Dog Owners Share 12 Hacks For Reducing Living Costs - Save £243
- Owning a dog is rewarding, but expensive
- Members of Latest Deals share their top tips for reducing costs
- Tricks include buying from the manufacturer, finding discount codes and buying in bulk
- The hacks result in savings such as £68 off flea treatment and holidays which are £243 cheaper
It goes without saying that, as a nation, we love dogs. Our furry friends are important members of the family. That said, they’re not cheap to maintain, whether you’re shopping for a good brand of food or paying an insurance bill.
Fortunately, members of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk have come up with some hacks to make major savings on the day-to-day costs which come with owning a dog. Here are some of the best tricks to try out.
Save On Food
Buy In Bulk - Grab 6 Months Of Food For £36
More and more of us are buying in bulk these days, and the same can apply to supplies for your dog. Caitlin Daly said: ‘I always buy in bulk. We have a toy cockapoo and with her food we got a discount code with her microchip fee. Also at Christmas they had 20% off so we got 15kg which will likely last us 6 months - it only cost £36. Her pouches are sometimes on offer from Pets At Home but we buy a box of 40 sachets at a time to last us 2-3 months.’
Sara Clayton added: ‘I use Amazon Subscribe & Save for dog food in bulk, delivered when it's needed.’ Laura Pettit has a similar mindset: ‘I bulk buy my food, especially when it's on a good offer as it can be expensive and a 13kg bag only lasts me 3 weeks max.’
Find Discounts & Discount Codes In Retailer Newsletters & On Cashback Sites
Caitlin knows a thing or two about finding bargains for her dog: ‘I’m forever signing up to retailers' newsletters for introductory offers and searching online to compare prices or look for discount codes. Use cashback sites for shopping too.’
Tom Church, Co-Founder of Latest Deals, added: ‘Cashback sites are a great way to earn money back simply by doing your usual shopping in places like Amazon, Pets At Home and Wilko. Plus, if you set up a separate email address and use it to sign up for newsletters, you can avoid receiving too many messages on your main account - and check the other one regularly for discounts and saving offers.’
Order Food Direct & Compare Prices - Buy The Same Product For £8 Less
Clara Johnson said: ‘I order the dog food online and in bulk from the manufacturer which is monthly but a lot cheaper than the shops themselves.’ Tom added: ‘It always pays to go directly to the manufacturer’s site if you know which brand of food your dog prefers eating. For example, if I was to buy Hill’s Science Plan dog food in a 14kg bag, I could go onto the Hill’s website and choose which retailer I buy from. Comparing prices before making a purchase will always add up in the long run. For example, when I checked MedicAnimal, the bag was £54, but on Pets At Home it was £46. That’s an £8 price difference!’
Feed Your Dog High Quality Food To Avoid High Medical Bills
Amy Louise said: ‘The best tip is to NEVER skimp on your pets' food. The old saying of 'you are what you eat' is true. Poor diets with no nutrition is what causes health issues such as diabetes, liver or kidney failure, severe dental issues - these accumulate huge vet bills. Look at individual pet food brands, see what is in their feed - it's shocking what is in some of them. Learn your pets’ biological dietary needs and start from there.’
It may be tempting to buy cheaper food such as kibble, but Dr Karen Becker from Healthy Pets says: ‘White it is formulated to meet the basic nutritional requirements, it certainly doesn’t provide optimal nourishment for the long haul. Most kibble contains high-glycemic, genetically engineered corn, wheat, rice or potato - grains or starches that have no place in a carnivore’s diet. Carbs break down into sugar, which fuels degenerative conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cancer.’
Tom added: ‘Feeding your dog poor quality food could result in health problems such as diabetes - according to the PDSA, treating it can cost thousands of pounds over your pooch’s lifetime. Buying high quality food in bulk, storing it effectively and being mindful of expiry dates on the packaging looks like a good way to both save on costs while also reducing the risk of paying high health-related vet bills in the future.’
Save On Insurance
Use A Multi Pet Insurer - Make Savings Each Year
Clara said: ‘I have five dogs. I use a multi dog insurer who gives a discount on more than one dog.’ Laura added: ‘I have 3 large dogs. I use Pet Plan insurance as I seem to have a good price for them. I’ve used them for 7 years now and I got a discount for adding multiple pets.’
Tom added: ‘It’s always worth comparing costs for multi-pet insurance if you have a large family of canine companions. For example, PetPlan offers a £12 discount each year if you insure multiple animals, and More Than offers a 10% discount for each pet insured on the same policy. Make sure your provider offers the best set of benefits for you and your pets - don’t go with an insurer just because your friend does.’
Complain If Your Insurance Goes Up - You May Get A Discount
Eileen Luby said: ‘I had Tesco Pet Insurance for 3 years but my dog was diagnosed with dry eye. The first year was about £250 a year, the second was £800 but this year £1,500. They gave me a discount when I complained.’ Tom added: ‘You may feel like you ‘can’t’ complain or try to get a better deal, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get! There’s nothing stopping you from ringing up your insurer and seeing what can be done.
‘Try saying you’ve found a cheaper price elsewhere if you’re not tied into a contract, and stand your ground by making it clear you’re not happy with what you’re currently paying. Even if you don’t get the discount you want, you may get something else which will help with costs.’
Weigh Up Whether Insurance Is Worth It
Claire Bounds said: ‘My dog had a lot of problems early on so it wasn't worth getting insurance. Instead I put £50 per month in a savings account. I also pay £11 per month on our vet’s health care plan to cover basics like vaccinations, fleas, wormers etc.’ Tom added: ‘If your dog has pre-existing health conditions, you won’t be covered by a standard insurer. Instead, you’ll need to find a specialist insurer. If you prefer to use a standard insurer, be aware that you won’t receive cover for those pre-existing conditions and will need to pay for those yourself. However, if your dog got the flu, for example, having insurance in place could save on vet costs.
‘Weigh up whether you could afford a vet bill if your pooch became ill outside of their pre-existing health conditions, or whether having insurance in place in addition to a budget for their existing healthcare is a better option.’
Save On Flea & Worm Treatment
Do Fleaing & Worming Yourself To Avoid Vet Costs
Caitlin said: ‘With fleaing and worming we do this ourselves as it’s cheaper than vet care plans. We usually order off Prime and write the dates we do it on the packaging to keep an eye on it.’ Tom added: ‘Getting the best flea and worming treatment for your dogs is vital to avoid health problems. It’s worth getting advice from your vet about the brands they recommend, then asking how much their vet care plan is. Compare the pricing with the cost of buying the treatment yourself, and see which option is better value for money. Perhaps your vet care plan includes additional benefits such as free health checks, or you may find a great price online to get the treatment on the cheap.’
Stop Paying Over The Counter - Buy Online & Save £68 On Treatments
Jennie McIntyre said: ‘Pet Drugs Online do 12 months flea & worm treatment from about £45 depending on size so quite a large saving. SRP £111.02 but you could pay as little as £42.40 and save £68.62. Depends on the dog's weight but it is cheaper than buying it over the counter.’ Tom added: ‘One of the many benefits of shopping online is that you can more easily compare deals online. Jennie has found a great offer here, and I can see on Pet Drugs Online that you save at least 40% on many flea, tick and mite treatments for dogs. Just be aware that some brands may require a vet prescription upon checkout.’
Buy Treatment In Bulk - Save £30 By Purchasing 6 Months At Once
Kirsty Holt said: ‘I buy 6 months of flea, tick and worm treatment in one go to spread the cost a bit. it saves on postage each time plus it’s a bulk order so I guess a saving of at least £20-30.’ Tom added: ‘As with most things, buying in bulk is often the way to go. Not only do you save on the price per product, you will also pay less postage in the long run as you avoid requesting multiple shipments over time.
‘By budgeting for this cost and setting up reminders on your calendar for when you’re about to run out, you save yourself the hassle of potentially running out as well as paying more than you need to.’
Save On Activities
Save On Dog Field Costs By Finding Out Which Slots Are Never Filled
Clara said: ‘We get to use a dog field for free or cheap for longer exercise because we accept times that are normally never filled.’ Tom added: ‘More and more people are using dog fields these days, as these secure spaces are ideal for dogs who are scared of other dogs, people or cars. They also work well for owners worried about dog theft, animals recovering from injury, training your dog and so on. However, they can be expensive, with British Dog Fields explaining that prices vary between £3 and £25 per hour. You can find your local dog field by using resources such as the Dog Walking Fields site, and from there you can ask which slots are cheaper or seldom used to potentially make some savings.’
Avoid Kennel Fees By Taking Your Dog On Holiday - Save Over £240
Clara added: ‘For holidays we only go to a place that allows all the dogs for no extra costs and as it specialises in dogs there is no extra charge or limitation on number of dogs. This stops any kennel fees and allows us all to enjoy our holiday without worry.’ Tom added: ‘According to Job Prices, the average price for kenneling a dog is £17.35 a day, or £243 for two weeks. You could go on a weekend break to Paris with your partner for this price! Why not save the cash and look for a place which will accept dogs, like Clara? Just Googling ‘holiday which will allow dogs’ brings up loads of options.’
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