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Eartha
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« on: November 29, 2007, 10:45:57 PM » |
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I notice every once in awhile that someone will mention that they wish they could afford homemade food. I didn't really notice it to be more expensive than commercial canned food so I did some calculations, and if I added it up all correctly, it costs me less than premium brands and slightly more than grocery store brands. Here's what I came up with: Buying everything full price, and including shipping, etc. it costs me $1.54 to make 13.2 oz of pet food. This is cheaper than the premium brands that run about $1.99/can, but more expensive than middling grocery store brands that run about $0.99/can. However, the food I made was much more calorie dense than the watered down grocery brands, so I looked at cost for an equivalent number of calories and it came down to $1.10 for 389 calories of homemade food, $1.99 for the premium, and $1.10 for the grocery store brand. Here's the chart with the breakdown:  I'm sure it would be even less with some shopping around for items, using home-grown veggies in season, and more thought put into saving money. The estimated nutritional breakdown of the recipe per cup is here. Does anyone else have any cost breakdowns for recipes or any cost saving tips? It would be wonderful if homemade meals could be affordable for everyone who wanted to try them. |
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kaffe
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« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2007, 11:59:35 PM » |
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wow! that is an impressive chart, Eartha! and very very helpful! I'll work on the cost of the recipe of my cats' most basic raw food (I gave a rough esimate to JustMe) and maybe one or two of the other recipes too. Won't be an impressive chart like yours though! Cost per calorie? You're something, gal!  |
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Poco
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« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2007, 01:02:21 AM » |
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I am really impressed, too!!!
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"Our country is now geared to an arms economy bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear." ----General Douglas MacArthur
"American GIs are not toy soldiers to be moved around on some global game board." ----General Colin Powell
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kaffe
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« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2007, 02:22:20 AM » |
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Its not like Eartha's beatiful chart, but here' my calculations for my cats' most BASIC raw food recipe (similar to catnutriton.org recipe except for the vegetables)
Supplements:
1. Immuno-Gland Plex - Organic Glandular (Hypoallergenic), Allergy Research Group / Nutricology, 60 Caps
$10. 11 (at herbalremedies.com)
< $0.17 per capsule
2. Kelp Seaweed ( Norwegian ) ( Laminaria digitata ) Powder - 4 oz. Bulk, Alternative Health and Herb Remedies
$2.95 (at herbalremedies.com)
contains 24 teaspoons or 96 x ¼ teaspoons
> $0.03 per ¼ teaspoon
3. Dulse ( Rhodymenia palmata ) C/S Powder - 4 oz. Bulk, Alternative Health and Herb Remedies
$7.99 (at herbalremedies.com)
contains 24 teaspoons or 96 x ¼ teaspoons
> $0.08 per ¼ teaspoon
4. Vitamin B-50® (Vitamin B Complex) 100 Tablets, Puritan’s Pride
$4.89 (at puritanspride.com)
< $ 0.05 per tab
5. Omega 3 Fish Oil 1200 mg., 100 Softgels, Puritan’s Pride
$4.99 (at puritanspride.com)
< $0.05 per softgel
6. Vitamin E-400IU, 100 Softgels, Puritan’s Pride
$3.17 (at puritanspride.com)
> $0.03 per softgel
7. Taurine Powder, NOW Foods 8 oz (227 g)
$6.70 (at iherb.com)
¼ tsp = 1000mg taurine
contains 48 teaspoons or 192 x ¼ teaspoons
< $0.04 per ¼ teaspoon
Ingredients:
1. 2 kilos whole chicken thighs
Tyson chickens
+/- $4.90
2. 400 grams Chicken hearts
Tyson Chickens or Foster Farms
+/- $2.00
3. 200 grams Chicken Liver
Tyson Chickens or Foster Farms
+/- $0.75
4. 4 Egg yolks
Organic eggs $3.60 per dozen
$0.30 per egg =
$1.20
5. 2 Cups Mixed organic vegetables (grated raw carrot; squash; zuccini)
roughly $1.50
6. 2 Cups Spring Water
roughly $0.50
Cost
Chicken thighs 2 kilos $4.90
Chicken hearts 400 g $2.00
Chicken liver 200 g $0.75
Egg yolk 4 $1.20
Mixed veggies 2 cups $1.50
Spring water 2 cups $0.50
Organic Glandular 4 caps $0.68
Kelp ¼ tsp $0.03
Dulse ¼ tsp $0.08
Vitamin B-50 4 tabs $0.20
Vitamin E 400IU 2 softgels $0.06
Fish Oil 1200mg 4 softgels $0.20
Taurine ½ tsp (2000mg) $0.08
TOTAL: $12.18
This recipe yields around 12 heaping cups or 14 loosely packed cups = roughly 2 weeks worth of food for 2 adult cats
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JustMe
Global Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 3720
I'm living the dream....Herding Cats!
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« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2007, 02:28:12 AM » |
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kaffe and Eartha, That's awesome! Now I have your information for dog meals and cat meals. The two of you, and others who make their own pet meals, just blow me away. What an inspiration you are! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing.  |
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mainecoonpeg
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« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2007, 07:41:29 PM » |
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I second what Just Me says....
To all
THANK YOU FOR SHARING..............{{hugs}}
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If cats could talk......They wouldn't
Tortie cats are like Almond Joys........Very sweet and a little nuts
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straybaby
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« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2007, 08:41:51 PM » |
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ya wanna know what's funny? i never really compared my costs against actual cans of commercial food. i just grinned and dealt with it. when i fed commercial i didn't really keep track of what i was paying, but the bills were big as i was feeding 7 cats and 1 50lb Dal all premium foods. cats ate mostly wet . . . dot ate both for a short period. i know ballpark what i was paying for cans/cases of cat food. for raw, i tried to keep the cost around 1-1.50 lb. now that they are on farm raised meats it's more, but i don't see it being a heck of a lot more than the commercial i would buy if i bought commercial. many of the decent canned foods (any i would feed) start at about one dollar for THREE OUNCES!!! my cats eat 1-1.25lbs of raw food a day. average about 2.50lb. at 1.00 for 3oz that would be about 5.33 if i did my math right . . . if i'm lucky and i can get the food (i want) in the 5.5 oz it would only cost 3.75, if i'm SUPER lucky and find the 13oz, about 3.00. many brands don't make the bigger cans and if they do, not a lot of stores carry them. now i did this quickie math based on feeding 16oz a day. not sure what the cans recommend, but that's for 5 cats based on about what they eat raw. i don't feel so nuts anymore spending so much on raw food! lol!~ let me add my thanks also!!! |
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JJ
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« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2007, 01:55:57 AM » |
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kaffee wow six bucks per week for two cats is not bad, not bad at all. And much healthier which brings you peace of mind which is priceless.
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'Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
But how to dance in the rain.'
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kaffe
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« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2007, 10:32:14 PM » |
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kaffee wow six bucks per week for two cats is not bad, not bad at all. And much healthier which brings you peace of mind which is priceless.
The cost of making my own cat food was what truly surprised me... I initially thought that it will cost me at least the same as what it normally cost me buying premium food... This was what my petfood bill per week looked like on high-end commercial feeding after the recalls: Nature’s Variety Instinct 6 x 5.5oz cans x $2.00 = $12.00 Felidae Platinum 2 x 13.5 oz can x $1.50 = $ 3.00 Solid Gold Blended Tuna 2 x 6 oz can x $1.80 = $ 3.60 Nature’s Variety Instinct dry cat food $14.00 per bag cats eat 1/6 bag per week $ 2. 35 ---------- $20.95 for two adult cats per week .... so it was a very pleasant surprise to find out that I actually spend much much less... Of course, I use Tyson or Foster Farms chickens which cost a lot less than organic chicken. I'd like to go organic; but right now, it is a bit hard to justify becuase I and my two legged family are not on organic food ourselves. It will be different if one or the other of my cats had health issues of course and right now, both are in tip top shape, praise God. |
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Eartha
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« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2007, 04:05:43 PM » |
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Is this why turkeys are so expensive this year? Everyone's running away from chicken?
I've been waiting for the post-Thanksgiving turkey sales. Two years ago I bought half a dozen non-organic turkeys at $0.19/lb. This year even the non-organic ones are still running $1.99/lb at a few of the normal grocery stores. I was actually happy this year to find one at $.99/lb after looking around. I guess I won't be making piles of turkey jerky treats as I thought I would be.
Kaffe: $25.00/month for two cats is very good indeed. I think I spend close to that for one.
Straybaby: Thanks for posting too. $2.5 - 3.75 per day is alot better than $5.33.
What a bonus it is to be able to serve fresh food with less mystery ingredients and do it cheaper!
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sharky
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« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2008, 10:24:10 PM » |
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For me three animals  ( two now    ) One eats premium brand dry food ( cat) two types she likes it that way 32$ for 2 months ... plus 10 $ for canned( she doesnt like) one eating raw .. premade from vet about 20 a month plus supplement of 10 ish per month one eating homemade dog ... natural local raised meats 2-6$ lb she eats two a week .. ave 8$ a week so meat 32 a month Grains organic 1-3 $ eats about 1lb a week so roughly 8 a month add veggies another 10 a month supplements run over 50 a month |
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ancona
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« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2008, 06:26:22 AM » |
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Breakdown research is great. But, do any of you pay about close to $500.00 to fill up on heating oil??
Many of us are facing this, two weeks ago, it was close to that for our modest home in Massachusetts.
This is a large factor in what persons can now afford to feed their pets, and children.
Sandi
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JustMe
Global Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 3720
I'm living the dream....Herding Cats!
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« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2008, 07:52:21 AM » |
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Breakdown research is great. But, do any of you pay about close to $500.00 to fill up on heating oil??
Many of us are facing this, two weeks ago, it was close to that for our modest home in Massachusetts.
This is a large factor in what persons can now afford to feed their pets, and children.
Sandi
Yep, I sure do. $517 for only 150 gallons, not even a fillup. New England, too. Heating oil $3.449 a gallon on December 6th. Electric bill one month : $220. Won't even get into phone charges or gasoline. We had 2 electric rate increases in 2007 and electric company just got approved for another increase in 2008. I can't even start trying to home cook. No money left over for equipment, supplements, and ingredients. |
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« Last Edit: January 06, 2008, 07:56:27 AM by JustMe »
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MarySmith
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« Reply #14 on: January 06, 2008, 08:33:29 AM » |
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I can't even start trying to home cook. No money left over for equipment, supplements, and ingredients. That is why it would be so good if we at itchmo could somehow enlist enough people around the country to home-cook and then develop 'clubs' where equipment could be shared between persons to keep the cost down. |
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MarySmith - No Longer Posting
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