Neopia On A Budget

First, do you really need a Ferrari to get you to the corner store? No! Do you need designer embossed sneakers to keep your feet dry? No! Do you need luxury toilet paper to... well, you get the drift. And so do you need stacks and stacks of Neopoints to give your pet a great lifestyle? You guessed it, NO!!! It is my pleasure to present to you just some of the best items available in Neopia. These items are so good because they are both cheap and they often serve more than one purpose; they might be healthy and tasty, they might be educating and entertaining, they might be warm and fashionable – but they are all nice for your Neopet and nice for your wallet.

Food

A lot of Neopians on a budget make the mistake of feeding their poor pet on a never ending diet of jelly, omelettes and underwater fishing produce – while it is true that this is good for your wallet, it certainly must get a bit boring and is relatively low in nutritional value, especially when there are so many different choices available when it comes to food – and all at low low prices!

1. Shell-Topped Cupcakes

Sure, you can feed your Neopet exclusively on jelly and keep to a budget, but why stick to a gelatine and sugar based food when you could move to a sugar, butter and frosting based food? These cupcakes are great value because you can get three, count them three, for less than 250 NP! They are also awfully pretty and far more interesting for your poor Neopet than yet another Pea and Broccoli Omelette.

2. Vegetarian Cheeseburger

Not only can you pick the Vegetarian Cheeseburger up for less than 350 NP, making it nice for your bank balance, but it also has the appearance of being junk food whilst being vegetable based, thus making it good for your Neopet. Further, it is also something that they will want to eat (and think they are having a treat while eating some veggies!). It has cheese, lettuce and tomato in it – guaranteed to be more delicious than even the freshest Blandfish...

3. Berry Topped Frozen Yogurt and Plain Frozen Yogurt

What is there not to love about these delicious desserts? They are healthy foods, dairy based, available in plain or topped with fruit, and are still so sweet, cold and delicious that your Neopet is sure to love them, yet you can get both of them for UNDER 100 NP each; that’s right, UNDER 100 NP! How can you go wrong at this price – with added calcium.

Clothes

Ever since Neopets started wearing clothes, the question for owners (apart from should I dress my Neopet) is how much to spend on your friend. The Ultra Fashionable Potato Sack, with all due respect, loses its ‘ultra fashionability’ with so many other Neopets sporting it. Being on a budget is fine; dressing your Neopet in a burlap bag is taking it a little too far when you can get a number of wearable items for a very reasonable price.

1. Brown Winter Hat and Scarf

Technically these are two different items but since you can get both of them for under 500 NP, they may as well be one! The hat is cozy and is a neutral colour, so it suits every coloured Neopet – the fur is also faux so you can be sure no Petpets were harmed in the making of your attire. The scarf matches the hat beautifully and features horizontal stripes – guaranteed to flatter all Neopets and totally in this season!

2. Bow Tie

The Bow Tie is a true classic, an essential for many years in Neopia. The great thing about this particular bow tie is that it is fancy enough to get your Neopet into just about every fancy and schmancy occasion, different enough with its yellow polka dots to make you stand out from the crowd, and, best of all, cheap enough that you won’t break the bank in acquiring it – in fact, if you look carefully enough, this beauty will set you back less than 700 NP!

Beauty Products and Personal Hygiene

Smelling nice and being clean is important and ought not be neglected for the sake of a few Neopoints. With these great budget products available, though, we can guarantee that you can achieve both cleanliness and thriftiness!

1. Combs and Brushes

Many Neopets have fur and so should own at least one good quality comb or brush. The great news for those on a budget is that there are three combs and one brush available for this exact purpose – all for under 10 NP each! That’s right, less than TEN!!! The Snazzy Moon Comb and Golden Moon Comb are great at removing tangles. If your pet enjoys the outdoors, you may want to consider the comb especially created by Illusen for hair that is silky smooth with no leaves and twigs. Finally, Jhudora’s brush is great for super shiny coats and should not be passed over despite being created by a dark faerie – those on a budget ought to be choosy, but this item is too good to pass up!

2. Rain Water Shampoo

If you are going to invest in one of these brushes, you should be also ensure your Neopet's fur or hair is clean – the Rain Water Shampoo is great for this and being water based can be used anywhere – no shower or bath required! Less than 80 NP and a seemingly endless bottle really seals the deal for us!

Entertainment

Even Neopets on a budget deserve entertainment and, really, playing with diseased mechafish cannot be good for your pet and is really outright irresponsible of the owner – it is, after all, diseased! We recommend these interesting, yet cheap methods of entertainment instead of metal fish that can give you sneezles.

1. Gummy Dice Blumaroo Cards

Even though these cards are advertised as Gummy Dice as a card game, there is absolutely no reason why your Neopet could not play any variety of card games at home with them – pyramids, poker, cheat, you name it and you can play it. These cards are currently a steal at about 50 NP and will provide your Neopet with dozens of games at their fingertips (or paw or fin tips, I guess).

2. Books

Lately there has been a huge influx of affordable books in the market – this can only be a good thing; we all know television rots your brain and reading not only is fun, but also makes your Neopet smarter! Some of the best options available at the moment are the Maraqua Colouring Book, the Book of Origami Paper and the Holiday Connect the Dots Book, all of which provide (obvious) forms of entertainment and will cost you less than 200 NP apiece!

Household Comforts

While there are hundred of other items that we are sure you and your Neopet would enjoy after all this shopping, we are sure you just want to get to your Neohome and put your feet up – but alas, what is a home with nothing more than a bone throne and a hewn stone table? At an absolute minimum, all Neopets need a bed, couch and set of drawers to keep their other great (cheap) purchases in. Once again, being thrifty does not mean being uncomfortable with these great buys!

1. The Simple Bed

Available in blue, purple, red, green and yellow, the simple bed is usually under 1000 NP and comes with two pillows, and a quilt cover in the same colour as the frame. The stripes are simple and look nice with any décor, and with such a choice of colours, you are guaranteed to find one that suits your tastes!

2. Funky Yellow Drawer

The goodness of this item is self-explanatory – it is a funky place to keep all of your (cheap) cool stuff! You can pick one up for less than 300 NP if you look carefully, and easily for less than 500 NP!

3. Simple Sofa

The great thing about the simple sofa is that it not only costs less than 1000 NP (if you are careful), but it also comes in colours made to coordinate with your simple bed! That means your Neopets can have a comfortable sleep and a comfortable seat for less than the cost of four scratch cards! Moreover, with prices and function this good, you are sure to be a winner!

People are on budgets for various reasons but being on a budget does not mean your Neopet (or you) need to suffer. Discard (or sell) those jellies, donate your potato sack to the second hand shop and embrace the art of looking wealthy while spending little!