Anyone who has owned a pet knows that buying pet supplies can become an extremely expensive endeavor. Pet needs are almost always underestimated until you actually have the animal living in your home, and you quickly realize that the animal needs proper bedding, toys, a carrier, leash, outdoor containment, grooming tools, as well as medicine and food. Properly taking care of your pet shouldn’t have to cost a fortune.

The resources below will help you find pet supplies, medicine, and food that will cost far less than the retail prices you’ll find at any grocery or department store.

Coupons for Pet Supplies

One of the first places to look for significant savings on pet supplies is through using coupons. Coupons can provide some significant savings on supplies, sometimes up to or greater than 50%. Various outlets, such as PetSmart, even offer free shopping for orders over a certain size. This means that by simply doing your pet supply shopping online, you are saving a fortune.

One of the best coupon providers with the most coupons for pet supplies is Coupon Mountain, with coupons for pet supplies, pet medications, and online deals for most of the major pet supply retailers. A few examples of the deals to be found at Coupon Mountain

$5 to $20 off K9 Advantix at 1-800-PetMeds
Get $15 off orders of $75 or more at PetCo
15% off orders over $40 at PETsMART
10% off any order at DogToys.com
15% off orders over $100 at PetCareRx
15% off Lambert Kay Pet Care products

This is only a very small sample of the long list of coupons and deals provided at Coupon Mountain.

Direct Pet Superstore

Direct Pet Superstore is a large discount retailer of everything you could possibly need for your pet. This includes toys, treats, grooming supplies, flea & tick management, medicines, and even an entire section with additional coupons and promotions.

Direct Pet has an entire section dedicated to saving money on your pet’s prescriptions called “Pet RX”. You can find medicine from Pfizer, Virbac, Boehringer Ingelheim, and other pharmalogicals at impressively competitive prices.

Other ways to save at Direct Pet Superstore:

Sign up and you will be notified of exclusive specials on new products and sale prices for existing products.
A current promotion is a $100 shopping spree for five lucky winners.
Request a free catalog
Discounts on supplies and medicine throughout the website

My Pet Outlet

MyPetOutlet.com is a fantastic discount pet supply website with multiple deals going on every month. A few examples from the main page include Dr Noys Swizzle Teaser for 15% off, a Merrick Meaty Beef Dog Bone at 25% off, and Kitty Hoots “Zoom” Organic cat nip at 20% off.

Categories at MyPetOutlet.com include supplies fro dogs, cats, birds, fish, and even reptiles and small animals. There’s even a clearance section where you can find some rock bottom prices. This week MyPetOutlet.com is offering 15% off every order over 50, as well as a free toy and free shipping. With prices this low, it doesn’t make sense to walk into a retail pet store anymore – shopping online saves so much more.

Pet Portraits, Send 5% Savings to an Animal Rescue Foundation

One of the most unique things you can do to capture the character of your pet, and to show people how much love you have for your furry friend, is to have a pet portrait done by professional artist Nikky Hughes of Los Angeles. Nikky was classically trained at the Mission Renaissance art school, and she focuses on capturing not only the beauty, but the unique character of each animal. She will accept photos through the mail of pets, and then create stunning portraits from those pictures. Pet portraits are ideal because they can be done from a photo (as apposed to getting the pet to “pose” at a studio.)

The great thing about Nikky is that she’s a pet lover herself, and this is reflected in how she runs her business. She discounts every commissioned painting by 5%, and sends those savings as a donation to an animal rescue foundation. This shows how Nikky’s love for all animals is not only reflected in her heartfelt portraits, but also in how she runs her business.

PetCo

Of course, another way to save a fortune off of pet supplies that you wouldn’t normally save if you simply visit a brick-and-mortar store, is to visit that store’s website. Petco also has a comprehensive online website where shoppers can shop virtually for all pet supplies. Petco provides internet only discounts to internet shoppers, such as free shopping, some of the lowest prices available anywhere for Frontline products, and each category (dogs, cats, fish, etc.) has a section devoted to sales, where you can find some impressive discounts off all kinds of pet products.

What differences are there between using an insurance agent or buying from an insurance provider directly yourself? Insurance agents can differ considerably in their expertise and the way they go about selling you an insurance plan. As they usually work on commission only they might try to sell you a more expensive policy than you really need. Obviously not all insurance agents will do this and there are lots of honorable, hardworking insurance agents that will try hard to make sure you purchase the very best insurance coverage for you. Recommendation from friends is an excellent way to guarantee that you work with an insurance agent who who will put your interests first!

If you do make your mind up to employ an agent to guide you through all the complexities, make sure you ask him how long he has been in the business. A long serving agent will have a lot of satisfied, repeat clients. Does he work for one company only? This could be both both an advantage or a disadvantage. If he works for two or more companies he is able to pick the correct plan for you from a larger selection, but an agent who works for one company only may perhaps be more dedicated and be more knowledgeable about the products sold by that company.

Does he have insurance cover for his errors and omissions? If he makes a mistake he should be insured to prevent you from suffering financially. Is he knowledgeable about the limitations on the coverage of any insurance plans he is promoting? Question the agent in detail and be cautious if he is hard to pin down or not very knowledgeable about any of these factors.

Buying directly from an insurance company

If you are buying directly from an insurance company do some research on their record of settling claims and their financial rating. Large companies will generally have a very good rating but smaller companies, although they may have an inferior rating, may perhaps be more accommodating as they are in a very competitive industry. Find out the length of time the company has been trading and if there are any off-putting reports with reference to it. Check if the company offers policies that are multi-year as you might be able to cut costs if you pay in advance.

Conclusion

Discovering the very best insurance coverage, whether you are looking for personal, individual, commercial or family insurance coverage, can be challenging and there are many decisions you should make before you part with your money. Should you find a first-rate insurance agent who can really help you you will have a clear advantage over attempting to sort out all the alternatives by yourself. Nevertheless, whether you deal with an agent or buy directly from a company, you should ensure you do the necessary investigations first.

You can tell a lot about an insurance company and about the people who act for them by finding out the answers to questions like this. By following this advice you will be sure to buy the best insurance coverage for you and your family.