Over the past couple of years, as my cats have become elderly felines, I’ve upgraded their food and litter. The food upgrade was really one of necessity – my cats just can’t digest less expensive foods filled with grains anymore. Instead of dealing with vet bills, I’ve switched their food out to a higher protein product that costs twice as much!
The litter upgrade was more of an ecologically conscious choice. Most cat litter brands are clay based and don’t decompose very quickly, not to mention they are dusty. I found a corn based litter (World’s Best Cat Litter) that decomposes quickly, smells good (not filled with perfumes), and has very little dust associated with it. And to thoroughly be eco-friendly, I purchase degradable plastic bags, which adds to the cost of litter clean-up.
Coupons, coupons
Many times I can find $3.00 off coupons for the litter, but a large bag still comes out to over $30.00. A quick internet search 6 out of 10 times saves me $3 a bag – not too shabby.
Damaged Packaging- A great deal
However, every once in a while, I can find a product with a damaged package, marking it another 5-30% off. The item, whether it’s litter or litter bags, is still in perfect condition, just the packaging is a little torn up. I love these types of deals!

I’d almost go so far to admit that I look for these kinds of products at the pet store. Does it have a bright orange label? Great! I’ll take that discount!
Buy in Bulk
Buying in larger quantities, especially on items that have extended expiration dates, is yet another way to save. On the cat food products, their canned cat food is .24 cents cheaper per can if I buy cases of 24. Since I go through a can a day, it’s worth it to stock up.
How do you save money on everyday, higher end items?
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And don’t forget to hit the clearance rack, you can find some great deals in there.
@Mike – Clearance racks are definitely a great place to look for deals.
Many times you can find when a store might discount your item or when there might be a coupon available, and time the purchase accordingly. Even if you end up buying out of sync as to when you actually need it (front loading your purchases since your kitty can’t go hungry), it can work out in the end. As an example, we do this fairly often with Costco items that we use where we recognize that coupons are often available every second or third month.
@Money Beagle – Very good point. Stock up on items when they’re cheap (as long as you have a space!)
I have never had much luck buying in bulk except for on things like olive oil because it really doesn’t go bad. Tinfoil, too. I always look for coupons on things, and I use Checkout 51 (may be just available in Canada?) to buy groceries and get money back which helps with the cost of things.