Feeding guinea pigs fresh produce is a must for their health and happiness. Rabbits need fresh veggies and fruits as well. Feeding pets can get expensive, it’s one of the top costs associated with pet ownership. Here’s how we feed our extra large group of guinea pigs and rabbits without spending a small fortune! My tips for frugal pet food apply mostly to guinea pigs and rabbits in this case 🙂
Frugal Pet Food | Money Saving Tips
Let’s get something out of the way right up front: we don’t sacrifice quality of life or quality of care in order to save money. So please don’t feel the need to worry about us or our pets in that regard.
That being said, I work hard to make money and therefore I work hard to save money when I can. Being smart and frugal with my money means I can do more for my family and my pets. So let’s dive in. Here are my best money saving tips!
Where do you shop for produce?
Produce is expensive. There’s no way around that. Considering each rabbit and guinea pig in our family needs daily produce we’re always looking at expensive grocery bills unless we make smart choices. So we shop at Aldi’s! It’s a great off brand grocery chain and they offer great (lower) prices on all kinds of groceries and produce.
Another great option is local produce. We have a farmers market that runs year round. Here in central Pennsylvania we have some great options for produce that is less expensive than grocery stores or chain stores. Look for similar options where you live!
Can you grow your own vegetables?
Did you know that you can grow a lot of vegetables indoors in buckets or pots? We learned this and quickly decided there were some things we could grow indoors really easily. During the warmer months we grow lettuces, tomatoes, and peppers! This saves us a lot of money and there’s nothing better than home grown produce!
Do you end up with food waste?
One of the key points of frugal pet food is to not waste money! Are you buying things that spoil before you can use them? Are you making sure to use all parts of the fruit or veggies that you are buying? Pets are different from humans, they can eat a lot more of the plan than we can! Be sure you are getting the most out of your investment. Cleaning vegetables and fruits and storing them correctly can help them last longer!
Don’t make unnecessary purchases!
I know it can be tempting to purchase a ton of something when it is on sale but make sure you are only purchasing what your pets can use in a timely manner. For guinea pigs and rabbits we don’t usually shop for more than 5-7 days at a time because by that point most of the discounted produce that we buy is at the end of its shelf life. Make sure you know how long you can keep things and how fast your little critters will eat through your purchases.
Proper servings are important!
About 1 cup of fresh vegetables per day is sufficient for guinea pigs. They can have a little more than that in my opinion versus more pellets but it’s important not to let them over indulge to the point of unhealthy weight or intake. If you make sure you are giving the correct portions for your pets you can also save money!
Shop a day at a time if possible!
Not necessarily every day but if you live near a grocery store you can likely get marked down produce at a discount! This can help you save and you can use the vegetables you buy right away without them spoiling!
Do your pets spend time outdoors?
A fun way that we save a little bit of money on vegetables for our pets is by spending time outdoors with them. Our guinea pigs and rabbits LOVE to spend time in the outdoor run areas that we’ve created for them. They get to graze on grass and leaves and we get a little help with our frugal pet food plans because this ups their green leafy intake without costing us any money!
Remember:
Frugal pet food is not a way to avoid having to spend money on a high quality pellet for your guinea pigs and rabbits. Small animals rely on that nutrition and they rely on you to make smart choices for them! High quality pellets will have a very low calcium content which is very necessary to avoid bladder stones and calcification! Something Timothy based is ideal! Use these tips for frugal pet food to save on providing your pets with vegetables and fruits alongside their quality pellets and hay!
