Frugal/Spendthrift Gardening Comparison

**ChristineLynne** · 08-16-2005, 12:30 PM

I'm new to the frugal life, so I had a good opportunity to compare the relative costs of my old style and my new one. I had bought five herb plants from the farmer's market (much cheaper than buying fresh herbs in the store!), and I needed to repot them ASAP to keep them healthy. Here's what I would have done before.

Go to Lowes and buy:
Potting soil - $10
Matching pots (probably expensive designer ones) - $15
Screening material to cover drainage holes - $2 (?)
Gravel for drainage - $3
Mini garden shovel - $5 (?)

Here's what I did:
Go to Lowes and buy potting soil* - $10
Find two old pots in the garage and clean them out - FREE
Dig out three baskets I got on Freecycle - FREE
Line pots/baskets with cut up pantyhose - FREE
Fill bottoms of pots with gravel for fish tanks left over from some tanks DH drained - FREE
Use two plastic beach toy shovels belonging to my 2yo - FREE (and she had fun digging with me)

Cost difference - at least $25

And now I feel especially great when I look out on the porch and see my container garden!

*In the future I will be even more frugal by planning ahead more and getting some leftover soil from my parents or getting compost from them to amend clay from our yard.

**Darlene** · 08-16-2005, 02:10 PM

That's the way!

**cthy1954** · 08-16-2005, 02:19 PM

I would never even thought of pantyhose. Thanks for the tip. I have used it to hold up melons and cucumbers when I grow them on the fence. I need to get more creative.

**homesteadmamma** · 08-16-2005, 02:23 PM

Great job. I love how you showed us this comparison.

**Kimberlina** · 08-16-2005, 02:43 PM

Nice post- I never would have thought of panythose either. Thanks for the comparison- I love seeing them.

If I had magical brownie-point-granting powers, I'd give you a brownie point for your great post, but alas I don't. (Hint, hint.)

LOL I can give you a greeat big thanks, though!

**Prairiemom** · 08-16-2005, 03:35 PM

I like the panyhose idea also. It was very resourceful of you to reuse and find things that would do the job you needed instead of buying new. Thanks for the reminder to be more creative.