Anywhere But the Pet Store

A small observation: Pet stores levy huge markups on the most basic products, and big cost savings can be had by getting the same items at the grocery store.

A case in point: I just paid $3 for a nylon snap-clip collar that cost $7 at the pet store. Dog food is also cheaper (and fresher!) at the grocery store than it is at any of the local pet stores. Both regular and flea shampoo is much cheaper at the grocery store. The most expensive source of rawhide chews is the pet store; the least expensive is Target. Home Depot has the cheapest 25 pounds bags of sunflower seeds -- pet stores and the Wild Bird Store will leave you broke. Bottom line: before you consider a specialty store, price check at the stores you frequent every day --- and NEVER pass up a dollar store that actually sells stuff for a dollar.