Money Saving Pet Tips

With the cost of living on the rise, many people across the UK are feeling the pinch and looking for ways to save money.

Owning a pet can be expensive and, with around 17 million UK households having pets, it is not surprising that many pet owners are looking for ways to reduce their pet care costs.

Here are some tips on how you can save money on pet care, without compromising your pet’s health or happiness.

Measure their food

Make sure that you are feeding your pet the advised amount of food for their weight. You can use a measuring cup or scales to measure the correct amount of food.

If you do not measure your pet’s food every mealtime, you could be feeding them too much, which means you will be buying food more often than you need to.

Overfeeding your pet can cause them to become obese or develop health problems, which can lead to added expenses in vet bills, medication or diet food in future.

Measuring their food can save you money in the short and long run, as well as improving your pet’s condition and helping to prevent future health problems.

Save on pet food

You can save a lot of money over time by buying your pet food in bulk if you can, or by setting up a subscription plan, to get your pet’s food for less per kg.

You could also look at switching their food out for something cheaper. You may even find something that offers more nutrition for your pet for less.

Take advantage of offers

Be sure to sign up to any loyalty or rewards programmes offered by the places you shop at. Most are free and give great benefits to their customers, such as monthly vouchers based on what you buy, free treats for your pet’s birthday, or a discount off once you have purchased a certain number of times.

Check online for discount codes before placing online orders. Simply search for something like “[shop name] discount code”, or you could check their social media pages for discount codes, then try any codes you find at checkout.

Sign up to newsletters via email from your favourite shops to stay up to date with the latest offers. You may even get a discount code to use on your next order.

You could also get cashback on your online purchases through websites such as TopCashback or Quidco. Simply access the website you wish to purchase from via the cashback provider’s site, place your order, and get money back when your purchase is verified by the retailer.

Groom your pet at home

Professional grooming can be expensive, especially if you have a high-maintenance pet with long or curly fur that needs to be washed or trimmed regularly.

You can reduce pet care costs by grooming your pet at home, if possible. If you can afford to complete a course or take classes at any point, it may be worth doing so to save you costs in the long run. Alternatively, there is a wealth of videos online which show you how to properly groom certain animals or breeds.

If you do not feel confident with the hair clippers or are worried about stressing out your pet, there are still things you can do to cut down grooming costs.

Even just keeping on top of regular brushing and washing, and clipping your pet’s nails at home, rather than sending them to a professional groomer, will save you money.

Invest in long-lasting toys

If your pet loves to destroy its toys, investing in toys that are hard-wearing will save you money in the long run, as you will not need to be constantly replacing their toys.

Many brands, including Nylabone and Kong, offer seriously strong, long-lasting toys for all dogs, even the extreme chewers and serial toy destroyers.

Opt for safe and durable chew toys and robust braided or knotted rope toys over soft plushies or rubber toys which can be easily destroyed.

You could even try your hand at making toys at home, or repurposing old stuff into toys. Get creative! Got an old sock with holes in? Rather than just throwing it out straight away, you could use it to play tug of war with your dog first.

We hope that you can use some of these helpful tips to save money on pet care.