Secrets to Thrifty Spending: Neopian Food Edition

Every Neopian loves to save a few Neopoints now and then, right? You know, for those days you and your Neopet want to take a trip on the Merry Go Round or spin that Wheel of... well, whichever wheel suits your fancy, right? Of course, it can be a bit of a problem when all of your NP are going towards keeping those pets well fed.

Now, do not get me wrong. It’s great that our pets are happily bloated, picking Tigersquash Corn Dogs and Orange Sweeties out of their teeth. There’s nothing wrong with spending Neopoints on our little friends, but sometimes... We wish we had a little extra cash in our pockets to go out and have some fun with our pets, right?

If you are the kind of person who isn’t all that interested in the Gourmet Foods (as marvelous as they can be!) and still want to keep those pets fed, you can do it while saving a few NP by simply learning a few helpful tips.

Freebies:

We all know that the site takes care of those less fortunate. You know, those of us who find that our shop tills are empty, and our bank interest is not even enough to buy wearable dung.

Thank goodness for those who watch over us!

Luckily, we have those charming little freebies that keep us going when the times are rough, such as the Monthly Freebies that will kindly give us food and a little extra NP or the Soup Kitchen where the lovely Soup Faerie will fill their bellies - if you have less than 3,000 NP in your bank account.

We simply cannot forget the Money Tree as well, where rich Neopians can donate food, as well as other items, to their fellow players in need. Remember, you have to click fast to get these items or someone will snatch them up before you do!

Other freebies we might not normally think about can include the Fruit Machine in Sakhmet and Tombola on Mystery Island. These will not cost you any NP to play, but they do not always hold the promise of a prize to take home when you are done.

In addition, who could forget the Giant Omelette in the Tyrannian Plateau? If the Omelette hasn’t disappeared, you can go home with a snack worth three bites!

What? You say that you have four Neopets? Well, do not despair! You can always go to the Giant Jelly in Jelly World... that is, if you are foolish enough to think it exists.

But, if you would still like to search for it, go ahead.

I hope you don’t get lost, though.

Cheap Foods:

Now, so far, you have read about all of these great, free offers commonly called 'dailies'. This means you can only get or play for them once every day. But, if your pets need more than a few meals to get back to where they should or if they are (gasp) DYING, you might need to think about buying or stocking up on some extra food items.

Hey, the whole point of this is to save NP, right? So relax! Your pets, even the picky ones, can get great foods without having to pay steep prices.

The Shop Wizard, if you have not already been introduced, should become your best friend. If you are not currently on a quest, you can search an item and find the lowest prices offered by fellow Neopians.

Now, let’s take a look at some great foods that can be found for less than 15 NP each! (Let’s say... 20-25 NP if the price is at its highest.)

(Note: Omelettes can always be a great buy, since they offer three meals in one package, but for the sake of our chart here, they are a bit pricy in comparison.)

*Seafood is always wonderful! You can get most fish for free if your pet has a good fishing level.

**Remember, these prices can change with time. Refreshing the Shop Wizard results page once can show you a lower OR higher price.

Now, when these prices are at their lowest, it is advisable that you stock up on them for future times. The site conveniently has a Safety Deposit Box for each Neopian to keep all of the things they cannot fit into their inventory. By keeping extra food there, you can reach into your stockpiles when the prices jump or when you do not have time to search for a good bargain.

Caution:

Some foods can be pretty cheap at times, and though they may sound harmless enough, there are certain foods you want to avoid.

Poisonous foods have danger clearly written in their names. You would not eat anything with ‘Poison’ in its name, would you? Then do not let your pet eat them! Poisonous Lollypops, Jellies, and other items can give your pets NeoMonia or other sicknesses you can easily avoid.

Gross foods do not hold any sickness-related consequences for your pets, but they certainly will not enjoy them. Foods such as Eyeball Sushi, Dr. Backwash, or Chocolate Covered Onions are better suited for your galleries than they are for your pet’s food dish. Keep those pets happy! If you feel ill by just reading the food’s name, you probably shouldn’t give it to them.

Rotten foods such as Rotten Carrots, Onions, and Omelettes should be avoided at all times. Neopets can catch Ugga-Ugga from eating these foods, and the cure, Sporkle Syrup, can cost a great deal of NP to cure your pet.

A Reminder:

We love our pets dearly. After all, why would we have them if we didn’t? It’s great to save a few NP here and there, but our Neopets deserve the best. Every once in a while, we need to treat them to Café Kreludor for some Fruit in a Tube or to the Kelp restaurant in Maraqua for a fine meal.