B&M shoppers rushing to buy pricey pet essential scanning for only 10p
B&M shoppers have been rushing to buy a pricey pet essential item that is currently scanning for only 10p.
Cat food has been spotted on sale at the discount retailer, with prices ranging from 10p to £1.
An eagle-eyed customer shared an image of dried Vitalin food, which is being sold for £1, on the B&M Scanner and Other Bargains Facebook group.
The same product, for kittens, costs £17.90 on the Vitalin website, where it is described as “nutritionally complete and balanced food in an extruded kibble, carefully formulated for adult working dogs, which does not require any additional meat or supplements.”
The B&M shopper said she also found wet cat food on sale for 10p.
Bear in mind, if you’re looking to snap up the pet food, you might not find it in your local branch so cheap as retailers tend to reduce items like this to clear stock in specific stores.
This means it’s not a guarantee that you will find a bargain just like other shoppers do.
The B&M barcode scanner app allows you to discover discounted items before the staff have even reduced them.
It tells you if the item’s price is cheaper than advertised on the shop shelf, helping shoppers find bargains as cheap as 10p.
Products that are typically discounted are seasonal items and old stock that B&M is trying to shift – or they’re labelled “big brands” and “big savings”.
According to research published by The Grocer magazine earlier this year, the cost of pet food has surged by as much as 58% in the past two years – and pet owners are now looking to feed their moggie on a budget when possible.
RSPCA research shows almost a quarter of owners are worried about how they will continue to feed their pets.
Nestlé’s Go-Cat Adult Chicken & Duck 750g, for instance, has gone from £2 to £3.15 in Asda — up 57.5%.
At the same retailer, Pedigree’s mixed multipack of wet dog food tins (6x400g) from Mars Petcare has shot up 55.6%, from £4.50 to £7.
In Tesco, Pedigree Adult Dry Dog Food Chicken & Vegetable 3kg is up from £7 to £8.75 — a 25% increase in the year to July 3.
In April, a shopper found Go Local Ruby cat food discounted to 73p a can at Asda – but the discount only applied to one flavour, chicken, in the 400g size, which normally sells for 85p a tin.
The shopper took to Facebook to share the find, saying: “I took all of them from my local, paydays a few days away and so my Binx has been eating the tin on the left, which is actually 15p more than the Sheba.
“He now requests to be ‘Sir Binx’.” Other shoppers said that the poster had found a bargain.
Top Tips To Nab The Best Shopping Bargains
Finding deals and offers can be tricky if you don't know where to look.
Here’s a list of hacks you can use to become a bargain-hunting pro and save on your shopping bill:
Join Facebook groups – Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK, Latest Deals and Reduce Your Supermarket Spend are all Facebook groups helping you reduce your spending and find good deals
Get following – Follow your favourite shops on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and sign up to its newsletters to get the latest on any offers
Check hotukdeals – The deal-sharing website lists offers as they’re spotted by savvy shoppers
Use barcode scanners – Retailers such as B&M let shoppers scan the barcodes on its app to see if it’s cheaper than the price listed on the shelf
How to save money on cat food
Having a cat as a pet is a rewarding experience but costs can add up if you want to meet your pet‘s nutritional needs without breaking the bank.
Buying cat food in bulk can help you save money because most good have a lower price when bought in larger quantities – and cheaper prices usually also apply to bigger bags of products.
You should also keep in mind that some cat foods can be frozen.
This could help ensure no food goes off by the time you get around to using it – but you should always check the label to make sure the product is safe for home freezing.
Another option to consider are pet food subscription services which can be an easy way for you to get regular top-ups of your cat’s food delivered straight to your door.
Some cat food subscription sites to consider are Tails.com, Blink!, Bella & Duke and KatKin.
However, you should remember that while cat food subscriptions can offer a cost-effective trial, it doesn’t automatically mean that they’re cheaper than the food you usually buy.
You should always compare food subscription sites to your regular shopping and decide which one works best for you.
And always remember to cancel your subscriptions to avoid being charged beyond the trial period if you no longer need them or you are not interested.
An option to save money could also be switching your cat’s diet to cheaper food, while still meeting your pet’s needs.
For example, if you are feeding cuts a raw food diet, you could consider switching to a dry diet until the cost of living crisis improves.
Just like anything, you should always shop around to ensure you are getting the best deal on your purchase.
Using a price comparison tool before heading to the shop can also help you find the best deals and discounts.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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