Maybe I'm just too cheap

This is just a random rant. Today I took Autumn to Petco to give her something to do in the winter and I figured I'd find her something she could have. Wrong. We nosed around for half an hour and all the toys were cheap pieces of junk she could destroy in half a second for $14 or more and even the rawhide is too much. I miss the day when the Foster and Smith supplier for a local store would bring stuff down and have a sidewalk sale at a great discount. I could get big rawhide bones for 75¢ each and dog toys that weren't so cheaply made. But he hasn't come around lately so now I'm stuck shopping in regular stores until I can get to Sheboygan once the threat of snow is gone. At least in Sheboygan there's more options. When did people start paying $15 for a single large rawhide bone? People have really got to set limits on what stores can charge them. If you buy it, they'll raise the prices. So stop buying from them for a while people! At least that's how I feel. Somebody is paying those prices in order for the store to stay running. The same as enough local people are recycling alum cans at 38¢ a pound so it doesn't need to go up to lure them in. Stop being so compliant!

I find PetCo very high priced.
I find PetsMart high priced.

I buy a lot on line, and on ebay.
I go once a month to the local distributor to buy pet food direct from them.

I usually get dog and cat toys from the shelter when I volunteer. I get a discount. :)
The best toys I've got for the dogs that they have not destroyed....yet, came from the shelter.
I only get food from PetSmart and I grab it when it's on sale if I can.

If you have a local butcher, see if they will save some large bones - not cooked, of course. Frozen or refrigerated, they are usually inexpensive in comparison, it's worth asking.

Although I don't have a dog, I do agree that stores like Petco and Petsmart are very expensive. I usually don't buy anything at these stores unless it's on sale. Luckily since I live in Northern CA I have many other options. We have a Pet Club that buys things in bulk so they can sell it for much less and this is where I buy my cats food which is Wellness Core dry and the Wellness grain free canned food. I also buy pill pockets, litter, and toys there. Their every day prices are much lower and many times they will have sales to make them even lower.:) If you have a local feed store, this is also an option because their prices are usually lower than the independent pet stores. Good luck.:)

Having as many dogs as I do, there is no way I can afford to buy them toys, treats, etc. from expensive pet stores.

Most grocery stores either have or will get beef leg bones for you, and cut them if you wish. I pay $4 for one leg bone, cut in nine pieces. My dogs chew on these forever.

I buy stuffed animals at yard sales for a dime or a quarter. Yes, they destroy them quickly and I have to pick up the stuffing. But they have fun, and it costs a dime.

I buy treats at Walmart, I buy dog food at Costco. The Kirkland brand of dog food is rated as high as the super premium brands which sell for $80 plus dollars a bag. Kirkland costs $25 for 40 pounds.

I also buy coupons for food and treats on ebay. I just saved $100 on food and treats, with coupons I bought for 95 cents. Greenies are about 1/4 the price on ebay as they are at the pet store.

I agree. PetCo and Petsmart can be expensive. I use to have them as an only option. Now I live in the city and have lots more options. I still go to Petco and Petsmart a lot though. You can find some great deals sometimes on their clearance stuff. I just got a pink poo bag holder with 3 poo bag rolls for $2!!

When I had my big dogs I would get stuffies from yard sales and stores like Goodwill. I don't give my dogs rawhide. I would buy up large amounts of bleached bones at dog shows. They usually have a cheap vendor with a nice selection.

I came back to add, get bones from the butcher; but I see 2 folks have posted that.

Mine can't eat rawhide, gives them the runs.

Bones should be raw or frozen but NOT cooked, or smoked. Those get brittle, break into small bits and can cause internal injuries.

Chicken necks, backs, quarters are all great for feeding. Beef marrow bones are gnawing / long lasting.

Also, I get toys from www.petedge.com

I agree that pet items and food cost too much IMO. My little dog AND cat love a toy I made. I took a regular tennis ball (or any small ball would do) and put it inside a very long sock, tied the sock in a knot to keep the ball inside, and I throw it and they bring it back. Another toy for the cat I made is I tied a long narrow piece of cloth onto a dowel stick and I move it and Luke tries to grab it. Yes, I have bought some things at Petsmart but most of the time, I think it's too expensive. I bought a dog coat there at half price and it was still $7 but it had velcro and it fit which was the selling point.

Until early Dec I was feeding Luke regular dry food (Purina) but after his severe and expensive constipation problem, I switched to canned Wellness Grain Free and that food is expensive. I recently found though that if I buy the tall cans of Wellness from Petmeds Online I can save $10 a case but it still cost a lot. He's a big cat (22 lbs) and it cost $2.50+ a day...but he is feeling so much better and is more active...so I guess I'll keep doing it. For flea and tick meds (Advantage and Advantix), I usually wait for a good deal at Petmeds Online and order several at one time. Kay in NC, Mon, Jan 10, 2011

I love Petedge!!! They are cheap and you can buy in bulk!

Oh I don't buy cheap brands of food, that's not what I'm worried about. Its just that I'd like my dogs to have something made for dogs once in a while instead of stuffed animals from a thrift store, but its just so stupid that somebody would pay $14 for a stuffed animal made of thin fabric with a single stitch. And my dogs get rawhide all the time. I don't let them eat a whole bone in one sitting because I don't want the getting sick, but they've never had problems. I do get soup bones from the butcher but those last about a second and they're ground down to nothing. I don't let them chew those all at once either because I don't want them having too much. And then there's cat toys. Hlao usually gets little mcdonald's stuffies to play with because a dang toy mouse is $6 and its two freaking inches long. Who paid that to begin with?!

Like I said, this is just a rant. My animals have tubs full of toys really. They're excessively spoiled. But I'm still not paying double digits for a flimsy piece of fabric with a squeaker in it. I'm cheap because I'm not stupid about things. I wish stores would allow bargaining. I'd be like "listen, this fabric is so thin I can stick my fingers through it with much pressure. How about 50¢?"

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Originally Posted by kaycountrygal

I agree that pet items and food cost too much IMO. My little dog AND cat love a toy I made. I took a regular tennis ball (or any small ball would do) and put it inside a very long sock, tied the sock in a knot to keep the ball inside, and I throw it and they bring it back.

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Good idea, I forgot to mention that ... that is what happens to ALL our socks when they get holes or worn. I put one inside the other and tie a knot. My dogs LOVE those more than any "real" toy.

IRescue452, how do you dogs KNOW their toys are made specifically for dogs? ;)

LOL... I wish we could bargain too! Or toys should have a "if distroyed in less than 24hrs you get your money back."

I know how you feel. i think $14.00 for small bag of treats is ridiculous let alone toys an what not.