Yes…the local mom and pop owned feedstore want 25$ for 10lbs bags of Oxbow Basic T …that is ridiculous!
If you can buy multiple items to make up for the shipping then it’s worth it to buy online. I just can’t wait too long till I run out but I live right next to BB so I can usually get my order in 1-2 days she is super fast!

I finally ordered some hay from BB. Don’t know yet if Lolli likes as I don’t know where my “front door according to Fedex” is at. LOL But I decided to try it and ordered 2 mini bales. The cost for 2 of mini bales is cheaper than what I can get hay for approximately the same amount at Petsmart or Petco. By far, Petco is more expensive that Petsmart here. A worker was telling her manager that she didn’t know how they were going to stay in business because their prices keep going up. LOL

The thing that kills me is paying $20 for 10lbs of Kaytee brand pellets. I tried switching them to oxbow when Eddie was alive and I did it slowly but they ended up snubbing the oxbow. So I keep buying the kaytee timothy pellets. Once I get my box of hay from stupid Fedex, I’m hoping Lolli will eat more hay rather than pellets.

I keep thinking she needs toys. But they are so expensive and she doesn’t play with anything she has now. I should probably figure out how to make her some kind of obstacle course where she has to move things out of her way. She seems to like doing that the most as she tries to fling things out of her way – an empty toliet paper roll, my shoes, my Nook…… I am laying on the floor and yep, tried to fling the Nook. She got yelled at. lol

But yes, it’s sad that we can find the same items cheaper online than we can in the pet stores.

ABSOLUTELY! My local store would only order a few bags of Oxbow per week, once they were out, they were out. I finally gave up and started ordering from the Foster/Smith website. Last week I placed an order for food:

Basics T (10lbs) on sale for $13.59 x 4 bags = 54.36

Over $50 = FREE shipping. Total cost= $54.36

My local store sold 5lb bags for about $12. So to purchase 40lbs of food (assuming they even had 8- 5lb bags in stock…) would be $96!

Ordering pellets online saved me approximately $40.

It’s a no-brainer. And the funny thing is… I ordered Thursday, with the basic, free shipping, my order was on my porch on Saturday, less than 48 hours later.

Edit:  So by ordering pellets and hay online (I also get the 50lb boxes of hay on Foster/Smith) and by purchasing woodstove pellets from the home improvement store, I am able to save money on everything my bunnies need… BUT veggies.  I figure my savings on other items help make up for the small fortune I spend on fresh foods. 

So I don’t feel bad for trying to save money, my buns still have a $75 a month greens habit to contend with! 

Actually, the $25 for the hay is about right. That’s what we charge at the guinea pig rescue store. Pellets and stuff are much cheaper than in pet stores and on-line though. Shipping even in bulk is VERY EXPENSIVE. Most pet stores do buy oxbow from local distributors but the distributors have to pass on their costs and their is a fuel surcharge too. Even on Drs Foster if you notice the prices for the hay, you are still paying the shipping cost because it’s figured into the price.

Well I pay a fortune for hay and toys at the pet store but since I live in Canada ordering hay online costs even more since I pay more for the shipping than what the product is worth. I do one online bunny order a year: Special willow stuff for Christmas. I wish there was a good company in Canada where shipping wasn’t so ridiculous. The price they charge is unreal.

yes store bought hay in my area is ridiculous. i’m so glad i found a quality farm to buy bales from. they take up lots of storage room but last half a year which makes my annual hay expense $10

Unfortunately my buns are fussy spoiled brats and refuse to eat the hay that my horse eats which I can get at $2.00/bale! That would save me about $50.00 a month at least.

Posted By SmokeyBunnyRobinson on 02/08/2011 09:36 PM 
I live allllll the way in NJ ;(
And yeah, I have a farmer’s store around here that charges $30 for 96oz of Timothy hay. It’s ridiculous! I hear so many great stories about buying from farm stores and it being cheaper, but I guess I just don’t have that kind of luck

Now, now, you should know that everything in our fair state costs more than anywhere else.   At least you have a farmer nearby to get hay – up in the North here I don’t!

I have to buy hay via BB because sassy butt doesn’t want anything to do with the local farm supply Orchard Grass, and I sneeze and cry when I use Timothy.

i noticed I would have to go back and forth to the petstore for more hay during the month.

I noticed Chacha snubbed her new cut of Orchard from the pet store and stubborn me, took me forever to buy Organic Orchard from the BB store. It is $29 for a 10 lb box, but it sure is worth it if you hve one bunny.