Meet #BarkFriday Guest Expert 20Something Saver

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Meet Elizabeth, the 20Something Saver. She's a powerhouse of a young woman whom I have known since the tender age of 2. Coming into her own as a young adult, Lizzi is a super thrifty homemaker, soon-to-be-wife, college student and mom to Cocoa and Oreo. Her toy poodles have been seen here on All Things Dog Blog as Elizabeth has been a loyal reader since I strapped on my dot com and started up All Things Dog Blog in 2009.


Little did I know that I could learn so much about saving money from this dynamic young lady.  And lucky us to have her joining the Twitter Barkers team as a guest expert on our #BarkFriday Twitter Party theme topic: saving money on holiday pet stuff.


If saving money and couponing are high on your list of priorities, you may want to stop by www.livegivesave.com, where 20Something Saver shares tips and money-saving information with features like Dinner on a Dime, Cheap Date, Ask the 20Something, and don't miss her Coupon Database to score major savings all on one quick page.


Have you signed up for the Twitter Party yet? In order to win prizes you'll need to RSVP for #BarkFriday here. You can even win prizes before the party just by getting your name on the guest list, so don't waste any time. I happen to know there will be more RSVP winner's drawings coming. 


If this is new stuff to you, no worries. I've published several helpful posts to get you acquainted with Twitter and started on Twitter Parties. Pick the topic that you need help on from these possibilities:

• RSVP to Join the Fun
• Tweeting for Rookies
• Twitter Party Toolkit
• DM's and RT's on Twitter
• Checking in at the Party Opening
• How Do I Watch All the Tweets?

Elizabeth will be joining us to share tips on how to make the most of pet superstore loyalty programs, finding the best online bargains and much more. And all the while she's chattering about saving money, Paris will be handing out door prizes from our sponsors. You get to double your savings with great tips and free stuff. It's a no-brainer.


Thanks to our wonderful bunch of sponsors, we'll be handing out well over $1000 in great pet and pet lover goodies. You can even win now in our RSVP drawings, so don't waste any time getting that little detail handled.....right after you have some fun getting acquainted with 20Something Saver. See you at #BarkFriday!

All Things Dog Blog Inspires...

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

What a delightful way to start the day. As soon as I signed on to check my morning comments, there it was--an award from Boondocks the Wonder Dog. I'm not sure exactly who we've inspired, but it felt good to know that Boondocks and his family felt our presence. Thanks to Boondocks and his whole pack for this nice compliment.


The fun part of winning one of these blogging awards is passing it along. It gets to travel to whomever I choose X 10. It's always tough to narrow it down to 10. Let's see how I do, and please know these are in no specific order:

1. Carol Bryant--This is awarded to Carol personally, as a writer that I respect and enjoy working with. She can choose to display the award wherever she wishes--a professional site or her FIDO Friendly blog.
2. Kim Clune--The same goes for Kim. Since she has 2 blogs, I'll let her choose where to display her award: Btc4Animals or This One Wild Life.
3. Doreen Disbro--For your faith in my efforts to get a giveaway blog hop started, thank you for inspiring me further: Doggies and Stuff.
4. Elizabeth Glavin--You've been a delight to work with in our crossover areas of saving money on pet stuff, but most of all you're one of those young women that takes the bull by the horns and gets where she intends to go. You go girl: 20something Saver.
5. April of A Mommy's Sweet Blog Design-- Thank you for being so patient and willing to work with my very specific Bow Wow ideas about my blog's little design issues. Your patience earned you this award.
6. Paris Permenter--Although you and Dogtipper have probably won every award in the blogging world (or should have), perhaps you'd like to display this at CatTipper as a thank you from my cat, Patches, for all your gracious assistance to me. P.S. Patches wants to be featured as a cat of the day.
7. Michael Baugh--Thank you for joining All Things Dog Blog as an Ask the Dog Trainer columnist. Your writing inspires and has earned you this award for Michael's Dogs.
8. Pat Bradley, DVM--I can't thank you enough for the hours of devotion you have given to your Ask the Vet column here. Written with such touching humor and understanding, the counselor side of you always shines through.
9. Terry Lynn Cuyler--For sticking with me as an Ask the Trainer columnist, through complications in our electronic communications, I am thrilled that you're here and always love the variety you are able to bring to your answers for our readers as their Paws Prof.
10. Leslie May at Raise a Green Dog--What can I say except that my blog is your fault! I found your site BEFORE I even conceived of a dog blog. At the time I was writing about green and organic living and your blog introduced me to a way of sharing my dogs in the light of that lifestyle. It was the perfect fit. Thank you for inspiring me.

Grab your award from the top of the page and take enjoyment in the process of choosing those you will bestow the award upon now. The rules say 10, but I'm not counting. Enjoy the journey!

Saving on Pet Food: Making the Most of Superstore Savings Programs

Guest Post by Elizabeth Glavin of 20something Saver

© Carrie Boyko
Organix Kibble with
 Stewed Organic Chicken and Carrots

Dog food can be expensive. Dog food can be really expensive when you feed your dog healthy and nutritious food.


Luckily, you’re going to play the Dog Food Game.


Want to play? Join me:


First things first-- figure out what you’re willing to spend. It’s unrealistic for someone to spend $50 on one bag of dog food when they are fostering 8 Greyhounds! They won’t be able to feed their children. So let’s be realistic, but not too cheap-- You would much rather spend a little money now on food, then a lot down the road if something happens to Fido. I highly recommend an all Organic diet. To read more on why organic is healthier, read Carrie’s post “Your Dog’s Food: Why is Organic Healthier?”.


Now that you have what you’re willing to spend, head out to the store. Personally, I suggest PetsMart or PetCo. They carry a large variety of healthy, nutritious, and organic dog food. Another great store is Pet Supermarket. Where you decide to shop is up to you and your pup.


PetsMart is one of my favorites because they have great customer service. They are very helpful and always willing to answer questions you may have. PetsMart accepts manufacturer coupons, so research online to see if your dog food company gives out coupons. 

(Not a Valid Coupon)
Manufacturer's Coupons
 are Available from Some Pet Food Makers

Their rewards program, PetPerks, is not as fun as the other stores (more on that later), but still helps you save some green. Basically, having a PetPerks card gets you special deals. There are no coupons involved, and you don’t get anything for free. Here’s how a purchase would go at PetsMart: At check out, the cashier will ask if you have a PetPerks card. If you do, they scan it and you will get the sale price of the item. Usually, dog food is about 15-20% cheaper with a PetPerks card, so I highly recommend getting one. Signing up for one is easy-- just sign up here. What’s my favorite part of PetPerks? They remember your pet’s birthday and will send Fido a card and a $5 off coupon in the mail! If you think you want to start shopping at PetsMart, be sure and find a location near you.


PetCo has some great rewards! PetCo uses the Pals Program and you can sign up for that here. For every 10 bags of dog food you purchase, you get one bag free! PetCo accepts manufacturer coupons and they have their own coupons that you can print from their website. When you’re part of the Pals Program, you will also get monthly emails containing coupons! Because they have store coupons and manufacturer coupons, PetCo allows stacking. Stacking is when you use both a manufacturer and store coupon for one item. For a PetCo near you, click here and enter your zip code.


Pet Supermarket is also a favorite because they do something none of the other stores do-- price match! Of course, you’ll want to confirm this with your local Pet Supermarket, but most stores do. Pet Supermarket also accepts competitor coupons (from PetsMart and PetCo) and manufacturers coupons. Price matching is very easy at Pet Supermarket-- just bring in another store’s ad with your item on sale for a specific price, and they will honor the price. Pet Supermarket also has a discount card; the VIP card. To obtain a VIP card, visit your local Pet Supermarket.

© Carrie Boyko
No Flips for Tanner--Just Chow!

Now that you’ve found Fido some yummy food, you might want to supplement it. We do this about once a week for a special treat. Your local Farmer’s Market sells organic fruits and vegetables that you can give to Fido-- carrots, apples, and zucchini are perfectly fine for Fido’s tummy. You could even boil some boneless, skinless chicken breasts-- Cocoa and Oreo will do flips for chicken! 

20something Saver is a blog about a 20something learning to live on less. Visit her site to learn more money-saving tips with her dogs, Cocoa and Oreo. 

***Don't miss Carrie's recipe for Stewed Chicken and Carrot Cookies for Fido, coming in June.




Have you missed any of our series on organic dog food? Here's the links:

• Our Pet Food Pantry: A Little History
• Your Dog's Food: Why is Organic Healthier?
• Our Dogs' Food: The Big Decision
• Dog Food D-Day: The Big Reveal
• Surprise Dog Toys Awarded to Observant Winners
• Organix Dog Food Giveaway: 12 Bags of Healthy Goodness