OH
I too buy in bulk. Ginger has been eating Diamond Naturals Active cat and our local store was only carrying the 6lb bag on the shelf so I asked about the 18lb bag, if I call on a Friday they will order me the 18lb bag and have it by Monday, the 6lb bag is 7.49 the 18lb bag is $16--I've also decided to switch the others to this food, as they are getting TOTW but they only get a tablespoon a day and this would save some money and keep things more consistent. I also buy their wet in large cans now from PFD. I waited for a good coupon and bought enough cases to break even on shipping--now that I know they like what I bought I'll buy more at a time and safe even more on the actual food.

I too use sample food for treats or only buy with a coupon. I had a couple buy one get ones around Christmas so we are good to go for a while.

Leslie
 

zoeysmom

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
Messages
971
Purraise
4
Location
SW Ontario, Canada
Delilah is picky, so my girls get a prescription food for treats. I bought a small bag, and even with daily treats, the bag will last me a long time. Even though the food itself it pricey, it's reasonably cheap when you compare it to those little bags of treats.

I buy big bags of their food, and it lasts us 2-3 months. Wet food, I get Friskies because that's what they eat, so I'm saving money compared to the Authority, etc. that I would buy them previously.
 

~*regina*~

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Sep 25, 2008
Messages
266
Purraise
6
Location
Massachusetts
I dont give Tessie many treats but when I do buy them I wait for the sales and buy one get one free coupons. Or If I buy chicken for myself I will save a little and boil it up for her as a treat.
For her dry food, I try and contact the company and see if they can send me coupons. I just got a $5 and $3 coupon from EVO, defiantly helps out. Also If you look on ebay, sometimes people are selling coupons.
 

ut0pia

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
5,120
Purraise
34
I just switched from taste of the wild to costco's kirkland for dry. Still feeding authority for wet..
For treats Jake eats human food such as baked chicken and stuff like that..I still have a bag of Wellness pure delights that seems to never run out!
 

cococat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
4,953
Purraise
12
Location
USA
I only have one smallish adult kitty, and for snacks I boil chicken so most of my food budget goes to dog food as I have three. One of my dogs is on an expensive but high quality food regimen due to health issues and it costs over $60.00 a month, but there is not much room to budge there, that isn't including medication costs. The two other adult dogs there is room to budge but I strongly feel that feeding them a high quality diet will help them live longer healthier lives, it is just common sense to me, so I do keep them on a good premium food plus add healthy homemade to it as well. I also own reptiles, but their diet is reasonable, fresh veggies, some fruits, and insects that we raise.
The sacrifices are not made on the pets we care for that depend on us but rather human diets and our entertainment budget and extras, it has gone to the dogs
We crunch numbers and make it work, even in this hard time where we have had to cut down on SO much, their care remains very high on our priority list.
 

fattykitty

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
227
Purraise
2
Location
With the fuzzbutts
I just break some kibbles in halves and quarters, store it in a baggie, and carry it around the house (I'm trying to make Fatty more trustful so I keep a pretty constant supply).
 
Top