Yeah, that;s the big problem, most of the "alternative" litters are much more expensive. That's the main reason I switched to Pine shavings, it's just so economical. I've had no issues with toxicity, allergies, etc - and one of my cats is highly allergic to almost everything, he loves to dig and roll in the clean boxes when I first change them. If I had an unlimited budget, I would probably use swheat scoop (even tho I hate scoopable litters).
Phaewryn http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Special Needs Cat Resources