# Feeding raw cheaper than kibble?



## TwoBoxers (Aug 29, 2009)

I have heard A LOT of folks say they can feed their dogs raw for a lot less than kibble. For me, it’s NOT the case at all. 

On average, I spend just under $1.00 per pound. 
To feed 1 of my dogs 1.75-2lbs of food a day it cost, about $1.75 to $2.00. 
So, $52.50-$60 a month. He would eat about a bags worth of kibble a month, so if I feed TOTW, it would cost $40 a month.
Even if I feed Instinct or Acana ($50.00) it would STILL be cheaper to feed kibble. 

I still feed raw BUT, I am wondering how the heck people feed raw for so cheap?? I already buy all of my meat in bulk from a distributer (anywhere from .50 a lbs to 1.65 a lb).
I don’t have a lot of time to “shop around” or call people off of craigslist. All of the folks in my training club order from the same place and it’s the best prices I can find.

Just curious I suppose.


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

On average I am spending about .75/lb for everything. I go through about 112 lbs of meat in a month. So, thats about $84. I feed 3 dogs for this amount. Nallah gets 1.25 lbs per day, Morgan 1 lb and Remi gets 1.5. 

When they were on kibble (I just had 2 at that point) I was feeding grain free Wellness CORE which cost me $60/bag to go pick it up (not counting gas money......as I had to drive at least an hour to get it) or about $68 a bag to have it shipped. One bag would only last 3 weeks with two dogs. Add Remi in there and I doubt it would last 2 weeks. Lets figure it did last two weeks, thats $120 MINIMUM per month to feed kibble. 

Thats how its cheaper for me.  It was a good switch for us, financially and health-wise!


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

I think meat prices vary around the country. Currently I'm paying $.375 for chicken backs and about $.50 for quarters. Can't remember what I'm paying for drumsticks for the cats. I'm paying a little under $1 for beef heart. The expensive one is boston butt. I pay between $1.65 to $1.99 for it. I figured about a year ago that I was averaging $.73/lb for all my dog food. Its probably a little higher now.

I buy from a small privately owned retail grocery store. I know what he pays for the stuff I buy from him and he is making a profit on all my purchases so the distributer is selling to him for even less than what I am paying.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

we know we're spending more per dog on raw than on kibble...but beef tongue is more expensive and we have set a higher price point, since we only feed a pound per day...

i think we average about 2.00 - 3.00 per day....if we bought kibble, it would cost us 60-70 dollars per six weeks or so....so kibble is cheaper....by a lot.

i figure what we spend on food will save us down the line in vet bills...


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## hcdoxies (Sep 22, 2010)

My parents have two mini doxies and buy from www.saddogsushi.com in bulk. They go through about $150 of food in 6 months. So $25/mo. Depending on what you feed that's either the same or considerably cheaper than kibble.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

When I was feeding grain free kibble (EVO) I was paying about $69 per bag (if I remember right!) and going through 2 40 pound bags a month. So a bit over $120 a month for two dogs (120 great Dane and 60 pound mutt).

On raw we spend on average $.75 per pound for meat. Per day we feed about 12 pound of meat for five dogs (3 great Danes and two 60 pound mutts). So per day the dogs cost us about $10 per day rounding up. Per month thats about $300 for meat for five dogs. 

All in all it adds up to be the same per month for food. 

*BUT* with the added health benefits from appropriate foods I can't tell you how much we will save in vet bills over the course of our dogs lives.


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> All in all it adds up to be the same per month for food.


I wouldn't say it all adds up, because now you're feeding four 100+ lb dogs, at least I assume. And they're not small 100+ lb dogs! haha. Anyways, they're about twice as big as your 60 lb mutt, and therefore need about twice as much. So you could really say you're spending about $100 on the same two dogs, meaning you're saving about $20.


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

As for me, I save a LOT on raw. I was spending $100 a month on kibble (TOTW at $37 a bag, and SG Wolf King at $55 a bag + tax, came out to a little over $100), but now I only spend, like, $40-80 a month. Granted, I feed chicken as half of their meals to save some money for now.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

xxshaelxx said:


> Granted, I feed chicken as half of their meals to save some money for now.


It's hard to pass up chicken when you find it for .38 cents a pound! :biggrin:


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## sassymaxmom (Dec 7, 2008)

A long time ago I figured cost per calorie and raw was cheaper. I pay about $.75 a pound for Max's meat and at 20 pounds a month whether it is more or less than kibble it sure isn't much money! Low is $.30 a pound for outdated meats and high is currently $1.75 a pound whole fetal lambs with $1.55 a pound organ mixes being next highest price meat in the freezer.


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## bumblegoat (May 12, 2010)

I think I pay pretty much the same now on raw as I did when I fed my dog Orijen. I don't buy anything in bulk, I buy everything at the grocery store pretty much, since I only have one small dog. I also use up old expired meat that I would just have thrown away before feeding raw.

I could probably save money if I fed a crappy kibble instead, but obviously that isn't something I would like to do. Right now I think I pay around $20 per month to feed my 20lb dog, and that isn't much at all. Meat is a bit more expensive here than in America, but can still easily find decent prices just by checking out the grocery stores. Who knows how little I would spend if I had the opportunity to buy in bulk!


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## Jackielyn (May 27, 2009)

I haven't run the numbers...I'm not quite sure if I'm saving or not...I was feeding TOTW and going through a 30 lb bag every 10 days...so at $40/bag I was spending about $120/month on kibble. I have 2 great danes, one gets about 3.5 lbs and the other gets about 2.5 lbs. I can get chicken between $.50 and $.75 a pound. I can get beef trim, rib bones and liver (and i'm sure other things if i asked) for $.25/lb from a butcher in a neighboring town. Plus any free meat that I acquire or my husband hunts. 

Ok so if I figured I only fed the chicken quarters I get at Walmart for .$59/lb. I would be spending about $3.50/day for both dogs. Times 30 days is $105...and that's just the chicken so when I fed other meats (be it free or lower per pound) my cost per day is lower! SUH-WEET!!! So I really am saving money!


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## SamWu1 (Oct 15, 2010)

When I was feeding nothing but enhanced chicken, kibble was cheaper. I'm sure if I had larger dogs it would be worth it for me to join raw feeding co-ops, shop for deals and buy in bulk but with feeding only 3/4th of a pound a day, it isn't worth the effort.

Beef is $1.95, chicken less than a buck, pork ribs $2, most organ stuff all under $2 so I just bite the bullet and pay more to avoid shopping.


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

It probably depends on where you live and how meat prices are over there.

For me at least it is cheaper to feed raw. I have 3 small dogs, 8-13 lbs, so they eat about 1/2lb - 1lb total per day between the three. I feed more when they run around more, less when I am tired and thus they have to be couch potatoes. 

The meats I buy for them vary from $0.48lb - $1.20lb, the organs from $0.80lb - $2.00lb.
They eat about 2 pounds of organs a month, and about 18lb of meat. So that turns out to be $1.60-$4.00 for organs and $8.64-$21.60 for meat monthly. 
So, $10.24 on the low-low end and $25.60 on the higher end, for all 3 dogs. I am sure sometimes I spend a bit more than that, but for the most part I haven't spent less than $15 a month (although I could).

A 12lb bag of Wellness core costs me anywhere from $28 to $35 depending on whether I buy them the fish or the chicken one. The bag would last me about 3-4 weeks, maayyybe 5 if I were to fast them once a week. So monthly it would be a minimum of $28 and probably a max of about $40-$45.
I could not afford it, I don't have a job (though I should get one), which is one of the many reasons I finally took the leap to full-raw.


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