'Just 49p!' Savvy Dog Owners Share Best Food Deals As Prices Increase

• Recent statistics indicate dog care now costs £2000 a year on average
• With rising food prices affecting consumers, dog food is also affected
• Bargain hunters reveal where to find the best deals for food to feed their pooches
• They share how to bypass price increases and where to shop instead for the cheapest prices

The increasing cost of living is affecting us across the board, from petrol to groceries. However, pet owners are also struggling, as prices are soaring for essential supplies. In fact, Battersea revealed on 8 August that keeping a dog costs an average of £2000 a year. If you’re on a budget, it may not be the best time to pick up a new pooch, but if you already have one and want to keep him fed on a budget, how can you cut costs when your local supermarket may have upped the prices?

This issue is impacting plenty of dog owners who belong to the money-saving community Latest Deals, Extreme Couponing & Bargains. Bargain hunter Glenn W recently posted to the group, asking for advice: ‘Just wondering as the price of dog food - both cans and dried food - in ASDA has vastly increased in price in the last week. Has anyone found an online delivery shop that is still a reasonable price?’

Some bargain hunters recommended Amazon, with Laura B saying: ‘They do discounts if you subscribe,’ with Jess C adding: ‘I order mine from Amazon - it’s much cheaper than shops and saves carrying it.’ Tracy S chipped in: ‘If you’re clever [with] good timing you can get some really good deals.’

Char M recommended the dog food she goes for on the website: ‘[I buy] NatureDiet from Amazon - £16 for 18 packs and the packs are 390g. I always buy them every month on a subscription so I save even more.’

Another Amazon advocate said: ‘[I get] Amazon [own brand] Lifelong for dogs and cats. I also get Burgess Dry Food 15kg - it’s often on offer for £15, again on Amazon.’ Savvy shopper Nicky S added: ‘Set alerts on Amazon for deals.’

However, some bargain hunters recommended avoiding Amazon, with Jenny S saying: ‘My little Shih Tzu likes Hilife shredded chicken with rice and veg pouches - 49 pence in B&M or Heron Foods. They are £1 from Amazon.’

A number of shoppers had begun looking elsewhere after finding their usual stores had upped the prices of their go-to food - Berni F commented: ‘I only use dry [food] for mine and used Wagg, but they dropped the bags from 17kg to 12kg and upped the price. So I’ve gone to Aldi [for their dry food] - it’s £6.99 for a big bag. I bought a small bag first to try and had no issues with my three. Online prices were shocking!’

Other bargain hunters shared how they think outside the box to reduce their spending. Sam M said: ‘I buy Butchers cans plus dry dog food. I use the dry like a mixer [and] it cuts down the amount of wet I need for them. If you buy it from Home Bargains they are £7.50 for 12 cans - I can’t find any cheaper! They used to be 24 cans for £12, it’s gone up by £3.’

Tam M added: ‘I’ve just switched my dog over to raw food. My local abattoir sells 12lb packs of mince/meat or offal at £6 per pack. I’ve just bought a used freezer for [his food supplies].’ Jo M said she thinks similarly: ‘I buy mine from the butcher. Costs me £3.50 a week to feed a Boston and a pug.’

Some savvy shoppers revealed their hacks for dodging extra costs and making additional savings. Heidi B said: ‘I get mine from Pets At Home in large bags. Join VIP - you also get vouchers through to use.’ Helen S added: ‘I buy worker dog food in Morrisons as no VAT is added to the working one. [I get] 24 tins for £12.50.’

Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘I’m always impressed with the deals our money-saving community manages to find. B&M is always a favourite amongst our bargain hunters - it’s great that you can get pouches of dog food for just 49p there!

‘It’s vital to keep shopping around and never stay loyal. You never know when deals are coming up. For example, when I was comparing prices of the Hilife food that Jenny buys, I found that Morrisons on Amazon is currently doing a deal on their 2kg Feed Me variety - it’s 45% off so you save £4.63! However, if you’re buying the pouches individually, you may find it’s best to pay half price using her method.

‘Subscribe and Save on Amazon can be a great way to ensure you always have enough food in for your pooch. When you start a new plan, you get a 25% voucher for your first order. What’s more, you unlock 15% savings when you schedule repeat deliveries of 5 or more products to your address in a single delivery - it all adds up!