The Frugal Neopian's Guide to Smart Shopping by jkikolski |  |
Do you want to save money? Sure, we all do. Whether you're a Newbie just trying
to make ends meet, or an established player trying to save up for that faerie
paint brush, these tips will help you keep your pets happy for less.
First, let's discuss food. It's a necessity, sure, but it doesn't have to
break the bank. If you're truly poor, don't even think about buying food. If
you have less than 2,000 NP in total, you can go to the Soup Faerie (in the
Marketplace) and she will feed your pets. I recommend it; the soups are fantastic
and very hearty, just the thing for your growing NeoPet. However, if you've
moved up the ranks and have a nice nest egg padding your bank account, you will
have to search elsewhere for food.
That's where the giant omelette of Tyrannia comes in. Stop by and pick up
your omelette every day. Sometimes, with luck, you can find an extra piece on
the ground! If you have three or fewer pets, you can keep them fat and happy
on a steady diet of omelettes and the occasional Bagguss from the Fruit Machine.
(More on that later!) Each omelette is good for three servings, so even if you
have to buy one from a user shop (they range in price from 15 to 150 NP) they
are some of the most economical foods out there.
Make sure that you take advantage of the freebies available to you. Scads
of articles have been written on the merits of Coltzan's Shrine, the Tombola,
and the Fruit Machine; all that needs to be said here is, they all give away
food on occasion. Since they are all free, give them a whirl. Unless you are
competing for the Gourmet Club prize, you should be able to feed your pet almost
entirely for free.
Next, we need to discuss your pet's mood. Everybody wants happy pets, but
toys can be expensive. If you picked up your Newbie pack, you must have received
a Fuzzle. Take some time to play with your pet at least once a week, and it
will be a long time before he gets bored of his Fuzzle. Keep him entertained
the rest of the time by playing games like Pyramids, Kacheek Seek, and Dice-A-Roo--all
of which can earn you Neopoints. (Be careful playing betting games like Krawps
and Blackjack, try not to overbid!) In addition to playing with your pet, you
should take time to groom him or her occasionally. The important thing to remember
here is always compare prices. Your pet probably doesn't care if you
use a blue eyeshadow or a shampoo on it, it will feel clean and pretty either
way. So try to shop from the main shop, which rarely sells out, and buy whatever
is cheapest.
Of course, many players want their pets to have high statistics, namely intelligence.
Again, unless you are competing for the Neopian Book Award, try not to be picky
about how you raise your pet's level. Try playing puzzle games like Cliffhanger
and Guess the Card. It takes longer, but you also earn Neopoints while you play.
If you must buy books, try to buy them from the main shops. The Lost Desert
has a bookshop that is usually a little slower to sell out than the main shop,
making it easier to buy books there.
Some things are much, much cheaper in user shops than in the main shops. However,
this is the exception rather than the rule. Almost everything will come to the
main shops eventually, and it is almost always cheaper there. Remember that
anything you can't use you can always sell. However, never pay full price, even
in a main shop. Usually you can get an item on the first try if you offer three-fourths
of the original price as you haggle. For instance, if an item is 400 NP, try
offering 300 NP I have found that you can save a lot of money this way. The
lower the price of an item, the less leeway you have to haggle. Furthermore,
memorise the following statement: The third day of every month is half price
day. That means everything in the main shops is half off! Stock up on what
you need, and sell the rest. Make sure you have a bank account so you can load
up your safety deposit box with medicines, food, faeries, and more. And if your
pet has been begging you for a PetPet, the third day of the month is the time
to buy those big-ticket items.
So, how to raise your pet's level for an economical price? If you have a fast
connection, play a lot of Deckswabber and/or Deckball. Use your Dubloons to
train your pet at the Swashbuckling Academy. Also be sure to watch the calendar
for your pet's special day (i.e. Scorchio day, which just passed). If your pet
is beneath level ten, you could theoretically get up to six training sessions
for free (on every four hours for 24 hours). However, most people would be lucky
to get two or three. Just make sure you know your pet's species' day and log
in before school or work to make sure he starts training.
By the time you have reached level 40, you will probably have collected a
large number of Codestones through random events and Tombola prizes. I always
save my Codestones whenever I can get them for free. You can put them in your
safe deposit box for when you need them. If you get really strapped for cash,
you can sell one or two in auction or in your shop, but if you follow these
tips you shouldn't need to.
Don't get discouraged if you have trouble getting a certain item in the main
shops. Often if you buy items that are similar to the ones you're looking for,
people will be willing to trade on the trading post. For instance, most people
are happy to trade one book for another if they are of comparable value. However,
don't invest too much in case the deal doesn't pan out. This works best with
items under 500 NP Always check the Shop Wizard before trading an item to make
sure you are not getting scammed or unknowingly scamming someone else.
Finally, if you open a shop (which I highly recommend!) don't upgrade it to
a larger number of items than you can reasonably stock it with in 24 hours.
If you plan to sell food (a great investment for someone with little capital),
you will need a larger shop than someone who sells faeries or Codestones because
you will be working in large quantities to make the maximum profit. I sell books,
and my shop is size 9, which may actually be a little large! I rarely have more
than 25 books in my shop because the tend to sell very quickly. So only upgrade
your shop when you start to find that you don't have enough space to restock
all the items you can collect in a day. |
