by Lalinda De La Fuente

As cliché as it sounds, a penny saved is a penny earned. But saving pennies does not only include your personal or family items, it can also include your pet’s expenses as well. Money saving offers are great at playing hide-and-seek but that once you know where to find them and how to look, it will seem like they are everywhere.

Clip, Clip
Break out the scissors because coupons can often yield an array of money saving offers for pet parents, and it all starts with your Sunday paper. There are almost always coupons for pet products inside your Sunday paper and not just to save $0.25. These offers often garner customers up to $5 off an array of pet products. Companies will many times also offer coupons that allow you to try their products for free.

Your Sunday paper is not the only place where manufactures hide coupons. Check inside your pet food bag and on packaging too. Manufactures will often place coupons inside bags of pet food or on the packaging to entice customers to purchase their products again. So the next time a little plastic covered package falls out of your pet’s bag of food no, it’s not a toy but probably some coupons worth saving.

Coupons are not just the stuff of newspapers anymore though. They have gone hi-tech. Web sites such as coupons.com offers coupons that you can choose and print right on your own printer. A site like coupons.com makes it easy to find the offers that you are looking for. Simply click on the pet care category and all related coupons and offers will pop up.

It’s how you Use them that Counts
Now you have a bunch of coupons. Sure, you can just head to the supermarket and use them or you can really use them. The most obvious way to really take advantage of coupons is to use them at the lowest-priced location. A bag of cat food might cost $7.99 at the supermarket but that same bag might be $6.50 at another store. That $2 off coupon you are holding will become much more meaningful at the cheaper location.

Another great way to maximize coupons is to use them with existing sales and deals. Using coupons in conjunction with sales can save you a ton of money. If a product that is normally $5 is on sale for $3.99 and you have a $1 off coupon you have now doubled your savings. Some stores also allow you to use their store coupons in conjunction with manufacturer coupons. This will often cut the price in half on many products.

Become a Preferred Customer
Join frequent buyer or preferred customer clubs and mailing lists. Junk mail, both in your mailbox and inbox, can become annoying but joining mailing lists and clubs at the locations you frequent most can save you a lot of money. Discounts, sales and coupons are all things that can land right in your inbox. Stores and manufactures are constantly extending money saving offers to their most loyal customers. It’s as simple as signing up for the frequent buyer program or mailing list to the pet store, or company, that you frequent the most.

Freebies
Freebies, especially in the world of pet products, are actually quite common. By visiting the Web site of your preferred pet company, you can often sign up to receive free samples. Another great place to find free samples is at your vet. Veterinarians will often receive free samples of pet foods and products to give to their patients. Ask them on your next visit if they have anything available.

Another great place to find some pet freebies is at pet-related events. Adoption events, fundraisers, walks and pet festivals are not only great places to support your local rescue or shelter and have some pet-friendly fun, but also a great place to acquire some free stuff. Vendors and event hosts are always giving out free pet stuff at these events.

A few more ways to save…
You may not realize it, but veterinarians run promotions and give discounts too. VCA Animal Hospitals, a national chain of clinics, is currently offering a web promotion offering a free heartworm test at a number of their locations across the country (expires on 8/31/08). Keep an eye out in local mailers and publications for veterinary coupons and offers too.

Another good thing to keep in mind concerning pet expenses is the unexpected. A Wall Street Journal article outlined some cost of pet ownership numbers that were analyzed by Dr. Jim Wilson, a veterinarian and lawyer. Using American Pet Products Manufacturers Association data, Wilson found that destruction of household items accounted for on average $1,000 for those with larger dogs. Wilson cited in the article a Weimaraner that chewed up $3,500 worth of SUV dashboard. In other words, try pet-proofing your home for the sake of your pet’s health and safety and your wallet.

Do you have a credit card? Banks and credit card companies often work in conjunction with a wide variety of retailers, awarding their customers with money saving offers. Keep your eye out in the mail when you receive a credit card statement or jump online to see what’s available. Pet store discounts are a common sight for credit card holders.

Most importantly, keep your eye out. It’s human nature to gravitate towards deals. Use them when you see them and you could save tons of money each year on expenses for your pets.