Spill the beans... on how to care for Fido or Tiddles for less

Shop around for the routine vaccinations.

I lived previously in Birmingham and the annual vaccinations for my cat were around £30. I moved to London and just went to the closet vet - and was shocked at a £65 bill for the same vaccinations. The following year I phoned up a few local vets and found one costing £45. This was for exactly the same set of vaccinations and 'annual vet check up' - but 3 miles drive from me rather than 1 mile. Bargain.

Foodwise for dogs..Bulk out their usual food in the morning by substituting half their food with some weetabix watered down. Much cheaper and my vet recommended it as part of their diet when their 'glands' were blocked.

Actually adding fresh veg to the mix can be cheaper too..(cooked carrots are good and v cheap when you buy in bulk).

For vaccinations if you have a puppy/kitten look out for a protected for life scheme. My in laws have recently got a pup and they paid £150 for first vacs, checkup, microchip, flea and worm treatment for this year and vaccinations with annual checkup for the rest of his life are free with the same vet.
It's a little more to pay up front but has paid for itself by second or third year. They will also get 25% off neutering and 5% off consultation costs for that dog for life.

My local butcher provides frozen, non-human grade meat for £2.50 per 5lb bag. Every other day we cook the meat and mix with Sainsbugs Basics range rice at 40p a kilo then add fresh veg trimmings and peelings from our own food. It costs less than 37p a day to feed a large dog.